~ The Quest for the Ring of Fire
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Turn 158.0: Kilner’s Treasure
Posted: 8/13/01
'Back
to familiar territory,' Hannibal had thought to himself cheerfully. A bow, at range, and at an enemy's
flank...there was no better form of attack.
And then Hannibal's smile suddenly faded away, even as Skandor was dealing
the deathblow upon Covarc. A
realization had come to Hannibal at that very moment, an epiphany. In all his days as a rogue, as a pickpocket,
and as an assassin, he had always told himself that one day he would return,
return to the glory that would be his, as a Knight of Rinder. At this very moment however, as he watched
through the waning moments of the battle with Covarc, he realized that he was
now at the point of no return. That he
had come so far, learned so much, that to turn back now would be a far greater
setback than would be to go ahead. It
was at that very moment Hannibal realized he may very well be a
thief...forever.
He
had looked to his friends, Canter, Crayne, Skandor, Storm, and Emma. They respected him for his talents...but did
they respect him for his being?
Hannibal stood and shouldered his bow, a grim look on his face. At a time when he should be happy, when he
had been instrumental in winning the good fight, Hannibal felt greater sorrow
than he had felt in some time.
"I'm a thief." he muttered quietly with a sigh as he joined
the rest of the team.
Catching
his breath, the Sword Bearer glances around him. The battle is finished, another battle won by Rinder's Six. And, by the grace of Anhur, all of his
companions were still standing. Looking
back down at the mage's still-warm body, Skandor watches impassively as El
searches the corpse. When El rises, his
eyes wide with the discovery of the spell book, Skandor kneels and says a
silent prayer to Anhur.
"Victory
and honor again, Almighty. Your humble
servant thanks you for the strength, courage, and wisdom to find victory, in
your Name." Then, with a slow,
gentle sweep, the paladin draws his bloody blade across the clothing of the
mage, wiping his foe's own blood off the well-kept steel. He turns the blade over, and does the same
for the other side of his claymore.
With a well-practiced flip of the wrist, Skandor slings his sword over
his back, and stands.
His
mind races with thoughts, now that the battle-rush of adrenaline was gone. Now, he could think clearer. "The two who fled...we must try to
capture them, prevent them from escaping.
Not only might they cause harm above, but they might yet try to keep us
from leaving this place. But I fear
more for the information they might deliver to their lords."
Skandor
looks this way and that, even now looking for a way up to the bridge. But frustration sets in as he realizes the
rope has been cut. He glances to his
companions, tired and weary.
"Well? Do we try to stop
those two?"
Emma
looks up in the direction of the bridge.
It's too dark for her to make out anything. If Hannibal and Canter had allowed any of the Caerloon soldiers
to escape, they would be long gone by now.
She wanted to voice that opinion, but felt too weak and tired to speak
up about it.
Crayne
looks to Skandor, "Your concern is well placed, Skandor. However, I fear it will take us time to get
up on to that bridge and they already have a good head start on us. Anyhow, I wouldn't be surprised if they
receive a welcoming committee from the priests when they go back up to the
Temple. After all they have already
been attacked and taken captive remember.
Now that they are free again I'm sure that they will be more on guard
this time. Let's hope so anyhow!"
Storm
wipes his blades on the body of the dead soldier whom he and Skandor killed in
the battle. He gives a quick search of
the body for and coinage and/or interesting items, then goes over to the spot
where the rope has fallen. He picks up
his cut rope and examines the severed end.
Mumbling to himself, annoyed, he coils what's left of the rope (about
twenty-five feet) and stows it. Storm
makes sure to remember to grab the hook when they finally make their way back
up on top of the bridge.
He
joins the rest of the group back by the body of the mage. "Harrrr, ye stupid mage. Ye got what's comin' to ye." He spits on the mage's remains, then looks
up over his shoulder toward the bridge.
"We can be gettin' some stuff from that there room, aye? Let's be doin' that right quick once we're
done with these sorry fellers." He
indicates the dead mage and soldier, and the living prisoner currently bound by
El's doing. "I's hopin' I's could
be finding somethin' nice up there."
He grins widely for a moment.
"Maybe they's even have somethin' from a dwarven smith, eh?"
The
grin fades for a moment as he realizes that if this is true it would most
likely be an axe or
a hammer, but the grin returns as he
thinks 'ya never know.' He looks up at
the other end of the bridge at the mention of the two escaped Caerloon
soldiers. "I's say we keep an eye
out fer the buggers on our way back up, and run 'em through if we find
'em. Otherwise, I's be thinkin' the
priests up top be able to handle themselves.
Remember that noisy thing they did?
Leveled a whole building, eh?
They's mighta even done it quicker than a dwarven demolition group! Ha!"
Then, as an afterthought, "An asides...they's not be knowing they
ain't got the compound no more, right?"
He scratches his head, hoping his basic logic skills haven't failed him.
"Such
a waste!" Crayne whispers to himself as he sees the broken body of Covarc
lying in a pool of blood. 'It must have
taken Covarc years of study and dedication to be as skilled as he was,' Crayne
thinks. 'And now look at him! A victim of greed.' The right side had won today, Crayne was
sure. He was pleased as well. To have defeated such a powerful adversary showed
just how strong a unit Rinder's Six had become. However, he couldn't help thinking to himself that despite Covarc's
faults, a great man had died here today.
Turning
to the group Crayne remembers the still unconscious foe lying on the floor
downed earlier by his Color Spray.
Crayne isn't sure whether he had been dealt with yet so he turns to the
nearest warrior (Storm) and says, "It seems we've survived another battle
my good friend." Crayne smiles at
the dwarf. Suddenly though his tone
grows more serious, "If we haven't yet dealt with it the man over there is
unconscious, not dead." Crayne
points to the man with the long sword, "We don't want him getting up and
attacking us. Check to make sure he is
suitably bound."
Hannibal
rests his gaze on Emma, thankful that the priestess had made it through what
must have been a terrible fight on the floor of the cavern. Until now it had never dawned on Hannibal
how Covarc had managed to save himself from the fall, no doubt the work of
magic. Nevertheless, when Emma looks
his way, Hannibal offers a smile and a nod.
Even now, in this moment of great sorrow for him, her smile seemed to
warm his heart.
And
indeed, Emma does smile toward Hannibal.
She had feared for his safety, acting alone upon the bridge with Covarc
and his bodyguards. And how he had
managed to escape and survive was anybody's guess. The young man was incredible.
But in her heart, Emma believes it must also involve the gods of
Rinder...maybe not Anhur, but most certainly Nire. For luck had been with them.
And especially with Hannibal.
Skandor
notices quite easily the smile that passes between the rogue and Shield
Maiden. It strikes him as
being...different than usual. His eyes
narrow ever-so-slightly, and his jaw clenches the way it does when he is
anxious, or nervous.
Blocking
out those thoughts, though, he looks towards Hannibal. "Brave, and well-fought, Hannibal. As I mentioned the night after the fight
with Bernigan, you very well might have the makings of a knight in
you." Skandor says the words with
a gentle smile, and he means them.
"And Crayne's power never ceases to amaze me. We are truly a force to be reckoned
with."
Crayne
then turns to Hannibal, "Well done Hannibal! Your courage never fails to astound me."
Hannibal
diverts his attention to Mage Crayne and smiles again. "Mage Crayne, as the days pass I see
your powers grow and your abilities increase.
Not once have you shown me a sign that you have taken those powers for
granted nor used them in any way but to better the group. For what I said to you outside the temple I
apologize. My courage is only a
reflectance of the love I have for the people in this group, and you sir I will
be proud to serve with till my dying days." Hannibal extends a hand to Crayne in thanks.
"I
would echo those words," Emma's voice calls from across the cavern floor
next to the statues, "Crayne...you are nothing like these Red Dragon
renegades at all. Your skill and
mastery of magic is wielded for the purpose of justice and all that is
good. I believe that now, too. May the gods smile upon you. And may your talent in wizardry only be
equaled by your wisdom in when and how to use it."
Crayne
bows his head to both Emma and Hannibal, "Your words mean a lot to me,
both of you. For a moment I think I
lost some trust from both of you back there.
I am pleased to have retrieved it, though,
and hope that I will never lose it
again! From now on I will try my best
to be more open with you and to listen to what you have to say. Remember, I am here for both of you if there
is ever anything you need to ask or if you ever get into any trouble."
Crayne
smiles. He was very pleased with the
situation. He couldn't remember the
last real friends he had. It was only
Melli that he had previously trusted.
However, he was growing close to Emma now that they were beginning to
understand each other. She had opened
Crayne's eyes to his own stubbornness and perhaps self-absorption. Crayne was determined to change for
loneliness was painful and
he didn't want to go on feeling that
emotion. He had found a good friend in
Hannibal as well. He could relate to
Hannibal, for the thief had been troubled much like himself and he too seemed
to be heading down a path of change.
Emma seemed to be acting as the catalyst.
Crayne
then turns to the group, "Remember all that Kilner lifted the curse on
those magical items. He said we could
choose three to take as a reward. As I
have the Ring of Water Command I believe it is not my place to take any of the
three items. However, as one of the
group I propose that Hannibal have at least one of the items for his
outstanding bravery in the fight against the statues and the battle with
Covarc."
Hannibal
shrugs and nods. "If there is
something in there that is of use to me I will gladly take it, however, if
there exists more powerful blades and armor, I suggest we equip our warriors
for the battles ahead. Shaking his
head, Hannibal chuckles a little.
"Guess you never thought you'd ever meet a scrupulous thief did
ya?"
"Not
a thief," Emma says in all seriousness, having no idea of Hannibal's
epiphany just a few moments prior, "But a warrior as strong as the rest of
us that wield these blades and strap on this armor. I agree with the Highbrow.
Without you, we would never have survived the day...whether inside
Kilner's vault with the guardians, or outside against Covarc and his men. We took the field, Hannibal. But it was your actions that achieved
it. And twice over. So, to our greatest warrior, go the greatest
spoils. And by my word as a Shield
Maiden of Anhur, you shall have first choice from among the treasures Kilner
gave us permission to take."
The
paladin nods silently, supporting Emma's and Crayne's summary with a mere
nod. He could say nothing more to prove
to Hannibal that he was well deserving of some sort of boon for his deeds. Skandor looked to the others, wondering if
anyone else would dare object.
Crayne
then turns to Emma and nods at the priestess, "You fought well today
Emma. Your timing with your Dispel
Magic came at a crucial time. If it
wasn't for you Covarc might well have got away.
Thank you!" Crayne says smiling
at the priestess, "Perhaps we should go and find Amos and tell him the
good news!"
Hannibal
nods his agreement but says nothing.
Emma
smiles, and though her wounds are grievous, her spirits are buoyed by Crayne's
praise. "It was the luck of the
gods," she replied, "I called to Anhur and he provided a solution at
the appropriate time. Just as Amos'
priesthood managed to do when they called to Hathe and shattered the Caerloon
garrison above us."
"You
speak very modestly Emma. Perhaps too
much so. You saw that Covarc was on his
last legs and acknowledged that he would try and make his escape. You reacted well Emma and stopped his
escape. It has nothing to do with the
luck of the Gods. It was good thinking
on your own part."
Emma
smiles, understanding Crayne's desire to lean upon man's ability to affect his
world...but knowing in her heart that gods often set events into motion that
man simply experiences. Of course it
was good thinking on her part to dispel Covarc's enchantment. But that didn't mean that her thoughts and
actions weren't guided by the faith, wisdom, and training her deity had
invested in her.
She
looked thoughtful for a moment and then continued, "You know, Crayne? As
much as you and maybe some of the others don't ascribe to religious beliefs,
I'm convinced that there is power in faith.
And I believe it will help to see us through to the end...much as your
arcane knowledge and talents, and Skandor or Storm's blades, or Hannibal's
brilliant cleverness. We're meant to be
together. All of us. Call it fate or divine intervention or
whatever. But I don't believe any of
this is happening out of blind chance anymore.
We're meant to accomplish something great...something...legendary, I
think." Emma's words begin to
trail off as she becomes woozy from loss of blood. She lets her bow slip from her hand and leans back against the
stone statue. Her legs finally begin to
give way and she slides down to the floor.
A look of confusion crosses her face, as if she's taken aback that her
body would ever fail her.
All
thoughts of pursuing the two escapees flee his mind as Skandor sees Emma fall
to the ground. Perhaps she had been
wounded far worse than she looked? Brow
furrowed with concern, Skandor swiftly steps over to her side and kneels before
her, his eyes seeking hers. "Are
you alright? Relax, rest...and if you
have any curative magics left in you, I beseech you to use them on yourself,
now." Unslinging his
shoulder-pack, Skandor fishes out his canteen and offers Emma some water.
Crayne,
too, looks concerned as he sees the priestess fall but smiles as he sees the
look of confusion cross her face.
"Your body has taken much damage today, Emma. You need rest now! No more speeches now for it will probably kill you. Drink some of this water and sit there for a
while."
With
two offers of water in front of her face, Emma blinks again, starting to think
maybe she's suffering from double-vision.
But she recognizes the differences between the stout paladin and the slimmer
wizard, Crayne. She nods and accepts
one of the flasks, while waving the other away.
"I'm
fine...really..." she sputters after taking a drink, "Just a little
dizzy, that's all." She looks at
Skandor and says, "See to it that we're secure here. The soldiers...if they escaped...they might
have reinforcements or something. I
don't think we're ready to go running after them. And I'm not sure we'd catch them even if we did. So, let's just rest here awhile and catch
our breath."
Then
she turns to Crayne and suggests, "Why don't you go ahead and fetch Amos
from the vault? He's probably worried
to death in there. And...make sure
he...and anyone else didn't take anything.
Kilner was very clear about that."
She closes her eyes and rests easy, breathing softly for a while.
(OOC: Emma casts Cure Light Wounds
on herself; 5 hp restored.)
Crayne
nods at Emma's suggestion, "I will do as you ask Emma!" Hemakes his way off to the portal and goes
through once more. Looking about he can
see nobody at first but as he narrows his eyes he sees the nervous looking Amos
crouched up against one of the stone walls.
He smiles and makes his way over to Amos and reassures him.
"It
is okay to come out now, Amos. The
battle is over! We have won! The mage Covarc is dead and peace has been
restored."
The
nervous priest looks short for words for a few moments but then rises with the
assistance of Crayne. The priest smiles
warmly and taps Crayne on the shoulder, "Is everybody okay?"
Crayne
replies with a very pleased look on his face.
Before the battle had begun Crayne was certain that this was probably
the toughest confrontation that Rinder's Six had ever faced. He knew that Covarc had the power to kill
most of the group with just one spell.
However, through the good planning and effective teamwork of the group,
each member of the Six was still standing after the battle. It pleased him immensely remembering how
effectively they had stood up to the powerful Red Dragon mage in combat. He was convinced that Rinder's Six would
come up against more in the future and he was now filled with a bit of
confidence.
He
then replies to priest, "Everybody is fine!" Crayne says, "Just
fine!" Crayne then looks to the
broken statues on the floor, "Do you think, Amos, that those statues
restore themselves after a
period of time? Now that we have freed your people and
destroyed the enemy I fear it will not be long before the Red Dragon mages send
some people to find out what has gone on here.
Thus, you must be prepared for the worst I am afraid. If we could stay on and help we would. However, we must go now and search for the
Ring of Fire Command. It is imperative
for the outcome of this war that we find it."
"I
understand," Amos replies, smiling to Crayne. "Then let us get you'n and your friends back to El-Balans so
you'n can be on your way..." he motions to the glowing portal, indicating
he will follow Crayne through.
Soon
the mage and the priest emerge from the portal, rejoining the rest of the
party. Once through, Crayne looks to
Elloharin. The elf was gradually
becoming more like his apprentice every day.
"Elloharin, keep hold of that book. We should take a look at it together when we go back up to the
Temple. I think a closer search of
Covarc is needed. I will memorise
Detect Magic and cast it over him to see if he possesses any hidden items. If not then I will search to see if he has
any possessions of wealth or importance."
He then makes his way off to memorise the spell.
After
handing the book to Crayne, El straightens, the air coming into his lungs with
small rasps. He was exhausted. When was the last time he had slept? It seemed as if he had been in continuous
battle for months!
He
looks around at the others of the Six, as if he were in a daze. For the first time in a long time he felt as
if he were really seeing them when he looked.
They were hard hit. He had never
seen Emma and Storm so badly injured.
His own wounds had been taken care of in the Vault--all glory be to
Anhur.
He
looks down at the dead mage and feels a small surge of regret. Why was this so often the fate of
mages? What crucial component in their
lives, in their quests for magic, made them so brutally evil? Why so cruel? Then he looks at Crayne and wonders. There were good mages, no doubt, but how good were they? He had felt stung when Crayne nearly seized
the Gem of Seeing. And just when it had
begun responding to him. Elloharin the
Dimmed was beginning to suspect that the Gem was not a tool for the use of
battle. After seeing the apparition of
the dead Goolag, pure chance, leering up at him from its crystalline depths,
Elloharin was beginning to think that maybe the Gem of Seeing was a means of
personal retribution.
Shaking
his head and straightening his armor and cloak around him, he goes to Hannibal
and draws the man's gaze long enough to shake his hand with a strong grip. "Good work, out there," is all he
says before awaiting instructions from the group leaders. It is time to wait, and size things up.
"Let
us make our way back up to the treasure, then," Canter says as he rubs a
sore spot on his shoulder.
"Hannibal, Storm, can either of you climb back up and drop what
remains of the rope?"
"I
can do it," Hannibal replies, "I did it before!" With a pat on Canter's back, he heads over
to the cavern wall and begins to ascend.
Now, he can take his time, carefully selecting each crevice and gripping
spot along the jagged rock to aid him in his climb. After a few minutes, he is once again on the bridge. He uncoils the remaining rope he had brought
with him on the climb and finds Storm's grappling hook. Soon, the rope is once again set, restoring
the link between the bridge and the cavern floor below.
"Good
work, Hannibal," Canter calls up to his friend. Then he turns to the others.
"Let's see what Kilner has left for us, then we can take some time
and rest. We'll want to be in better
shape for the trip back to the surface, I think, in case we run into those
other two."
"Agreed,"
Skandor says, nodding to Canter.
Before
heading up to the bridge, however, Crayne inspects Covarc's body with a Detect
Magic spell. As he finishes casting the
enchantment, he adjusts his eyes to see the now-familiar hues of magical aura. He focuses on Covarc, squinting and
concentrating carefully on the dead form.
After close inspection, he can see no traces of any magic. 'Probably wise,' he thinks to himself. 'Lest he be killed or taken prisoner, at
least his collection of magical items be captured...'
As
Rinder's Six once again enters the small altar-room off the bridge (via the
door with the Marcus Switch), they make themselves comfortable. The room appears exactly as they left it,
with Crayne's contraption holding the small statue over the bowl of water.
"Perhaps
we'd better close the portal, just in case the two who got away wander back
here..." Emma suggests, reaching for the statue. As she pulls it away, the image of the cavern below (on the
surface of the water in the bowl) shows the glimmering portal closing, and the
four statues sliding back into their original positions.
Storm
is the last of Rinder's Six through the door.
He dumps the body of the still-unconscious Rynn in a corner. "Now what we got here?" he says, a
wide smile appearing on his lips as he takes in the view once again:
The
room is stuffed to the gills with sparkling chests, tattered and time-worn
sacks of coin, gems and jewelry, and gleaming shields and swords, among a
variety of other items visible. There
are at least a dozen gold-encrusted chests filled with various coins and
gems. There are also close to thirty
tattered and time-worn burlap sacks filled with coins and gems. There are five cases of jewelry (diamonds,
gems, and other precious stones in rings, necklaces, and headpieces). There are four gleaming shields of
yet-to-be-determined metal, and four accompanying swords, all in apparently
mint-condition. There is also one
helmet to match the shields, one chest-plate, one pair of bracers, two lutes,
and three horns.
Crayne
immediately heads for one of the jewelry cases, peering at the rings
inside. There are quite a few
actually. Having cast his Detect Magic
on Covarc below, he no longer has the ability to distinguish which are magical
and which are not at his fingertips.
One appears to have an engraving of two arrows, bent to create a
circle. There is also what appears to
be a one-word inscription around the inside of this golden ring. A second ring has the carving of a feather
on it. A third has a small arch
engraved upon it. The fourth appears
similar to the Ring of Water Command, in that it shows a wave pattern. And the fifth ring Crayne discovers bears no
image, it is merely a silvery band with a streak of green mixed into the metal.
Elloharin
moves over to the five instruments along one of the walls. The lutes appear to be in fairly good
condition, and he plucks one of the strings on one of them carefully, to no
effect. "I suppose one needs to
know how to play this to get it to work," he muses. The three horns nearby are his next target
of examination. One of them is a nice,
shiny silver. A second is gold, with
more intricate tubing to it. There
appear to be two faces on either side of this horn, each with its mouth open as
if saying something, though there is no inscription. The third is odd for its color: it is completely black.
Skandor,
Emma, and Canter approach the collection of arms and armor. There are the four gleaming shields (two
medium-sized and two bucklers); three long swords, each with intricate
patterning around the base and handle; one shiny bastard sword (which Canter
takes and flips in his hands--much to his approval!). There is also a very strong chest plate, the pair of bracers, and
a shiny helm with a subtle blue tint.
Hannibal
also locates a small sack, no more than a coin or belt-pouch. He opens it up and peers inside, pulling out
a small pinch of glittery dust in his fingertips. Looking to Storm, he shrugs his shoulders, not exactly sure what
the dust's purpose is.
1.
HP Status: Canter 12/44, Crayne
13/16, Elloharin 15/30, Emma 12/47, Hannibal 9/29, Skandor 20/38, Storm 22/50.
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