Chapter 17
The Abbey of Beale

[ Turn 75 | Turn 76 | Turn 77 | Turn 78 ]

Turn 75

Mero quickly searches the body of Latha. He rolls the body of the dwarf over and pulls a jingling pouch from his side. Quick count of the money places it at about 200 gold. In his front right pocket, Mero feels another coin and extracts it. Strange, an old roman coin, minted about 60 years ago. It is well worn and smooth as if held and rubbed constantly. A quick look under the patch does show that Latha was missing an eye. Curiosity got the best of Mero on that one. A battle axe upon which Mero was at the receiving end is in good shape. A few dents and a bit of rust on the plate armor are maybe the only other things of interest. No rings, amulets, nor scroll cases to be found.

Talorc grunts warily at the suddenly non-attacking dwarves and warily returns to the group.

"Lets head back." He says.

The party returns to town. Keridwynne offers to heal all those that need some help. Mero is the first taker having been in the most pressing battle. Talorc and Savi each sport a few wounds but nothing of a critical nature.

"I will be using my reflecting pool in the morning to see what is going on in the Abbey of Beale. It's the next closest geographically, and we've known of this possible mission for some time. I can ask to see up to seven different things, briefly. The Lady of the Lake determines how long the vision lasts. Anybody have anything that they wish to look in on?" Keridwynne asks.

Talorc after hearing Keridwynne's suggestions, "Yes, I concur. The Abbey sounds like a great opportunity for mayhem."

"If the Abbey isn't too far out of the way, why not," Savi thinks instinctually communicating through telepathy, and then remembers to voice her statement about half way through. "And I still want to take some of this powder with us. It could come in handy. As long as we have a little time, Tieron and Talorc, would you guys let me have some spells from your spellbooks? I'd be willing to train you in something that I can do, or discuss other methods of remuneration."

Talorc takes the liberty of digging through Tieron's stuff, pulls out a couple spare spellbooks and hands them to Savi.

"No remuneration necessary." he says.

"Tieron, I'd like to borrow the Mirror if I may?" Mero asks.

Tieron reaches into his pack, pulls out the mirror and hands it to Mero.

"Lady Sentares," Mero says, watching the vision of the black haired beauty shimmer into existence, "I know you can't respond but I would like to tell you of things that have occurred. We have encountered Agravain, the son of Margawse and defeated him. We fought some dwarves and survived. I won't reveal our exact location nor our future efforts in case of scrying on us or you. I just wanted to tell you that someday we will meet and we will rid the world of Sentares. In case, I don't live long enough to see that day, I wanted you to trust the people that I am traveling with. Their names are Talorc, Tieron, Keridwynne, Nightshade, Savi and Shateera. I would trust them all with my lives and have."

Lady Sentares closes her eyes and tries to fight back tears but doesn't succeed.

"Don't cry." Mero soothes, "I would ask you a favor? Will you watch over Raina for me? I don't want any harm to come to her or you. I will be there as soon as I can. Will you do that for me?"

The lady nods.

"Good bye. I will speak with you again, soon, I promise."

Mero hands the mirror back to Tieron, sighs and heads for his room.

Morning, January 12, 523.

It is cool and crisp, this morning as Keridwynne seeks an open source of water. A small frozen lake provides an opening near the center. She treads lightly out onto the ice and finds it to be strong enough to hold her weight. She motions the others to join her. The wind blows a few clouds across the sky as she starts the meditation for her spell. The water reacts almost instantly. It clouds over and then suddenly stills.

"The Abbey of Beale, show us the threat at the abbey." Keridwynne speaks.

The water ripples and the image forms. A young woman dressed all in black with a white cross emblazoned upon it is the first image to form. She is working in a large room, polishing a huge oval circle. The silver circle is over 12 feet in height. The outer line of the oval is only an inch wide and maybe an inch thick. It is carved with runes and markings.

"Symbols of planar travel, demons, fire, ice and a few I can't identify." Tieron says.

"What religion is it, that requires so elaborate of a costume?" Talorc asks.

"They call it Christianity and the costume, she wears is called a habit." Keridwynne responds.

"And a bad one at that." Talorc smirks.

The edge of the circle tapers out to a fine edge. The woman diligently polishes it, scrubbing with great vigor. A door behind the woman flings open. She startles at the sound of it and grabs hold of the circle in surprise to steady herself. A black haired, black mustached man steps into the room, followed closely on his heals is a short old wrinkled man, dressed in an abundance of clothing. So much that he looks as if he is padded up for some sort of jousting tournament.

"Kevanish." Mero sneers.

"Lord Kevanish," the old man starts, "The circle is not ready for testing yet, it is incomplete. It will take another month or two before I can complete the calculations and finalize the spell that will open this gate to Sentare's realm."

"We can not wait for you to finalize every detail. You will have to wing it. Sentares needs his people for the fight. Let me be honest here, Dwaine. The war in the Pennines goes well but not well enough. The Cambrian dwarves are advancing but not fast enough. The gnomes are defecting at an incredible rate. The Penninite dwarves are hellish fighters and they are on their own turf. The damn shield of Caltor is causing more trouble. It would only be worse if the Hammer of the World had fallen into their hands as well. Had Pryderi not stopped Mero and company from capturing it, the Pennites and Cambrians would have been fighting us. But it has become worse, we have just found another foe to fight." Kevanish states.

"Who, my lord?"

"Wood elves."

"Wood elves? I thought them all dead or at least so few in number that no they would be of no concern. The other elven races have all pledged that they would not attack unless attacked, did the wood elves not join in the pact that their brothers took?" Dwaine asks.

"No one invited them to the meeting. We thought them all dead, but..." Kevanish notices the nun for the first time since their arrival, "You there. Leave and tell no one of what you have just heard."

The nun scurries from the room. She quickly closes the door behind her and then looks at her hand. A large gash running across the palm of her left hand is oozing blood. She quickly wraps it cloth and heads down the stairs. Back in the circlet room, a small trickle of blood crawls slowly down the silver oval.

"The wood elves are still alive and we don't know in how great of numbers, but far too many. They have taken the Perilous forest and are expanding south. Sentares is about to fall victim to them, but we need another of his kind to control the Siamsa, just in case Sentares doesn't survive." Kevanish states.

"Was that what the courier was carrying, he said he had a message for you, Pryderi and Sentares. He also said he was from Cejeput. He spent the night and then continued on." Dwaine says.

"I encountered the courier on my way here, but Cejeput informed me in Lambor Castle just after Sentares left." Kevanish says.

"What about Pryderi?"

"I don't know what happened to Pryderi. He has been sulking ever since his fingers were cut off by Mero. He is unable to cast spells until they regenerate. He went into hiding assuming that Mero would be hot on his trail. He may have went with Sentares and he may not. Sentares should be fine, he took with him the largest contingent of Siamsa I have ever seen in my life." Kevanish muses.

"Where was he going?" Dwaine asks.

"Wherever he wants, just as Sentares always does. Now to this portal. Activate it."

"It has not worked before, why would you expect it to work now?" Dwaine says sarcastically.

"Humor me. I am not without magical arts. Maybe a second pair of eyes can see what you are missing." Kevanish declares.

Dwaine seats himself in front of the circle, easing himself down as far as his padded body will allow. His frosty breath oozing out into the room, Dwaine begins. His fingers weave several spells.

"First one was planar travel, followed by a hold portal, a forget spell and now a lightning bolt." comes Tierons running commentary, "What are the last two for?"

The silver circle glows from the heat of lightning bolt passing into it.

Dwaine stands and turns to Kevanish, "Nothing as I said seems to work. That old Siamsa work was incomplete. It may have something to do with the telepathic nature of the Siamsa to bring another through."

A spark flies off of the back of the circle where the blood trickled down and then another and another until it becomes a shower of sparks pouring off the back of the circle.

"Does it always do this?" Kevanish asks, quite calmly.

"Never has before." Dwaine says, scurrying towards the door, "It may explode."

"I don't think so." Kevanish says moving closer to the circle, staring at it with intensity.

A scaled and clawed hand forces its way out from the front of the circle. Kevanish grabs the hand and pulls. He hauls the demon through the portal. Scaled all over its body, with an elongated bald head, small pointed teeth in an overly small mouth, two batlike wings flapping against is small back. The demon is short, not over four feet in height, hunched over and covered in a wet liquid that drips from it onto the floor.

It pivots its head to look at Kevanish.

"Are you from the race Baatezu of the Demon Clan of Amnizu?" Kevanish asks.

The demon nods slowly.

Kevanish turns to a stunned Dwaine, whos mouth is hanging wide open, "Find a nun, the demon needs a host body or he will not live long in this world."

Dwaine staggers out into the hallway and almost instantly returns with the girl who was just polishing the circle. She looks at the demon and making the sign of the cross, starts chanting. The demon takes its first step toward her and she starts to scream. Kevanish and Dwaine hold onto her as she struggles. The demon reaches out almost lovingly and touches the skin of her cheek. He steps forward and its body seems to fade slightly. He steps into the girl as if stepping into another room. She doubles over in pain and then falls to the floor. A minute of convulsing later, she stands.

"An interesting choice of body." She says, "What was this beauty's name?"

"Amelia." Dwaine says.

"Amelia." The demon says, "not quite the name to strike horror into your hearts but it will do."

"Now, Dwaine." Amelia says smiling, "Do it again."

The image in the water fades.

The bracers on Savi's wrists audibly speak for the first time, "Warning, now registering two Sentares locations, one in the Perilous forest, the other at the Abbey of Beale."

Knowing her time is running out on the reflecting pool, Keridwynne asks, "Show me the wood elves that are watching us."

The image reforms into a long brown haired elf, walking slowly across a frozen lake, his pan pipes slowly slapping in rhythm with his stride. He walks across the lake with purpose. A gust of wind ripples his white cloak as he stops to look at the reflecting pool that Keridwynne has cast.

"So the watcher is being watched," he says in Elven.

Keridwynne looks up at the elf that she saw one night dancing in a forest.

"Always watching and waiting for you to come back to us. We will be ready whenever you call. That is the vow of one ranger to another. I extend this vow to you, Keridwynne Thystledowne. A vow I once shared with your husband, Duncan. I am known as Loch. I would like to travel with you rather than follow if I may." he says.

(DM note. Loch only speaks Elven. Everybody but Savi and Mero speak Elven. Savi, you can either read surface thoughts to get most of his conversation or listen to the running translation provided by Nightshade.

Should you have questions for Loch insert them any time in the travel time to the Abbey.)

Keridwynne looks down at the reflecting pool, long enough to see a black candle burning on a desk. The flame burning from the wick suddenly put out by a gust of wind, a trickle of smoke curling upward. The image fades and the water returns to normal.

The Abbey of Beale is a two day journey by horseback over good roads, through a series of snow covered hillocks spotted here and there with a few pine groves. The small town of Doncaster providing inn rest on one night of the journey.

The group journeys along the Humber river, a wide river more than 1/2 a mile across. Slow moving and somewhat frozen over, it runs a fairly straight course. The morning of January 14, a rush of water can be heard. Loch tells you that the Trent and Humber rivers are converging. A waterfall is formed as both rivers pour over the last of the lowland mountains and start their journey through the prairie and marshland before ending in the Atlantic ocean. The abbey sits on an island in the middle of the now broader Humber river just below the falls. It can only be accessed by a rope bridge from either side of the river. A two hour journey along the river will bring you to a small hamlet called Winteringham, which is where you will find the nearest inn.

Noon, January 14.

The abbey is in sight on its island, barely. The mist of the waterfall only allows glimpses of it now and again. The thunder of the waterfall is almost overwhelming. The sky has turned grey but no snow has fallen for two days and Keridwynne doesn't expect any snow for at least another two days.

"Plans? I want to get down there before Savi registers three or four or twenty of those things. Plainly, the barriers between the planes have gotten too weak, and this one may not be inhabitable for very much longer.

"Today is therefore a great day to die." Talorc pulls out Altira and heads down to the bridge.

Savi quietly follows Talorc while readying her broadsword. "Wouldn't this be better if we were invisible," she queries.

"Probably," Talorc responds with a big grin, "but as I said it is a great day to die."

"Yes it may be, but not foolishly." Keridwynne says, "Stand still long enough for me to cast a few spells in preparation for the things to come."

For several minutes, Keridwynne weaves spell after spell, Talorc taps his foot impatiently, then decides to cast a few of his own.

"How many Sentares creatures are there just before we storm the abbey?" Mero asks Savisorbs.

"Just the two." she answers.

Turning to Keridwynne, Mero says, "We know that Sentares is a shapeshifter, it's possible his kin are also. I picked this scroll up in town before the stables were burnt. I'd prefer to save it for to use against the real Sentares, but you should take it just in case." He then hands her a scroll of protection from shapeshifters.

"According to the Great Diviner, Silent Discovery and Savisorb's bracers were specifically made to combat these creatures, and who knows what Altira can do, but other weapons may have no effect on them. Something to keep in mind."

"As to how to get in, I suggest we drug one of the Christian priestesses, what was the word for them, nuns? In any event we should have one of them bring us robes for costuming so we can sneak in, if we don't get in some other way. Once were in, I plan on keeping Silent Discovery drawn but invisible, I have a feeling Kevanish is going to come after me as soon as he recognizes who I am, he blames the death of two of his children on me so I may not be much help against the demons."

"I agree Mero. We should cross the bridge and see if we can pick out a nun or two and see if they can sneak us in. I would doubt that they are willing participants in these experiments." Nightshades says.

Moving onto the rope bridge covered in mist and slick with water, the party picks its way across. Glimpses of the abbey can be seen through the spraying mist of the waterfall, it is grey and moss covered. The moss covers most of the rope bridge as well. The bridge ends on the island with its ropes tied to two stone columns stuck deep into the earth. A rusty axe leans against one column, a quick defense for the abbey against aggressors.

Loch stops just across the bridge and points up, swinging from the parapets on ropes are the bodies of nuns and from the looks of it, most of them.

"Yours was a good idea, Mero, but I don't think that there are enough of them left to make it feasible." Loch says.

"Chains, Savi."

"What did you say?" Savi says.

Loch repeats, "Yours was a good idea, Mero, but I don't think that there are enough of them left to make it feasible."

"No not that, didn't someone just say chains, Savi?"

The rest look around at each other and shake their heads.

"You could never break the chains, Savi."

"Who are you?" Savi says.

"Savi, what's the matter?" Keridwynne ask with a look of concern in her face.

"Someone is talking to me telepathically, but it is really strong and close." Savi responds.

"What chains are you talking about?" Savi asks inwardly.

"Sentares, told me that you could never break the chains that he bound you up in and well you know... did such unspeakable acts. But you always struggled and he wondered someday if you would, break those chains."

Savi speaks outloud, "Its the other demon. Its talking to me."

"Damn, it knows we are here." Mero says.

"Yes, I knew you would come for me. Sentares told me. He knows you so well, Savi. But he always knows and predicts his old lovers actions, just in case they should want to kill him."

"Bracers, Locate Abbey of Beale demon, exactly, relative to my position." Savi orders silently.

"Thirty feet up and 100 feet northeast."

Savi's head swivels around to look upward. The party imitates her without really knowing why.

From the parapet, the body of a nun plummets toward the earth. It hits at the base of the abbey and bounces rather sickeningly. It then does the impossible and stands, it tosses back the hood of the nun's habit, brown hair flowing out from under it as it shakes its head.

"Always a rush." the body of Amelia says.

"How's this for a rush?!" Tieron shouts as lightning flies from his fingertips.

The impact slams Amelia against the abbey walls. She recoils from the wall and lurches forward.

"Tasty." She says licking her lips.

Amelia stands and waggles a finger at the party. A whoosh is heard and then all is in fire.

Talorc dives for cover, shouting "That fireball wasn't from the demon, Dwain is hanging out the window on the third floor. Anybody named Dwain deserves to die."

Talorc launches himself into the air, his fly spell taking hold and rushing him headlong for the window that Dwain is staring down out of.

Kevanish hiding in the shadows of the abbey, surveys the party from behind. Mero having leapt from the area of the fireball is very close to him. It is now or never, he thinks to himself, after all the waiting the time is at hand. Kevanish hesitates.

Mero stands and runs toward Amelia, invisible sword in hand, wondering where Kevanish is and why he has not attacked.

Amelia smiles as Savi, Loch and Mero approach at full speed.

Kevanish wonders at the pure courage of Mero to charge a demon without a weapon drawn.

Dwain recoils from the window, watching with horror as Talorc steps through the open window. Reflexively, he casts a magic missile to protect himself. The impact makes Talorc step back a bit but he then moves forward again. His hair singed somewhat, makes him look all the worse. Dwain backs up even more, firing another round of missiles to ward off this demon. He staggers into the upright circle. Dwain's dagger sheath contacts it, making it send out a ringing sound like a wind chime in a soft breeze. Talorc closes quickly before more missiles do more damage than he can take. Altira lashes out, swishing through cloth and flesh. Dwain staggers back against a table, clutching at his wounded chest. The bleeding is heavy. Dwain never one to have been in battles much, panics. He shrieks in pain or confusion. Running for the stairs to escape, he is cut off by Talorc and the biting Altira. He heads for the window, his only avenue of escape and dives out it. Talorc smiles and leaps out the window after him. Dwain is floating toward the ground. "Feather fall" Talorc thinks to himself. Talorc lets himself fall, catching up to Dwain as Dwain finishes the casting of a spell. Ten feet from the ground, Dwain shoots straight back up again.

"An aerial battle, eh Dwain." Talorc shouts after him, twisting his body and starting a fast spiral into the air to catch the fleeing Dwain.

Loch's first blow bounces from hide of Amelia.

Amelia grasps the blade of Loch's sword and smiles, "Silly boy, only magic will harm me."

She shoves back with all her strength against Loch. Loch steps back. Savi's broadsword bounces from the hide of the beast for the same reason.

"Not a magic weapon in the lot," Amelia says with a sneer, "how amusing, two fighters without weapons to harm me and a boy who thinks that he can slap me silly."

Mero stops, and looks down at the ground, like a little boy who has just gotten scolded, then he lifts his head and smiles. Aiming the invisible Silent Discovery at the throat of Amelia, he swings. Silent Discovery appears just fractions of a second before slicing into the neck of Amelia.

"I wouldn't be so smug, you asshole." Mero says.

Skimming the tops of evergreens, Dwain looks back at the pursuing Talorc, trying to eke out a bit more speed, but he is already at maximum. Talorc is less the 50 feet behind him, but neither can catch or lose the other. Dwain dives through a set of branches and into the forest below, hoping to lose Talorc. Talorc breaks through the branches of the trees in pursuit.

"You are going to die, Dwain. I am as relentless as the sun." Talorc taunts.

Dwain ducks under several branches, swooping a tad too close to a tree as he glances a look back. Talorc whooshes past the tree and makes a grab for the bit of torn cloak that had been snagged by the tree. The corners of Talorc's mouth turn upward into an evil smile and he chuckles to himself.

"Hey! Dwain!" Talorc shouts as he sees Dwain enter a heavily tree and shrub encrusted area.

Dwain looks back for just an instant to see Talorc motioning for him to look forward. Dwain quickly turns his head around and slams shoulder first into a large pine tree.

"Look out for that tree." Talorc comments dryly.

Talorc gently floats up to the fallen form of Dwain and sets down on the snow covered pine scented ground. Dwain is alive and awake but thoroughly confused and in a state of shock. Talorc takes a look at him, his collar bone is probably broken from the way the shoulder is hanging.

"As an opponent, Dwain, you are not very worthy." Talorc says as Altira takes Dwain's head from his shoulders.

Talorc rifles the body, comes up with a book and a pouch of gold, shoots back up through the tree branches, spies the Abbey of Beale in the distance and pours on the speed to help his comrades in need.

Amelia roars in pain and staggers back clutching at her throat. Mero slices again and again. Each blow raining blood from the wounds of Amelia.

Kevanish steps out from his hiding spot and plunges his dagger deep into the back of Keridwynne. Keridwynne whirls around to face the bronzed skinned, black haired Hispanic. Lightning rips from the already expanded staff. Kevanish's hair ripples back but nothing more.

"You are notorious for that staff already, Keridwynne. It would be foolish for me to not have protection from lightning. Pryderi taught me that after his last encounter with you." Kevanish says smiling.

"Why attack me? When it is Mero that you want?" Keridwynne asks, watching as Tieron is moving up behind Kevanish.

"Because, you could heal him and that is an unfair advantage besides he seems rather busy. Amelia may eliminate him before I need to and if he should succeed in killing her than he will be that much easier to kill because of the wounds he has suffered. Either way I win and Mero dies." Kevanish gloats.

Tierons blade digs deep into the neck bones of Kevanish. Kevanish pulls forward at the same moment and Tieron loses his grip on the dagger. Kevanish stumbles forward past Keridwynne and then turns to face his new opponents.

"Very good, Keridwynne. You made me pull the classic villain error, never explain why you are about to kill them just do it. I can't believe I just did that."

Tieron extends his hands and fires missiles from them. Kevanish staggers again and is forced back toward the abbey wall. Keridwynne hastily pulls a lump of clay from her pocket and forms it into a crude representation of a wall of the abbey. Tieron fires again, Kevanish is forced up against the wall of the abbey. Keridwynne slams the clay against the stone wall of the abbey. In her representation the wall is hanging by a single brick, the rest has been cut free. The spell she weaves is powerful, the very stone of the abbey takes on the form of her clay and the wall is now supported by a single brick, which can not hold the weight of the wall. The stone breaks apart and comes crashing down on top of Kevanish. Brick after brick hits him driving him down to his knees and then to lie prone under a mound of rubble.

"Is he dead?" Tieron asks.

"Don't know, but I would doubt it." Keridwynne answers.

The bricks on top of Kevanish begin to move as he struggles to rise to his feet. The sound of tumbling bricks gets increasingly louder. Keridwynne looks up, her spell weakened the structure of the abbey and in particular one of the parapets. It breaks free from the abbey and plummets carrying a body of a nun with it. It plunges to the ground point first. As if guided by the dead body of the nun it slams into Kevanish, impales him and for a split second, he looks as if he is holding the parapet off the ground and then his body is crushed beneath the stone.

"What do you think now?" Tieron asks as the dust settles.

"I would hope so." Keridwynne says.

The dust slowly fades away like fog rolling out. A hand is poking out from the rubble, moving slightly. Keridwynne walks toward it cautiously. She scoops out some of the rubble and exposes Kevanish's face. Blood is trickling from his nose, mouth, ears and from many cuts all over his face. Keridwynne knows it to be his last moments no matter what she did.

Kevanish coughs and gasps for more air, "Keridwynne, Give this to Mero." he says holding out a gold ring. He coughs some more and spits a little blood.

"Tell him that it was to be his wedding ring from Maja." Kevanish gasps for more air and then his eyes start to roll upward.

"Tell him, I was wrong about everything. Will you do that Keridwynne? Tell him I was wrong." Kevanish shudders once and lets out a long sigh of air. Keridwynne closes his eyes for him and takes the ring.

"Now is not the time to grieve for him." Keridwynne thinks to herself.

She steadies herself and stands turning to see what transpires between the demon and Mero. Mero is forcing the demon back steadily. Talorc skims over the top of the tower, looking down at the rubble and then rushes for Mero. He lands, next to Mero as Mero delivers the final blow that drops Amelia to the ground. The party surrounds the body, waiting for it to flinch.

"It couldn't have died that easily could it?" Mero questions.

"No, the host just died," the demon says as it phases out of the body of Amelia, "I just need a new host." Its hand phasing into the chest of Shateera.

(What are you going to do now?)

Keridwynne attempts to use all her dexterity to throw herself between the demon and Shateera, praying her "Negative Plane Protection" will help her keep from being infused with the Demon herself. She also hopes like hell that one of the party can figure out a way to destroy or banish the succubus before it succeeds in inhabiting one of them.

"Nooo!" screams Tieron. He grabs Shateera by the arm and tries to pull her away from the demon.

The impact of Keridwynne throws Shateera to the ground. The demon reaches its hand out to strike at Keridwynne hoping to merge with her instead. The hand jerks back as a horrid zapping sound breaks the silence of the moment.

"Bitch." it screams, cradling its hand to its chest.

"There are spells that are made to stop you, I have employed a few of them." Keridwynne snarls.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Mero proclaims as he silently wills Silent Discovery to turn ethereal in the vain hope that the demon will be still be susceptible to damage by the blade in that form even if Shateera is not.

"Nightshade, this abbey used to be a holy place, I doubt that everything has been completely desecrated, there might be something inside that will allow us to cast out the demon. In fact that would be an excellent reason why they killed off all of these nuns."

Silent Discovery lashes out at the ethereal demon, biting deep into its shoulder.

"What blade can follow me into the plane? Speak its name to me and I will use it to carve your tombstone." the demon hisses.

"Silent Discovery and my name is Mero, M-E-R-O, I would hate for you to spell it wrong." Mero shouts.

Mero cuts deep into the demon once again.

"Fool, even if your weapon cuts me down. I will heal. I will come back. Now that I am on this plane, I am here to stay forever. Strike me down and watch helplessly as I rise again." the demon laughs.

Talorc quickly does some silent wishing and comes across inspiration. "Yes, Keridwynne's spell may be just the way out of this. Everyone, get chummy. You have to scoot in within 10 feet of me at least." He jumps over to Shateera as fast he can and grabs a hold of her by the waist.

"Hi, darlin'. Why don't we visit that circle that you came from?"

Telepathically, "Altira, what do you know about de-possession? Anything relevant in that song?"

Altira answers quickly, "De-possession is possible if the exact spell is known that dragged this thing through in the first place, but it would take days or weeks to recalculate the spell, you don't have the time. The song speaks in riddles and rhymes. I would be the one to hold you down and take your soul away. Into the night I wander, it is morning that I dread. Another day of knowing of the path I fear to tread. No help that I can think of."

"Mero, stand back." Savi says calmly, stepping forward.

Mero turns briefly, seeing a determined look in her face he thinks better of pressing his attack. Mero keeps his guard up and backs away. The demon's wounds heal in a matter of seconds. It stands and starts forward toward the approaching Savi.

"What do you think that you can do to me, that he could not. You don't even have a weapon that can hurt me Savi. Sentares said you screamed well for him. I wonder how well you will scream for me." a little spittle of excitement dribbles down its slimy chin.

"Funny, I was wondering the same about you. Level one, bracers. Fire!"

Flame rush out to envelop the demon. The fire explodes covering the skin of the demon. It slams it to the ground violently.

The demon screams and then breathing hard spits out the words "Pain, real pain."

"You scream quite well actually." Savi smiles evilly.

"What the hell was that?" The demon gasps out.

"You are quite right, a little piece of your own private hell. Nothing in this world can kill you say. Nothing will ever stop you from killing my people, you say. You are dead wrong. There is something that can stop you. Me! See you in hell! Bracers, level fifty." Savi shouts.

And then Savi pauses, staring at the demon now crawling toward her with a pleading look in its eyes. For a moment, she stops and stares down at the demon. Its flesh seared by the flame, its wings burnt and flapping slowly as if to cool its body.

"Sentares," Savi says, "I will find another way. Fire."

The fire streaks across the distance that separates Savi and the demon once known as Amelia. It courses around the demon almost as if caressing it. Smoke starts to rise from the flesh of the demon. It screams a silent scream as its flesh burns to the bone and then the bone to ash. The all-consuming fire forms a column on the ground and then extends to the sky. The clouds part as the column passes through them. Then fire and ash are gone, only the sound of the waterfall crashing remains.

"Kevanish," the ring in Keridwynne's pocket says. Keridwynne reaches into her pocket and retrieves it.

"Kevanish," it says again, "Kevanish, this is Sentares. Respond, you idiot. What the hell just happened? I can no longer feel the presence of Amelia. Kevanish! Are you out there?!"

The ring falls silent for a moment, then says "Pryderi, are you receiving?"

Pryderi's voice answers, "Yes, I hear you."

"Amelia is dead or gone from the plane and Kevanish is probably dead. I am betting Dwain didn't make it either. I will also give you one guess what the hell happened. Cejeput was right. Kevanish wouldn't listen and he paid the price. Mission accomplished, here in the Perilous, but with heavy causalities. The wood elves will be in turmoil, for now. They will be delayed just long enough for the Pennite Dwarves to be crushed underfoot, then they will be the next to fall. Send a scouting party to the Abbey of Beale. Have them find out what happened, bring back bodies and anything of value. Then burn the Abbey to the ground. We will bury and mourn our comrade. See you in Lambor Castle in ten days. Sentares out."

Keridwynne grasps the ring and whispers "Send."

Keridwynne turns to Altira, "Altira, sing the song."

Altira starts singing softly," Into the sea of waking dreams, I follow without pride. Nothing stands between us here. I will not be denied. I will be the one to hold you down and take your soul away." Altira continues to sing.

"Who the hell is that? Who are you? Answer me!!!!" Sentares shouts.

"Savi, do you think you have enough charges left in those bracers to take out Sentares?" Mero asks, "If you do, we should destroy the mirror they used to bring that demon through and hightail it for Lambor Castle, if not maybe we should think about getting the other half of the Amulet of Zarakfen while the gnomes are still distracted by the return of their army."

Talorc ponders, "Somehow I think we just lost the big bracer hit versus Sentares. And I'm not eager to take him without it. Let's go after the other piece of the amulet for now. Besides, Sentares is likely to be extra careful in the short term." Talorc grins. "Talorc is right. We have lost the hit against Sentares but there has to be another way." Savi says looking determined.

"Sounds good to me, go after the amulet. I would like to go into town and see if there is a mage's shop or someplace where I can trade in my lightning wand for some other magical weapon. From now on they will probably all have protection from lightning up." Keridwynne suggests.

Talorc pulls out a map, "Nearest thing to here is Winteringham, a couple of hours from here or less. Small town, nothing real interesting about it on the map."

"Might be a good spot to hole up for awhile. I could use some time after this to rest up. You and some of the rest could use some time to copy a few spells in your books." Keridwynne states.

Keridwynne hands the ring to Mero, relating the statements that went with it from Kevanish. "In other words" she adds "I wouldn't wear it."

Tieron nods his head and says, "I agree with taking out the mirror. We don't want another to come through. As for the Amulet, do you think it has any powers behind it to help us? The only reason I see for getting it fast, is to bring the stone giants into this war. That would give us a strong push against Sentares' army."

"That alone may be the shift in the war. One group in the right place at the right time can change the course of history. I have seen it happen, many times." Loch says.

"In the meantime, let's see what secrets this place has for us to find. " Tieron moves to search the buildings, now empty of life. "Do we have time to bring down the bodies?"

Talorc nods, "I agree. This place deserves a once through..."

"I don't know a ton about their religious customs, but I know they like to be buried in earth, and they put this cross symbol on graves. Be sure to destroy the circle and don't bleed on it, whatever you do, I think the blood triggered the thing. Maybe we can find the book or scroll they were getting the rituals from and deprive them of that as well." Keridwynne says.

Keridwynne spends a little time gathering crosses from the Abbey, and with Loch, Tierons and Shateera's help place them on the freshly dug graves of the nuns.

"What about Kevanish?" Tieron asks, looking at the crumpled body of the fallen foe.

"I don't want to bury him here. I think that would be disrespectful of the nuns." Keridwynne says.

"Didn't Sentares say that a scouting party was coming here to retrieve the body? And if they are, why? Are they going to bury him? If we bury him they will probably dig him up anyway." Shateera starts, "How about a burial at sea? The Humber River drains out into the sea and even if he never makes it, it will take quite some time for them to locate him if ever."

"Good thinking love." Tieron says.

It takes several minutes of excavation to expose the body of Kevanish, his black leather armor shining and moving supplily and very form fitting. In contrast his white cloak is torn beyond any hope of recovery. His long sword is still in good condition as well but it is coated in dust.

Tieron starts to remove the armor stating as he does so, "Anything that came through that crushing mess without a scratch has to be magical."

Tieron pulls the armor from the body and lays the long sword next to it. He then with the help of others pulls the body to the rope bridge and hefts it over the side. It flops into the river and bobs a few times and then is lost in the mist of the waterfall.

Meanwhile, Savi and Talorc have reached the room with the silver circle. Savi removes her broadsword and clangs it against the circle. It passes through it, the sound of thin wire breaking as she does so.

"It may take them some time to recreate this thing and I doubt that they can repair it." Savi says as she chops the silver circle into little bits.

Talorc searches the rest of the room. One old book laying on a table open to a page on how to fly. Looks like Dwain's spellbook, don't think he will needing it, Talorc thinks to himself, wonder what book I took from him. Talorc stuffs the book inside his backpack. Once finished they go off to explore what is left of the abbey.

Nightshade and Mero start wandering the abbey. Kitchen, dining area, prayer rooms, altars, and living quarters they explore and nothing of real interest reveals itself. A silver candelabra here, a few pieces of gold in the desks of some of the nuns, a jewel or two embedded into a cross, these are the things of monetary value but of not much other use. They search on, finding a small room filled with books. One wall is lined with books that contain bibles, many and various kinds. Different versions and some uncompleted. Interesting but nothing of great use. Another wall holds books of differing religions, some of which they have never heard of. Mero, tiring of the search, sits at the only wooden desk in the room. He pulls the ring that Kevanish wanted him to have from his pocket and examines it. It is a small gold ring with no engraving on the outside. It has a large raised gold squared off top. Looking at the inside of the ring, it bears no inscription either. Mero turns it over in his hand and notices the square top has a thin line running all the way around it. He grips onto it and pulls up on it but nothing happens, then he gives it a little twist and it opens. Light pours from it, in startlement, he drops it on the table. A foot tall image of Maja is created on the table. It doesn't move or speak just an image. Mero stares at her for quite sometime. Nightshade took notice of the light and turned to look but then returned to her searching the books. The image and the light fade away leaving only an empty opening in the ring. Here inside the crest of the ring is the inscription. "Mero. On nights that we are separated, speak to the ring and no distance will be too great for me not to hear and respond. See my image and know what awaits you upon your return. Love Maja."

An audible click brings Mero back to the present, he looks up to see Nightshade pass behind a wall in the library.

"Nightshade, what's in there?" He queries.

"Come and look." She says.

Mero stands and moves to look, stepping behind Nightshade. A small room no larger than a small closet is there on the floor sits a small sack obviously filled with gold or jewels, from the way it bulges. A dozen brightly colored strangely shaped bottles sit on a wooden shelf about halfway up the closet. A black mitheral broadsword is strapped in a gleaming white scabbard along a side wall. Mero and Nightshade start to carefully remove the bottles from the shelf and a small broken stick rolls out from behind them. Jagged and broken it has one word on it, "thorn". Nightshade carefully dumps the stick into a sack, hefts the bottles and turns to Mero.

"Can you grab the loot and the broadsword? I think that Talorc will like to identify this stuff."

The members of the party reconvene outside the abbey. The sky still cloudy and grey.

"Well, like I said before, I think the best thing to do is hole up in Winteringham for awhile and find out what this stuff is and maybe we can find out where to start looking for the amulet of Zarakfen" Keridwynne says.

Nightshade turns to Tieron having held back the broken stick until the rest of the stuff had been looked at, "I think that this is yours."

"The final piece." Tieron says taking the proffered stick. He turns it over and over again looking at it. He pulls the 3/4 of the staff from across his back and then stops just short of connecting it together.

"What?" Shateera prods, "put it together."

"I not sure I should put it together here. I fear it might do something strange." Tieron says.

"OK," Talorc starts, "Everybody back off from Tieron. I don't think that it will do anything destructive but just in case."

The party backs off a bit if for no other reason than to ease Tieron's mind.

Tieron touches the fourth and final piece to the remaining staff pieces. It mends, sealing over quickly forming a whole staff again.

"To be whole again," the staff says, "to speak again. I am Unog. Last orcish warrior of the Clan Tireless. Who would you be half-elf?"

"Tieron. Tieron Highstep."

"You?!! Impossible!," Unog laughs uproariously, "I find that quite amusing that a half elf is supposed to be the mighty Zarakfen. Heather, certainly has a sense of humor. Well little half elf, I have a message for you from Heather and it goes like this. Tieron, your time has come. The quest for the amulet of Zarakfen is underway. It starts in Sinadon across the Cambrian mountains. I have a friend, Olicia, that will point you in the right direction once you are there. She has been watching and listening for rumors of the amulet. This staff is powerful, it should help you on your way. All my love. Heather."

"That's it, Zarakfen," Unog says, "oops Tieron. I think that you will be the most unusual owner I have ever had. I must rest now. Call me if you need me. Oh and by the way, did I forget to mention that Olicia is a gnome in a gnomish town and that you may be killed on sight. Just thought I would let you know. Good night."

Tieron walks over to the rest of the party, "Shall we be off. The scouting party is coming and I could use an inn for the night if not for more nights."

As the party travels to Winteringham, Tieron relates the message from the staff, that most of you overheard anyway. Dusk overtakes you entering into the small hamlet of Winteringham. It will be a fine crisp evening in this sleepy town. It holds but two inns, The Hawk and the Dove. Both are owned by the same people, a couple in their late 50's by the names Madge and Michael Sommerset. Talkative folks that don't even seem concerned by the racial makeup of the party. They set you up with your own wing in the Hawk inn, so you won't be disturbed, bid you a good night and let you settle in.

Keridwynne finds a mage with a small shop. She trades her lightning staff in on a quarterstaff and a wand of frost. He also has a few potions for sale like 11 cure lights running for 10 gold each and 2 spider climb potions at 7 gold. Three days pass quickly. (Tieron and Shateera will take marriage vows at this point.) The mages continue to labor in their rooms. Nightshade, Mero and Shateera are busily exploring this small town and find that it is indeed a very sleepy town. Nothing of great interest is happening. A little local gossip about the upcoming growing season, the weather, that sort of thing. Any information on Ashler or the Penninite Dwarves is either not known or not being revealed to them. Keridwynne and Loch are spending a great deal of time together and seem to want to be alone during most of it.

Late Night January 17, 523.

The party is together by coincidence at the Hawks restaurant when Madge Sommerset approaches.

"Greetings, travelers. You had a guest this afternoon, looking for you. Never said his name but was wearing one of those hydra symbols. He was asking a lot of questions about you. He knew many of you by name and described you quite well. He wanted to know if I had seen you." Madge says smiling in a grandmotherly way.

"And what did you say, Madge?" Mero asks smiling widely.

"Well I told him that I had never seen such a good looking bunch of people like that and he just rudely walked away. Not a good-bye or a thank you. Nothing. You in a bit of trouble with those Ashler clerics?" Madge asks.

"Just a bit. They want us dead, I think." Mero responds winking at her.

"Well, that's not good, but I won't pry into your affairs. Anyway, he rode off with five others in armor to the west. Just thought I would let you know that someone is looking for you." Madge smiles and stands to leave.

Mero adds, "Thanks, Madge. By the way, what do you think of Ashler and his cronies?"

She starts to walk away and says over her shoulder, "Go get him, kids and don't get killed in the process."

Days slip by as people work on various projects, time is beginning to lose meaning, it has snowed several times and turned rather dead of winterish around Winteringham. No news from the Pennine Mountains, no rumblings of Ashlers latest endeavor, no nothing as if this town had been cut off from the rest of the world.

January 31, 523 8pm. The wind is howling outside, a light snow is falling and being driven against windows. Frosted windows block any real view of the storm raging outside. The party finds itself in front of large fire in the common area. Large overstuffed chairs to lounge in. Talorc sipping wine with his legs propped up on a low table. Tieron, holding a snifter of brandy, only needing a pipe and a smoking jacket to complete the ensemble. Mero, engaged in a conversation with Keridwynne and Loch, all holding wine glasses. Eyebrows being raised as Loch reaches out and holds the hand of Keridwynne, but that is all, no one says a word.

Savi breaks a lull in conversation, "I know that we have needed a rest and time to recover from all that we have been through in the past few months but I feel the need to move on."

"You are right, Savi. I was going to bring that up myself." Nightshade adds, "We had agreed to rest here for awhile and then move off to find the amulet of Zarakfen in Sinadon. Is this still the plan?"

"I haven't heard of anything more pressing at the moment. To be honest, I haven't heard much at all about the outside world. Kind of strange isn't it?" Mero says.

"Kind of relaxing, I thought." Keridwynne injects.

"Sinadon," Talorc starts, pulling out the map,"is quite some distance from here. At least 10 days by horse, following every major road and avoiding a few places like Lambor Castle. If we kept to the forest it would take longer but it might keep us safer."

"I would have to say that it would be better to keep to the forests. It might be longer but at least they won't know where we are going." Loch says.

Most nod their agreement.

"OK then, tomorrow morning after breakfast we will depart for Sinadon, but not tonight." Tieron says, draining his brandy.

February 1st, 523 10 am.

The party moves out. Sunny but extremely cold, it brings a few grumblings that maybe you should wait another day or two. Madge graciously offered up a lot of supplies for your trip, wishing you well as you rode out of town, heading back toward the abbey of Beale. The abbey falls behind you by noon. The graves now covered in snow. The land reclaiming its own. Days and towns pass by, Newark on the 3rd of February, Nottingham on the 4th, Bedegraine on the 5th, Stafford, Whitechurch and finally after avoiding inns and towns and a week of horse travel in very cold weather. The party stops at the City of Legions on the 8th of February for a well needed inn rest.

The City of Legions, one of the last bastions in this area for the Roman armies that marched across England, not so long ago. The downtown area is dominated by a castle and what looks to be a sports arena or coliseum. Many shops and inns line the streets of this proud Roman designed city. The western edge of the city is dominated by a large harbor that faces the Atlantic ocean. This town survives by its trade with Ireland to the west. Coliseum posters for tonight's fight between a roman guard and a minotaur line just about every street. Other posters around town show the hand drawn faces of several minotaurs wanted for murder of several guards. Only one human is shown in any of the posters, Glasien, an attractive human female wanted for aiding and abetting the minotaur renegades. All of these wanted posters are signed by Randle, Duke of the City of Legions.

People watch with interest as a such a group of oddly collected individuals wander by, but the interest soon gives way to being ignored and you pass among the locals without hardly raising an eyebrow. Though you do notice that very few other races are present. Actually now that you look at it, there are no other races beside human here. Well, a good night's rest, and you will be out of here. Stopping at an inn, named the Pegasus, you check into well maintained rooms. Nothing fancy and not very expensive. Restaurants and bars are in abundance. Mero, feeling his wild oats about to sprout, takes to carousing the bars soon after check in. Being human in city of humans, he felt relatively safe. After a few minutes of unpacking, the rest of the party noticing the growling of their stomachs, travel across the street in the chill air to a small restaurant. Mero, already carousing with a womann and turning on his very apparent charms has a beautiful woman on his arm and talking to her as if there was no one else in the world at this moment. The party seats itself at a large round table, the only table left in the establishment, directly in the center of the restaurant/bar. Around 100 people mill about, talking, drinking and eating. Many speak of the competition of the minotaur and the guard this evening in the coliseum. Obviously, from the snippets of conversation that you overhear, the minotaur won and was not favored too. Those conversations always end in, "Well, there is always tomorrow."

Mero briefly looks up and nods his hello to his fellows and starts to wander out the door with this lucious blond in tow. His way is blocked by the milling crowds and then he scurries for the door when an opening presents itself. His way blocked again by a group of large humans coming through the door. They dress strangely with lots of jewelry and piercings dangling from various holes in ears, noses and eyebrows. Black leather armor, with black vest over them, the whole ensemble covered by a long black trenchcoat. Five of them pass through the door, in front of Mero, two female and 3 male, they are scowling and looking as if they want a lot of trouble. People part to allow them entrance to the restaurant and a definite decrease in volume of conversations as people start to talk in hushed whispers. Mero, looks at his friends and then at the new group of people and then back to the new girl on his arm. He shrugs and heads toward the door. He stops for a second by the door as a strange tingle envelops his eyes, he reaches his hands up and wipes at his smoke irritated eyes. He rubs at them for a bit as if they are tired and then opens them. He turns to look at his friends, now enjoying dinner at the center table. His eyes wander to the pierced people and stops. He looks again and this time stares at them. The aren't humans anymore, well one of the females is but the rest are minotaurs. He blinks again. No one else in the room seems to notice the sudden transformation. Jaleel, the blond on Mero's arm, tugs at him toward the door. Mero disengages her hand from his arm and starts to walk toward his feasting friends. Jaleel harumphs slightly and then engages the next person through the door, Mero seemingly forgotten. Mero sits down at the table.

"That was fast." Talorc grins.

"Never mind about that. The group over there, you know the pierced ones. They aren't human, well the one female is but the rest are minotaurs." Mero speaks quietly and quickly.

"Silent Discovery?" Savi asks.

"What else? Damn thing."

"Why would it be showing you that?" Loch asks.

"I don't know. It has a mind of its own, but it obviously thought that I should know that little fact. The true human female is the same one as that poster that we saw today. What was her name? Glasien or something?" Mero continues.

Glasien is bent over talking to the bartender. The bartender shakes his head and then continues filling a beer from his tap. Glasien looks around, taking in all in a single glance. She pauses briefly scanning the table in which the party is sitting at. She looks toward the door and focuses her gaze there. They order several beers and settle in.

"Waiting for someone?" Keridwynne asks.

"I would bet." Nightshade suggests.

"To be blunt, what difference does it make?" Talorc asks.

"None, maybe, but something is bothering me." Mero continues.

Savi slowly rotates her head to stare at a smallish human, decked out in a forest green cloak. Her eyes follow him across the room, he passes close to the table the party is inhabiting. The rest notice that she is watching him closely.

"What's the matter, Savi?" Nightshade asks.

"That guy, I think that I know him, his thoughts, I can't really hear but the mumblings of his mind are familiar. I swear that I feel some evil intent but I can't be sure." Savi answers, "Probably nothing but my instincts aren't usually wrong."

The small figure passes by the table and steps up to the bar. He pulls his cloak down around him almost like a shield. A drunk walks up to him.

"Hey fella, You dropped this marble on the floor. You want it back?" the drunk slures.

The greened cloak figure whips around and slaps the marble from his hand, it rolls under the wood table the party is sitting around. Tieron looks down.

"Oh shit!!!!. Delayed Blast Fireball!" Tieron screams and pushes the table over, hoping the wood will shield some of the blast.

The marble cracks open just slightly, the table falls between the party and the marble. The first lick of flame escapes the crack in the orb and then explodes in fury. The boom is low and drawn out. The drunk that first noticed it is blown across the bar and slams heavily into many bottles of alcohol, breaking several. Fire consumes him. People flew against several walls, the sound of the bone crunching lost in the roar of the blast. Many will not stand again. The minotaurs, mostly unharmed, start to scurry for a door in the side of the building. The front door of the bar slams open. Soldiers in red ring mail march in.

"By the order of Duke Randle of the City of Legions, I am placing all of you under arrest. Do not attempt to resist or escape or force will be used." One of the soldiers says.

The side door that the minotaurs were scurrying for, bursts open and more soldiers pour through, swords drawn.

Jaleel appears behind the table.

"You're the hero. What are going to do?" she says, smiling.

Mero looks at her and notices that she is surprisingly unharmed.

The small figure crawls down from his barstool and moves toward the lead soldier.

"Balthar, you do fine work this evening." The soldier comments, "but where are the minotaurs?"

Balthar pulls his green cloak hood down to reveal his features. His bulbous gnomish nose, sticking out far from his face. The mouth twisted into a smile, he speaks, "Captain, the minotaurs are over there, looking like some leather clad and pierced humans. A good illusion I must say, if it weren't for the eye that I had to have replaced. But, captain, my snare has captured far more important guests to your fair city. I present you none other than Savisorbs and company. The new group called Ashlers Bane. I will introduce them to you just as soon as you disarm them. Sentares will be greatly pleased."

Balthar smiles.