The next day, the adventurers set out from the Refuge of the All-Seeing Eye when it was early in the morning. They had given the gnolls a day to prepare without any skirmishes to weaken their forces and it was time to see if they could weaken the gnolls any further. The adventurers knew that it was only a matter of time before they braved the battle market once more to take the fight to Kardswann and take Kelmarane for Almah and Katapesh. Emra figured that they would try to finish off the gnolls tomorrow so doing what they could to reduce the number of gnolls outside of the battle market was vital for their success.
With her new chain shirt covering her torso, Emra felt that she was ready to finish their task of liberating Kelmarane. Even with the break that the adventurers took to establish a new base camp, they had made excellent progress in dealing with the gnolls Kardswann commanded. Over the past few days, they killed the peryton the gnolls kept under their control, recruited Undrella away from Kardswann, and rescued the Lions of Senara from the battle market. There were still plenty of gnolls left to deal with in addition to Kardswann and the 'fiendish goat man' Felliped described but the adventurers had grown in strength. If they could make a big enough difference, Emra felt that she and her companions would be ready for the battle market tomorrow.
As for what they planned to do (other than killing gnolls as Melkia said), the group came up with an objective on the way to Kelmarane. While Zalerian had suggested hunting down the fiend that worked for Kardswann, they didn't know where to find it. It was when Teshak asked if they could investigate the graveyard that they decided to fight their way to the church and graveyard. Teshak, whose family was from Kelmarane, wanted to see if he had any relatives buried in the graveyard, while Emra was more interested in the church, which she felt once worshiped Sarenrae before Kelmarane fell.
The adventurers crossed over the river, and after a few minutes to dry off from the early morning heat, made their way into Kelmarane. There were signs of gnoll patrols based on frequent tracks throughout the dirt road, but this time, the group decided to enter the town through a different direction. After circling around the town, they climbed up the hill that the battle market was on before turning away from the building at the top, towards the church and the graveyard built along the way. Emra kept her hand on her scimitar's pommel, and while glad they didn't run into any gnolls, that made her more suspicious of where their enemy was.
Emra looked in awe at the church, which resembled a smaller version of the Monastery of Saint Vardishal. Even after the gnolls had taken Kelmarane, the walls of the desolate ruins remained standing. The doors were shattered, and while Emra was ready to step inside, she quickly caught a glimpse of Teshak walking away out of the corner of her eye. The sorcerer was making his way around the corner of the church and toward the graveyard. Emra could see the other adventurers hesitating and so she stepped up to follow after Teshak. It was important to Teshak to see the graveyard and Emra didn't mind waiting to enter the ruined building until the rest of the group was ready. With a decision made, the other adventurers followed after Emra and Teshak to the cemetery.
The cemetery was positioned over the cliff of the hill it was on, overlooking the fields to the west of Kelmarane. In the center of the graveyard, dotted with tombstones, was a statue of a woman that Emra recognized as Sarenrae, who held both of her arms towards the sky. Seeing the statue only confirmed Emra's belief that the church was once associated with the Dawnflower. It was when the adventurers circled around the statue that they found a man kneeling before five graves. Emra could see that he wore the garb of a priest of Sarenrae but something felt off. Given that Kelmarane was occupied by gnolls, she found it hard to believe that a follower of Sarenrae was able to hide from the gnolls for however long.
"Weapons out, everyone," Melkia told the group as she nocked an arrow on her bow.
"I do not like the thought of attacking a man in prayer," Arguk said with a frown. "Surely, we can talk to him."
"A man praying in a cemetery of a hostile town isn't someone I'm interested in having a conversation with," Melkia snapped at Arguk as the man started to rise from his knees.
"He can't be that bad," Zalerian said noncommittally. "He doesn't match the description of the fiend that the Lions of Senara warned us about."
"The Lions of Senara got caught before they could make it this far," Melkia reminded Zalerian, her tone tense.
"Sir?" Emra asked the priest. "Who are you?"
"Welcome," the man said, turning to face the adventurers. His skin was dark and his grinning face was handsome. "Welcome to my church…"
Emra smiled at the priest, thinking that he could be a trusted friend, until she noticed his skin shift downward. She took a gasp and stepped back along with the other adventurers, who noticed the man's skin had started to melt. His handsome face was replaced with a gaunt skull and the priestly garb he wore became tarnished with soot. Emra pulled out her scimitar, bracing herself to fight against someone that was no longer one of the living.
"What did I say?" Melkia rolled her eyes.
"There's no need to fear," the undead monster cackled. "Your souls will feed the greatest heroes buried in Kelmarane!"
The undead priest may have been boastful with his taunts but it didn't help him against six adventurers. Melkia fired her first arrow followed by another one and both struck the man as Belash charged, slashing his greataxe against the priest's chest. Emra raised her scimitar to block the monster's hand, protecting herself from the sharp claws across his fingers. Zalerian lunged at the undead priest with a jab, and while the priest backed away from the monk to avoid the attack, Teshak's ray of frost struck him across the face instead. Arguk rolled behind the undead priest, slashing his scimitar across the back of his leg. The undead priest fell down onto one knee with Belash bringing his axe down on his neck, separating the priest's head from his body.
Even though the undead priest had been killed, something still felt off to Emra. After some thought, she quickly realized that her odd feeling had nothing to do with her suspicions of the priest. Instead, she felt as though someone was watching her, but at the same time, the gaze of the mysterious spectator wasn't threatening. Emra didn't feel that she was watched by an enemy and it was only when she looked up that she realized who was watching. From where she stood, she could make out the sun through the statue of Sarenrae's hands and gasped quietly in awe.
"Next time, we should listen to Melkia," Teshak said, looking over the corpse of the priest. "It may have been a single foe so far, but later on, we could face something more dangerous."
"Thank you, Teshak," Melkia said with a nod. "We shouldn't have come here."
"That's not true," Emra shook her head and smiled widely. "Don't you feel the Dawnflower's gaze watching us?"
"Huh?" Belash blinked in confusion.
"Sarenrae," Emra gestured toward the statue. "I can feel her presence even now. This was once a church that worshiped her and it is up to us to see it restored to its former glory."
"Emra's lost it," Melkia said plainly.
"Don't say that," Zalerian frowned at Melkia.
"The gods don't give a damn about any of us," Melkia said, gesturing toward herself and her companions with her hand. "We're mercenaries at best. You're not even a paladin or cleric, Emra. Your magic isn't divine at all."
"Be that as it may, I am a Dawnflower dervish," Emra declared and stepped toward the statue. "I can't do much now but I must pray."
"Pray?" Teshak asked. "For how long?"
"I'm not sure," Emra admitted and knelt down by the statue. "Forgive me but this is something I must do while the Dawnflower still watches us."
"This is unbelievable," Melkia threw her hands up in defeat. "I say we leave her and continue with our work."
"Out of the question!" Zalerian shook his head defiantly. "I'll stand guard over you, Emra."
"Thank you, Zalerian," Emra said with a smile. "That means a lot to me."
"There's no use talking the two of you out of this," Teshak noted. "I could spend some time looking for the grave of anyone I'm related to. Melkia, would you like to scout out Kelmarane for any gnolls?"
"I can do that," Melkia said and stepped aside. "I'll be back in an hour. Try not to get yourselves killed."
"Perhaps I should come with you," Arguk offered.
"Not a chance," Melkia didn't look back when she spoke.
Teshak turned toward Arguk and Belash. "The two of you can investigate the church. I don't think there's any gnolls or monsters but that priest was undead for a reason. I'd like to see if we can find out what happened."
"We can do that," Arguk nodded quietly.
"You can count on us," Belash said, grinning.
"Emra, be quick about your prayers," Teshak told the ifrit. "The last thing I want is for you and Zalerian to be caught by a patrol."
"I know we'll be safe," Emra bowed her head toward the ground. "The Dawnflower watches over us. She will keep us safe."
Emra was glad that Teshak was understanding of her need to give thanks to Sarenrae and was glad that Zalerian would be able to keep her safe. It may have been better to wait until Kelmarane had been secured before praying but she wasn't sure that she would have this feeling again. Despite what Melkia believed, Emra knew that Sarenrae was keeping watch over the group. She had to act now while she had the Dawnflower's attention. Emra clasped her hands together in front of her, closed her eyes, and focused on reaching out to Sarenrae.
There were plenty of graves and tombstones to search through, and as Teshak quickly found out, most of them had been worn out by time or covered by dried-out shrubs. Teshak spent more time tending to the graves than he expected and he grew worried that there would be a gnoll patrol. Zalerian was on guard, keeping watch over Emra, who continued to pray silently. Arguk and Belash were in the church, and while they may be able to hear fighting from outside, it could be too late by the time they arrived. Teshak picked up the pace, eager to find any grave belonging to one of his relatives.
Finally, after pulling out overgrown weeds covering a headstone, Teshak gazed upon a familiar name. He ran his hand over the dust covering the carved words: Mekuri Bashemi, Wharfmaster. Teshak couldn't stop smiling, realizing that his mother was right about who his grandfather was. Discovering the grave was a small victory but one that was very important to the sorcerer. He knelt down by the headstone, clearing it out the best that he could. There would be more time to clean up his grandfather's headstone after Kelmarane was secured but this was the best he could.
"Grandfather," Teshak whispered. "I know we never met but I'm truly glad to have returned to our family's home. I swear on our family blade and on Tempest that I will do everything in my power to free Kelmarane from the gnolls occupying it. I hope that you, Father, and Mother will be proud of me wherever you may be. I'll be back soon, once I've finished the battle I started."
Teshak stood up and dusted the dirt off of his robes. He hadn't expected to talk to his grandfather when he found the grave but the words came out. Thinking back on his family, Teshak wiped a tear away from his eyes. He had come a long way from the City of Katapesh but he was close to securing his new home. Even better, he had found new friends that cared about him. Teshak wasn't sure where his adventuring companions would go after Kelmarane was freed but he knew that he wouldn't ever forget about them. Once he restored the wharfmaster's manor, he would make sure to have his friends know that they would always be welcomed at his home.
With Emra still praying, Teshak made his way out of the cemetery, nodding toward Zalerian as he left. He didn't want to risk disrupting her prayers even with a mistake and thought it would be best to join Arguk and Belash in the church. He found Trax standing guard outside of the building and the hyena tilted his head to watch the sorcerer step inside. While there were no monsters within the church, the walls of the interior had been smashed down long ago and there were dozens of skeletons scattered across the ground. Some of the skeletons wore the garb of Sarenrae's clergy while others wore the red armor of the Pactmaster Guard. A great battle took place in the church given the stains of fire against the floor. Teshak frowned, unsure of if Kardswann had the ability to wield fire to burn his foes.
Surprisingly enough, there were stairs in the center of the church that led downward. Teshak gazed down, and hearing the familiar voices of Arguk and Belash, stepped down the steps to find them. When he made it to the bottom of the stairs, he found himself in a chamber of stone. A well in the center of the room went further down with a small pedestal holding a large gong next to the well. A short leather stick that had moldered with age hung off the side of the gong. Arguk and Belash stood at the other end of the chamber, facing a featureless wall with the half-orc holding a torch.
"...get Emra to use her chimes to open the door," Belash suggested.
"You're missing my point, Belash," Arguk said patiently. "That door is sealed tight, possibly with magic. I don't think that the priests of the church above us would hide treasure behind such a door."
"Then what would they hide?" Belash asked.
"Something dangerous, perhaps," Teshak answered and the two adventurers turned to face him. "They could have trapped some sort of evil monster behind the door, something they couldn't defeat in a traditional method."
"It could be possible," Arguk nodded in agreement. "We shouldn't try rushing in without the others at least."
"Have you tried the gong?" Teshak asked, gesturing towards the gong off to the side.
"That was the first thing I tried," Belash said with a shake of his head. "Nothing happened. I was thinking about climbing down the well but Arguk talked me out of it. Is Emra still praying?"
"She is," Teshak answered with a nod. "Melkia hasn't returned yet as well."
"Guess we don't have much else to do but wait," Belash sighed.
"Let's head back upstairs," Arguk told the pair. "It may be getting close to time to set out again."
Teshak led the way back upstairs into the desolate church although his thoughts remained on what was sealed away beneath Kelmarane. He was starting to get the sense that there was more to the downfall of the town than simply the gnolls led by Kardswann. In fact, now that he thought about it, Undrella had mentioned that Kardswann had changed after going through a sealed door. The church wasn't a crypt but Teshak couldn't blame the harpy for not knowing the difference. Arguk may have been right about waiting for the others to face whatever was behind the door. They could have been overwhelmed if they were at half strength.
It was only when Teshak had returned to the church and glanced at one of the skeletons that another idea came to mind. The Pactmaster Guard had fought a great battle in this church for a reason some time ago, and now, the Pactmasters have sent Almah to reclaim Kelmarane from the gnolls. It could be that the secretive Pactmasters had told Almah the truth of what happened and what was sealed away. Of course, the merchant princess wouldn't want the adventurers to proceed until she knew they were ready. She had advised the group to be cautious and take their time several times already. For now, Teshak would keep his theories to himself. There would come time to investigate the sealed door another time when they were certain that they were prepared to do so.
When the adventurers made it upstairs, they were fortunate to find that the rest of their group had stopped by outside. Emra had finished her prayers and Melkia had returned from her patrol. The trio caught part of their conversation as they stepped outside
"...does sound like a good idea," Zalerian said and turned his head when he heard the rest of his friends climbing up the stairs. "We were just about to head down after you."
"Anything important down below?" Melkia questioned.
"A sealed door that we can't get through yet," Teshak answered quickly. "We'll deal with it later if we find the time. Melkia, were you able to find anything?"
"I spotted a few patrols of gnolls around parts of Kelmarane we've previously struck but none heading this way," Melkia reported. "I've searched several of the buildings nearby as well. There was a guildhall and a palace near the battle market that were empty but I was able to find a gatehouse the gnolls had control over. It's lightly defended and where the gnolls keep most of their hyenas in pens."
"But you haven't seen the fiend working for Kardswann yet?" Emra asked.
"Not yet," Melkia shook her head. "I'm starting to think it might not exist."
"It could be that Kardswann wants to keep his more powerful allies close to him knowing that there are intruders striking at Kelmarane," Arguk suggested with a nod. "We should deal with the gatehouse. Hyenas can be dangerous in numbers so by dealing with them now, we make the fight for the battle market a little easier for us when we strike."
"Agreed," Teshak said with a nod. "Let's set out and take out the gatehouse. Melkia, you lead the way."
With a nod, Melkia led the adventurers around the church. Their path took them dangerously close to the battle market, but fortunately, there weren't any gnolls outside of the building. Teshak reasoned that Kardswann wanted any intruders to enter the battle market so he could make use of the chokepoints and traps within without wasting any resources guarding the doors. Circling around to their left, the adventurers came across the gatehouse. The building was fairly intact compared to the ruined buildings across Kelmarane with a rope bridge connecting two towers. Teshak spotted two gnolls on the bridge, and unfortunately, the gnolls spotted the charging adventurers as well. There would be no element of surprise for the coming battle.
One of the hostile gnolls grabbed a thick rope that was attached to the wooden door of the hyena pens kept beneath the bridge. By pulling the rope, the gnoll was able to free a pack of four hyenas, all of them snarling viciously as they charged at the intruders. The other gnoll grabbed a horn and raised it to his lips. Teshak pointed toward the gnoll and fired off a ray of frost as Melkia fired two arrows at him as well. One of the arrows embedded itself into a wooden pole holding the bridge up while another missed the gnoll completely. Teshak's magical frost struck the gnoll across the shoulder but it wasn't enough to bring him down. The gnoll blew on the horn and the sound echoed throughout the town.
"Damn it!" Melkia cursed under her breath.
"We have to end this fight now before reinforcements arrive!" Teshak called out to his companions.
Three of the hyenas were stopped from getting to the backlines. Arguk and Trax singled out one hyena, fighting on opposite sides against the beast, while Emra and Belash stopped two other hyenas, keeping them back with their attacks. However, Zalerian wasn't able to stop the final hyena, which leapt around him toward Melkia and Teshak. Melkia dropped her bow and grabbed the katar the mad hermit wielded and kept the beast away from the sorcerer. Teshak fired off a ray of frost toward the gnoll he struck before but his attack went wide as the two gnolls climbed down the tower and onto the ground. Zalerian dashed toward the pair, jabbing at the uninjured gnoll with his fists.
The hyenas the gnolls kept proved to be more dangerous than Teshak anticipated. Arguk, Emra, and Melkia all struggled against their foes, escaping their fangs but struggling to land meaningful hits on them. Belash had brought his greataxe down on the back of the hyena he fought but not before the beast bit deeply into his thigh, nearly bringing the warrior down to the ground. Belash ran over to help Emra fight her hyena only for the beast to suddenly change targets, leaping at the half-orc and knocking him off his feet. Although Teshak wanted to help Belash, Zalerian was in danger facing two gnolls, each of them wielding spears. The sorcerer fired off another chilly ray only for the spell to collide against the wooden tower instead. Fortunately, the monk was able to close the distance by avoiding the gnolls spear's jabs, and two punches later, both of the hostile gnolls fell down to the ground.
With the gnolls dealt with, that only left the remaining hyenas. Arguk was finally able to bring down the hyena he fought with rapid slashes of his scimitar and he called out a quick command for Trax to help Belash. Emra slashed the hyena pinning down Belash with her scimitar across its back before Trax collided with the enemy beast. Trax snapped his jaws around the hostile hyena to end its life. Melkia stabbed at the hyena as it lunged up at her, stopping it from bringing her to the ground. Her katar caught the beast beneath the ribs, the magical energy within the weapon cutting the hyena up more along with Melkia's arm. Teshak fired off another ray of frost, striking the final hyena between the eyes to finish him off.
"That horn was an alarm!" Teshak quickly told the adventurers. "We need to get out of Kelmarane now!"
Emra helped Belash off from the ground, but given the warrior's injured leg, she needed Zalerian's help to support him as they each took an arm. Arguk and Melkia guided the way to the hill that the gatehouse was atop of, finding a path to climb down. Teshak looked over his shoulder, hearing the sound of gnoll patrols with their war cries. The adventurers were capable but they weren't ready for another fight with how injured some of them were after the last fight. The hyenas proved to be more dangerous than Teshak anticipated but they wouldn't have to worry about facing the beasts when they finally launched their assault on the battle market.
Melkia had found a stable enough path for the adventurers to climb down safely. They were leaving Kelmarane away from the Refuge of Nethys, but once they have shaken off their pursuers, the adventurers would be able to make their way back to shelter. With Arguk covering the rear's group, Teshak made his way down the hill after the rest of his companions.
A/N: It took me a little longer to get this chapter written between my new job and other hobbies, but here we are. There's still plenty of story left but I'm looking towards getting us to the climax and ending now as that's coming up sooner than later.
Until next time.