Disclaimer

Dungeons and Dragons and Eberron are the property of Wizards of the Coast. This story is based upon the Dungeons and Dragons game created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new Dungeons and Dragons game designed by Johnathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. It also utilizes the Eberron campaign setting created by Keith Baker, Bill Slaviscek and James Wyatt. It utilizes the current campaign modules written by Keith Baker, Bill Slaviscek, David Noonan, Bruce R. Cordell, Nicolas Logue and Ed Stark.

The characters portrayed in this story are fictional and bear no resemblance to any real "live" person.

Chapter 12

Rose Quarry

Travelling back the next day to the ruins of the camp, the party set about slavaging the remains. They acquired an abundance of weapons and found plentiful supplies that the soldiers had brought. Wish sat inspecting the bodies lying around him, most of the soldiers kit was emblazoned with the insignia of the Emerald Claw, the fanatic patriots of Karrnath, but what truly troubled him was the presence of the tall human male and female, both bore symbols of the Blood of Vol. The once official religion of Karrnath, but still widely practiced throughout Karrnath. Wish had heard rumours before of ties between the Blood of Vol and the Emerald Claw but this was the first time he had seen proof of the rumours. The thought disturbed him. If an organization as powerful as the Blood of Vol was backing the Emerald Claw then many things were now open to question, such as the true goals of King Kaius the third. Breland should be informed as soon as possible, but there was no chance that he could abandon his current duty, his orders were from the highest circles and to abandon them meant high treason. His report on this matter would have to wait until he returned to Sharn.

Looking up from his musing he noticed that the rest of the party had moved on and were staring at the ruins of the once prosperous village. As he stood up he noticed the refraction of light, across the surface of the buildings. Turning to look more closely, he saw that the buildings were covered by a strange substance. It appeared to be glass as it was completely transparent revealing the preserved timbers and stone beneath. As he walked closer he saw how it cascaded down the walls, onto the ground preserving even the grass. Looking deeper into the glass he gasped, the burned corpses of dwarves were preserved within. Frozen for perpetuity in a glass coffin. Looking at Serrin, Wish said only three words, his eyes questioning, "Day of Mourning".

Serrin looked back at him and shrugged, "You're guess is as good as mine".

Both looked on at the strange crystalline substance. Their reverie was interrupted by a load noise, the ear shattering creak of glass scraping across glass. Following the noise the five came upon the hideous contorted forms of dwarves. They were covered in the same substance, as the surrounding village. Turning towards the intruders their eyes look upon them, they are clearly dead, no sparkle of life lifts the dead gaze and with that they charge towards the group, the shrieking noise coming from their feet as they slid across the glass.

Serrin quickly pulled his bow from his back, and notched an arrow sending it towards the charging zombies. The arrow bounced harmlessly off the crystalline surface the zombies proceeding onwards. Boskov rushed forward to meet them slashing and scratching at the surface, but his efforts were ineffective, he couldn't even mark the glass surface. Again it was HK and Junior who were the most effective, Junior sending out his small magic missiles to strike the zombies and HK using his giant warhammer to smash into the glass shattering it as his blows landed. Boskov started in behind HK's blows pulling the shattered glass apart exposing the weak flesh beneath. His paws were becoming bloody and torn from the work, but as he continued Serrin sent arrows flying straight towards the holes, injuring the zombies. Hearing the noise more zombies kept arriving in the area. Sliding easily over the slippery surface they were at a distinct advantage over the five adventurers, but they were not intelligent. Attacking the largest target they were equally unable to damage the large warforged with his adamantine plates. Slowly the party cut through the horde of zombies that attacked them. Fighting their way through the unthinking stupid corpses was easy compared to the battle of the night before but the group was still tired from the previous nights effort so it was with great relief that they finally finished off the last of the zombies leaving them free to search the rest of the village.

Boskov staggered behind them. The large shifter was weak from all his efforts, but being staunch, he felt he did not want to bother the party. It was HK who noticed his suffering. Turning to his pack he fished out one of his cure potions and gave it to his first friend. Boskov gratefully drank the clear blue liquid and sat as he watched the shredded skin on his hands heal. Feeling much better, the party continued on towards a large building that arose in the centre of the village.

Beneath the crystalline glaze the walls of the building were of red marble. Upon the keystone of the entrance was engraved the symbol of an anvil and gorgon – the ancient symbol of House de'Cannith. Entering through the archway, the party was dismayed by the ruins they found within. All woodwork was reduced to piles of rubble strewn across the floor. Beneath the rubble, an embossed design done in rose marble decorated the floor. Clearing away the rubble took a while, but the use of many of the equipment that the Emerald Claw soldiers had left behind came in useful, aiding in clearing the floor. Beneath the rubble was revealed a map of Khorvaire. Cities, topography and mines were all displayed upon the map but no text was present. In addition the room contained, six statues two each alongside three fireplaces. The fireplaces were carved from different types of rock, with the north fireplace made of red stone, south made of white stone and the west fireplace made of black stone. The statues alongside the fireplaces each had a different message engraved upon them. Alongside the red hearth were a lion with the message Tallis, black seal E4 and a dragon displaying Whitehearth, White Seal NE 9. Alongside the white hearth was a wolf reading Cabblen Hall, Red Seal, SW 15 and a falcon displaying Blackhearth, Black Seal SE 12. Alongside the Black hearth was a knight reading Kronu Hall, White Seal N 6and a Griffon reading Redhearth, Red Seal, SE 7.

It was Wish who figured out the riddle, standing before the white fireplace he strode in a north east direction for nine spaces, leaving him standing in the middle of Cyre near to where they currently where. It appeared their destination lay within the ruins land of Cyre now known as the Mournlands. It was then that two figures appeared in the doorway.

"Well, thank you ever so much for doing all the work for us", a tall pale man stood in the doorway, his features obscured by the large thick black cloak he wore. The woman beside him grinned slyly, "Can I peg them now, Brother Garrow?"