25 Nightal
It was almost sunset, the sky speckled with tiny sapphires of light among the oranges, pinks, and purples. The florescent orange of the sun nearing the horizon, the lights of the city started lighting up the streets to match the quiet mood. Thanks to the magic of the mythal, the temperature was as mild as an autumn evening. The five walked unhindered though not totally free of the glares and stares they had been experiencing. Ignoring the crowd's glances, Zarae watched the sun setting below the trees. The feeling of the openness of the expanse had lessened for the drow, replaced with a sense of wander as she watched the colors that streaked the sky slowly change in gradient.
Their escort had given them permission to go without them, but Tahlethar would be held responsible for the group.
"Ye get permission, right?" the dwarf behind the elf as they entered the gate to the garden.
"All taken care of," the cleric assured him with the tree sprout in hand. Tahlethar had lead the group through the streets to a small property. It had recently been cleared and repurposed as a garden. The freshly tilled earth filled their noses.
They stopped on the far side, opposite the gate to the garden. There was a hole already dug, ready to be filled with the new life. Tahlethar motioned the others to circle around. Then he began a soft melodious hum, a beautiful yet haunting wordless song. He didn't hide the tear that streamed down his face. Ariali's voice joined in the wordless song. The cleric knelt down to set the sapling into the hole and pushed the fresh soil around it. As Zyne watched the ritual, a tear of his own fell down his cheek from the emotions of the lilting voices of the memorial song. After packing the dirt, he reached up to the amulet under his tunic, around his neck and unclasped the chain. Its pendant was a mithril disk engraved with a broken arrow. Though the cleric had chosen to no longer follow the Dark Archer's path, he had kept this piece as a reminder of where he was then and now; a gift from Aravae before they had broken their bond. Singing words in elvish over his once beloved, a song of remembrance he had composed, he then hung the necklace around the sapling. Maybe it was her imagination, but Jinx swore as the song of deeds concluded a few of the buds spouted and opened up in rhythm with the song.
Looking to each of the companions with him, Tahlethar gave an appreciative thanks for being with him. After a few minutes of silence, the group was heading back to the Blushing Unicorn. Tomorrow they would start preparing their next leg of the trip, to Myth Unnohyr.
Their escort, sitting in a comfy chair next to the fireplace, gave a silent sigh of relief when the companions returned through the door of the inn an hour later. Her book was set down as she acknowledged the cleric and their return with a nod. By now, the regulars had gotten use to the five, the time between their entrance and the length of the quiet was seconds. The patrons only gave them a moment before returning to their own activities.
"a round of drinks?" Zyne offered, seeing the tabaxi heading twords the counter to order the evening meal for them.
"what's up?" the barkeep noting the melancholy mood of the five.
"Memorial, I think you call them," Jinx answered. Her head nodded twords the group, "recent news of the loss of a love one."
When Zyne came up to order the drinks, "this round. on the house," the barkeep offered, pouring the five a special wine used for these somber occasions. "I may disagree with having the dark elf around. But I am not cold hearted to loss," explaining for the tabaxi as the dwarf carried the drinks back.
"Well, we will be heading out soon, so the city can be happy again," trying to not be ungrateful for the gesture.
"Works in any case," the escort walking up then. "It is tradition to throw a two-day gala for guest who leave after a tenday." She knew the city would be divided over it, and the companions would like to not be given such attention.
Jinx gave thanks, gathering five plates of the salmon dish special to carry to the table. They ate in quiet reflection, not in much of a mood to chat. Plus, it gave everyone a moment to themselves to reflect and think. Several hours after moonrise, the companions one by one departed for their beds for the night, the tabaxi the last one to head up.
The five slept in, the first riser the dwarf, up well after sunrise. The taproom was quiet, only a couple at a table talking with the elven escort. She had taken the time to order them breakfast, which had been set out at the back table they'd been using since their arrival. Zyne was eventually joined one by one by the others, Jinx the last one to join. After enjoying a meal of bread and meat smothered in white gravy, the maps and parchments were out on the table.
Kemas shifted uncomfortably as they rode the camels through the desert sands, down the large dune. The ruins of Ularith growing smaller behind them. Kiya took the lead, followed by a short, feathered birdman tightly bundled, then himself taking the rear. Before them was an endless sea of sand, the realm of the Bedine. It was surprisingly chill to Kemas, not used to being in a desert during the short winter; the temperature had dropped to the 30's, requiring the travelers to be bundled from the scouring winds.
Kiya slowed her mount to come up beside Kemas, "what do you know of the tribes?"
The wizard shook his head, totally ignorant. Kiya then explained what she knew of the Bedine. A hardy yet weary people, they did give strangers a chance to prove they could act with trustworthiness and honor, only reacting with hostility if they are angered. Most outsiders they encountered were brigands and the evil Black Robes, Zhentarim, so there was a prejudice against pale skinned strangers. The wizard unconsciously looked down on his tanned skin. The biggest concern was that Kemas was a wizard. Bedine practitioner of sorcery were killed or exiled, so mages were the most distrusted. Lastly, he was warned that dishonorable deeds, such as theft, was punishable by death.
Far in the distance the first oasis appeared on the horizon. A cluster of tents surrounded the body of water, partially concealed by surrounding palm trees and date groves. Large stones of former buildings became clearer the closer they got. This had once been a temple of some sort. The outline of the courtyard barely peeked up from the sands, marked by partial columns. Standing out amongst the simple structures was a tall minaret topped with a golden dome, its intricate carvings catching the sun. The crisp desert air carried the scent of the desert plants mixed with the faint waft of cooking spices from the hearths.
A few children spotted the desert mounts well before their arrival, calling on adults to come out. Three warriors stood under an arch that had once been a doorway to the temple complex. Kiya slid off the camel, motioning for the other two to do the same, and remain quiet. The reigns were handed to the kenku before she walked over to the Bedine warriors, greeting them in their native language.
"What do you think she is saying," the wizard leaning over to the birdman.
Speaking in different accents for each word, as it was a mimicry of someone else, "she is probably asking for access to the temple below. Or mostly probable if they saw her mistress come through."
The khenra returned, taking her camel's reigns, "the younger male," one who had stepped out as Kiya had walked back to the other two, "will take our animals."
"So what did they say?" Kemas asked.
"We join before heading down," her answer cryptic and unsatisfying to the mage. But he did as he was bidden to do, the camels led to the male who secured them. Passing the ruined courtyard, Kemas saw beside the top of the fallen column a trapdoor that would lead below. The stairs down were clear, the passageway having been traveled frequently. When the kenku Scooper, who took the rear this time, got in the stairwell, the door above closed leaving them in darkness. Down the down the corridor was a torch sitting in a sconce, marking a T junction.
Nearing the end of the corridor stood a woman wearing thin yellow sleeveless robe belted at the waist with a sash; she was tattooed all up her left arm with her right ear decorated with gemstone earrings. Her dark green hair was close-cropped, with a mark shaved into it that matched a sigil on her cherrywood staff.
Her countenance held a brief flash of surprise, "we don't often get visitors down here and in the last tenday I get four individuals," in heavily accented common. The priestess motioned for the group to follow her into another chamber. Inside it was empty except for a low table encircled with cushions for sitting. On the table was a kettle of steaming liquid and several cups. She motioned for the three to sit and take a glass of the spiced tea she had just prepared.
"Previous guest?" the kenku asked before the khenra could.
"Let's see. A tiefling gladiator, a dragonborn sage, a human hunter, and…" looking at Kiya, "one of your kind."
That perked up the khenra's ears, "did she give name?" sure this was A'lai.
The priestess, introducing herself as Shir'Bri, shrugged. But confirm a person of A'lai description having arrived yesterday.
"Then we are not far behind her," Kemas whispered.
Shir'Bir nodded, then pointed twords the back wall, "the other door," indicating the woman had taken another path down in the underground temple, "is usually secured for reasons," a slight warning.
"Understood," Kiya remarked upon taking a sip of the tea.
"What do you seek?" Shir'Bir curiosity raised when Scooper leaned to whisper to Kiya.
"My research," Kiya responded quickly, not wanting to explain the details. "It was stolen."
The priestess gave an understanding nod, though she could sense the group hiding much from her.
"Lead us there?" Scooper asked.
"I can show the path to it," confirming this underground complex was a maze.
"Are the others seeking the same thing?" Kemas asked. "Are they all of one group, I mean?"
A nod from the priestess; as best as she could guess. She had only spoken to the khenra before the others headed into the dangerous tunnels below. As she continued to think about the previous group, she let the three know she assumed they were headed to a woman named Valin who was known to have entered many months ago. But with all the changes in the world since the second sundering, there was no telling what had happened to this Valin.
"Who is this Valin?" Kemas continued seeking answers, much to the dismay of Scooper and Kiya.
"A cleric of Savras who was seeking the secret sanctum."
"Secret sanctum?"
Before Shir'Bir could answer, "If you were an oracle, I expect you would seek refuge from the world," Kiya speaking in half truths again, clearly knowing more than she was letting on.
What is a teacher who stole a ritual this ritual wanting from an oracle who had hidden themselves, Kemas trying to sort out the threads of this mission. And this oracle? That intrigued the mage more than the former mistress of Kiya. Who better to help him seek the location of the Book. Or even perhaps information his own mistress needed. Kiya could read the questions and thoughts on the mage's face; she gave a look to him that all would be made clear soon. Though whether it was the truth or not was debatable.
When they finished their spiced tea and the snacks that came during their talk, the Bedine priestess showed them the path the previous visitors had taken. The stone around the doorway differed from the surrounding stones, colored in reddish brown than the tan of the sand. Sigils were painted on the keystone, a protective ward. Shir'Bir spoke a few words in an arcane language and the sigil flashed bright white for a second then cooled to a light blue. She motioned for them to hurry through.
The chamber on the other side was nothing like what it had looked like from the other side. About 20 feet diameter and round with other sets of a stone doorways. Faded frescos and crumbling murals all around the chamber, yet nothing could be determined of the theme or content. Two unlit torches hung on their sconces. A corridor opposite the door descended down to the next level, footprints in the dust indicating the way they had gone. Two other doorways branched off, their paths dusty and unused.
"Light," Scooper reaching for a torch, which Kemas lit for them.
"We will just announce our visit," the khenra commented dryly. Though in truth she needed a light source as well; she grabbed an unlit torch to carry down with them.
Kemas conjured his Awaken Spellbook to light his way.
"That way," the kneku heading down the descending corridor.
The walls were adorned with decorative eyes. Unknown to the group, they served as magical sensors, eyes following the movements of visitors. 50 feet down, the hall opened into a 40-foot square chamber of smoothly worked stone. It appeared to be a dead end on first inspection, before the kenku found the secret mechanism to open the hidden door. He beamed with pride at his work.
Entering the next chamber, all evidence of the way the A'Alai's people traveled was gone. No more footprints marking their path. This chamber was full of doorways going in every direction.
"I don't suppose you have a spell to determine?" Scooper asked, shining the torch down every path to attempt to find which way to go.
"I do, if this missing tome was known to me. It is not. My spell will not work finding the object." Kemas concentrated on his floating spellbook, then ordered it down a randomly selected tunnel. As it traveled, it conveyed what it saw to him, describing the paths, the other branching doors and the end results of the corridor. Kemas did this for every path within the chamber, speaking aloud what his awakened spellbook conveyed to him.
Nearly an hour passed as this process went on, still no sign of the path the others took. They were however able to exclude at least half the tunnels, those one's dead ending with no other passages. The kenku no longer able to wait patiently, decided on a path that had a secured door at its end. Lighting the other torch for her, he alerted Kiya he was going to check out one of the corridors, then headed down the path. Kiya likewise decided to check out a different corridor, deciding they would meet back in this chamber within an hour to update what was discovered.
On the door itself was a tiny mirror where a peephole should have been. Scooper examined the unlocked mirrored door, sensing no traps. Taking a chance, he opened the door slowly, its bottom scraping the floor as it moved inward. The floor, walls, and ceiling of the room were obscured by freestanding hanging mirrors everywhere, brightness intensified as they caught the reflection of the torch. He blinked the blinding light away, eyes adjusting to the brightness. Not needing the torch for this room, he hung it in an empty holder before stepping in. Two-sided mirrors reflected everything inside and outside it, causing the area to appear empty from the outside; the glass' reflection of everything, including the other mirrors, created a confusing cascade of images for the kenku. He was overwhelmed by multiple visions of himself, slamming into mirrors several times as he tried to navigate the maze. He mimicked a curse, before picking up a rock and throwing it. The mirror surprisingly didn't shatter, the rock bouncing off in an angled direction. Realizing he reacted without thinking, he was thankful to whoever that the glass remained intact. They didn't need the years of bad luck.
While continuing to move through the room, one of the mirrors near the corner of the room had a shimmer in its reflection, which Scooper caught out of the corner of his eye. He bumped his way twords it. When he accidentally rammed it, the mirror twisted aside to reveal an empty chamber and hallway on the other side.
The chamber was empty except for a large crystalline dais in the center. Within the dais was an ornate sword embedded up to the hilt. Stepping within the room, Scooper felt a sudden pulse of psychic energy radiating from the dais; the pure power made the kenku tremble, his movement as if forced into slow motion. The sword seamed to call out to him, in a rather persuasive charm. Warning bells were screaming in his mind, forcing him to shake off the magical effect. It was then he realized he stood right before the dais, talon hand reaching out. He jerked back suddenly, knowing better than touching something like this. He backpeddled from the dais, still feeling the pull of the magic. Scooper turned to leave the chamber as quick as he could, but not before another glance back over his shoulder at the embedded sword. It was getting harder to ignore it and realized he needed to get out before it called again.
Kemas mapped the tunnels as his spellbook explored the passageways. One in particular was well over 300 feet down, the book returning when it hit the end of his range. He suspected this might be the way they needed. But now he had to wait for the other two to return. Sitting cross-legged, the wizard mentally rummaged through his available spells for something of use. Recalling the locate object spell, he tried to picture the tome that Kiya was searching for to see if the spell could point a direction to go or tell him anything. The magic fizzled out revealing nothing of use. He couldn't locate something he didn't know anything about.
The first door the khenra found opened into a room that was furnished with a simple cot and a small footlocker at the end. Inside the unlocked chest were various personal effects, including a stuffed cat with green button eyes and a bracelet with five different cat charms. Nothing important she decided. A round table and chairs were across the room next to a wooden cupboard with one door ajar. Inside the cupboard was a small collection of cat figurines made of glass, ceramic, and wood. Opposite the table was a folding screen obscuring the far corner of the room with a self-cleaning chamber pot. The khenra growled in frustration. Nothing in the room had been touched in a very long time, everything covered in a thick layer of dust. Plus, the person clearly had a thing for cats.
The next room the khenra found held a large reflecting pool in the center. Runes were carved into the pool's rim glowing faintly as heat shimmered off its fetid water. Dark swirls of noxious steam filled the circular chamber. On the far side of the pool's edge, a figure moved closer, coming into sight of the khenra, its bright ochre eyes piercing the fog. It was a tiefling, horns and tail showing the infernal heritage. Yet there was something more mechanical, and lifeless, about the person before her. This had to be one of the explorers previously mentioned by the Bedine. Kiya made no move, waiting to see what this being was about.
"Welcome," the golem said robotically, "what is the pleasure of your visit?"
"Who am I speaking with? The tiefling or someone behind her?" the khenra asked, hand slowly inching twords her sash for the wand hidden there.
"This how I am treated for hosting?" the eyes of the golem on Kiya's hands.
"How about an audience, you and A'Alai?"
"Who?" came from the tiefling, though it was hard to tell if it was a true question due to the lack of inflection.
"You very well know."
"Yes, I suppose I do. Very well. Take the hall on the northeast corner of the portal chamber. Follow it to the third passage and take the left."
Kemas opened his eyes upon the kenku's return, head cocked as he noticed the birdman kept looking back over his shoulder. "Expecting something?" he asked, trying to determine if there was something to be concerned about.
"Trick room, many mirrors. No bad luck though." Internally he added, 'I hope'.
The mage raised a brow, but the kenku didn't explain further. Scooper informed the mage the passage was a dead end other than the strange room with the sword.
"And you left it because?"
"Bad magic. Bad luck."
"Superstitious?" the wizard chuckled, "I thought you more evolved than that."
The kenku narrowed his eyes at the mage's insult, but he knew better than to mess with such things. Superstitious or cautious and wise, it had kept the old bird alive. He sat on the floor, his back partially to the mage, ignoring the genasi intentionally. This went on, the two in silence for a good ten more minutes before Kiya came into view. She snapped her fingers for the two to follow, taking the corridor the golem spoken of.
The ceiling of the room was supported by four columns with silver capstones. A dozen thick cushions were scattered around the room. in the center was a jackal woman lying in a pool of blood on the floor. A dagger and an oblong rock, broken into two pieces, lay near the body's outstretched arms. That gave the khenra pause for a second, not expecting to see her former mistress in such a state. Turning the body over revealed A'lai with a deep abdominal chest hole, rib bones broken out and missing lungs. One hand was covered in gore and blood, as if she reached into her own chest cavity. Kemas and Scooper were horrified at the realization of what had probably happened, the genasi attempting to keep his last meal down at that moment. Scooper knelt down to the rock beside the body. The rock resembled a lung and showed signs of being hacked nearly in half before it petrified. Scooper then turned to searching the body. Inside A'Alai's pocket was a scribbled piece of paper. Showing the parchment to Kiya, the kenku unable to read the text, it had a question about how to kill a mummy lord in the khenra's native language. Below the question were words scribbled out; the last phrase, 'heart destroyed' was circled. Further inspection of the body showed none of the tome or pages they had been searching for on her person. Further in the back of the chamber, Kemas spotted A'Alai's's distinct beaded bag, looking like someone rifled through it before dumping the components. No sign of the tome was found. A group curse echoed through the chamber.
"This is not good," Scooper whispered to himself, "shouldn't thrown that rock." The mirror hadn't broken that he saw. it couldn't have been the sword, he hadn't touched it, though he came close. Yet it seamed the bad luck was still happening.
"Why carve out her own organ?" Kemas carrying the bag over, showing it was missing the tome Kiya sought.
"Valin," Kiya guess. Though to whether it was about the organ or the tome, the wizard was unsure.
Scooper swallowed, "forced or voluntary?"
Pulling out spell components, a feeling of dread falling over him, "good question," the wizard studying the room. He began a quick spell calling forth magical armor to envelop him.
"Why did the golem tell me to come here?" Kiya deep in thought asking herself. Maybe this Valin knew she wanted her former mistress dead. But why would the oracle care? Who took the rituals, Valin or one of the other members of A'Alai's party?
"Now where?" the kenku scoping out the rest of the chamber.
"They are here somewhere," the wizard's sarcasm not helping the frustrated khenra.
"Yeah, but where?"
"Shut it!" Kiya hollered and both went quiet.
The next chamber they entered was large and spherical, the ceiling rising to over 20 feet above them. As they crossed the threshold, their feet began to lift gently off the floor. The room began to shimmer with color, forming patterns and images on the stone walls; they were random at first, then each person recognized them as depictions of their past. Afraid the others might see the images, all three were desperately trying to cover the images from sight of the other, unaware they only saw their own pasts.
"We need to leave," Scooper squawked finally, unable to handle anymore of the intrusive images.
"Try swimming for the door," the mage offered, moving his arms to do just that.
It was slow and tedious, and hard to not get lost in the pictures portrayed on the wall. But eventually all three cleared the threshold and landed on the stone floor with a thud.
"Think it is silly superstition now?"
"Shut it," Kemas mimicking the khenra's earlier call.
Another chamber, though this was empty, was explored, and was just another dead end. There were more rooms, all empty of anything useful.
They took the very long corridor, the one the awakened spellbook couldn't fully investigate. It seamed like they traveled forever, the path winding down further into the earth. The end came abruptly, just a pile of stones and a dead-end wall. Scooper yelled up to the ceiling, feather fist clenched and kicked the wall. Only it wasn't a wall, his foot going through the illusion. Turning to the other two, he gave a triumphant look as it had been intentionally done. Kiya gave a side-eyed look, but said nothing. Her khopesh came out, swinging at the illusionary wall and then waiting to see if something on the other side might come charging. A good five minutes later, the wizard sent his book through. Seeing through the spellbook, Kemas reported of a large chamber with another chamber within.
On the other side of the fake wall was a conical chamber rising to 50 feet; it was edged by a broad floor surrounding a sunken lower-level gallery, sloping ramps allowing one to reach the bottom. The diamond-shaped pit was 30 feet deep, alcove shelves lining the walls all around. On the shelves were numerous two-foot canopic jars decorated with various animals of symbolic shapes. Several were sealed shut, the rest with their lids beside them. In the center far below was a ten-foot-long black onyx sarcophagus. The entire room radiated with strong magic, concentrated on the pit, or more specifically the sarcophagus. Flanking the pit were two tall, fleshy figures, not unlike the tiefling golem. These however were once a dragonborn and a human.
"You dare disturb us?" came a similar robotic voice from the human.
"You wouldn't dare break through my resting chambers!" the dragonborn's voice challenging them.
Scoffing, "I am not some wanna-be low skilled adventurer," Kiya commented, knowing the person behind the golems was trying to entice the group twords some goal. She reasoned it had to do with the sarcophagus or the canopic jars.
The two golems turned to move after the intruders, their former weapons out and swinging at the three. The dragonborn spun the spear overhead, before slicing downward at the kenku. The birdman was dexterous, able to dodge the swig with ease. His own shortsword and dagger came out and he moved, flanking the attacking golem. Kiya lashed out with her own weapon, the kopesh drawing a line across the golem's forearms, yet no blood trickled from the wound. Focused on Kiya, Scooper twisted, bringing himself behind the dragonborn and stabbing into its backside. The blade sunk it where its lungs should have been; instead of red, a green gel oozed out of the wound. He followed the sword's strike with his dagger, but just missed as it moved off the impaled weapon. Kemas was in the midst of a spell chant, the energies building and released on the humanoid golem. Flames wreathed around it, catching its clothing afire; yet it acted like nothing happened, feeling no pain or crying out. Quickly the mage then motioned his hands tracing a warding with a quick cantrip. The dragonborn stalked closer to the mage, its longsword swishing out and up, catching Kemas in the hip; clutching his side, he cursed. But the swords cut was not as bad as it could have been, thankful he gotten his blade ward up in time.
The spear stabbed out again, just clipping the kenku on the knee as he jumped over the spear. Ignoring Kiya was its fatal mistake, the khopesh slashing down where its neck met its shoulders, half severing its head. The golems stumbled despite not feeling the wound. The human still on fire moved slower now, flesh burning and falling away. Kemas' hands shot forward thumbs and fingers touching, a sheet of flames shooting out in a cone shape, adding to the already burning away golem; it tried to swing the sword again, but the now useless muscles couldn't cooperate, and the slice was clumsily wide. It tripped as legs gave way and down the human went, still aflame. Scooper slid under another clumsy slash and poked it, forcing it face down, then followed this strike with another one attempting to sever the head.