1.3 From the Keep of the Doomed to Castle Caltreen

[St.Drewcifer]

With the battle over, wounds are tended to and Caerlith is raised back to the living. Some minor baubles and trinkets are distributed within the party from the dead Priests of the Moon. The blinded prisoner we saw executed may be the person we are looking for, so elaborate spells were performed to question the corpse. It transpires this is not the person so the search continues. Many prisoners are in weak condition, one man stronger than most occupies the cell where the person we have come for used to be housed. After questioning him he shows a dogged loyalty to the party and we reward him with a red tunic and magic sword to wield, his jailhouse mentality draws him to Brin for some reason, we call him Johnny One Eye.

Some good detective work from Matrix leads us to some secret cells where chanting can be heard in Crows language, we quickly discover an elderly blind man who is from Crows tribe, Eagles Cry. This is the one we seek and after several questions find that he has great knowledge about the small piece of hide we carry, it can be beneficial in keeping the shadow veil away if someone can spend time studying it and manipulate it. Dancing Bear volunteers for this task.

Two days are spent within the keep trying to gain as much knowledge as we can in preparing for the next step in ridding the world of this accursed shadow and bringing back the light. We discover that many long years ago an Elven Lord, Lolaah Bladehands, may have come across something which may aid us. More information might be found in the library back at Castle Caltreen.

We set out from the Keep and immediately are assailed by Nosferatu with skeletal allies; we group together for spell casting and hear footsteps behind us. Brock rushes out to attack the Vampires. Fortified by spells the party faces the undead band. Brin is uncomfortable having to use his sword instead of his bow and his place is soon taken by Thule with Johnny waving his sword at the demons which came up behind the party, it would seem that Johnny is unfamiliar with a longsword, it being much heavier and longer than a prison shank.

Flame Strikes and Ice Storms hit the party but they battle valiantly on. Crow soon deals with one of the Demons, while Caerlith, Ditch and Brock keep the Nosferatu, skeletons and a Priest of the Moon at bay outside the tower. Wack turns into Wraith form to gain some distance from the turmoil. Matrix manages to turn one of the Nosferatu, only for it to be recontrolled by another Priest of the Moon, hanging out of an upstairs window. A swarm of rats summoned by Wack swamp the priest causing him to jump out of the window, another priest is noted on the upper level and is charged down by Crow.

Thule and Johnny swing simultaneously at the last Demon, with Thule landing the killing blow – Johnny is ecstatic as he believes he really helped out, bless him. The two valiant warriors then come outside the tower to help with the main battle. Several times Brock falls down and several times Dancing Bear heals him enough to carry on. Matrix takes a terrible wound which severs his leg, but not before Ditch had dealt similar blow to one of the Vampires, Caerlith also drops to the ground but is bought back by Matrix. With Brin now firing many arrows and the fighters concentrating their attacks the tide turns in favor of the party.

One priest and two Nosferatu remain as matrix prepares spells to prevent the creatures from escaping in Gaseous Form. Sure enough the Magic Using one succumbs and starts to flee in cloud form, Matrix flies after him and soon a Dust Devil appears which effectively corrals the cloud. The one remaining Priest then casts a spell which enables him to run on the wind and chases after Matrix. Crow and Brin use their flying mounts to intercept the priest, his ability to snare arrows out of the air means the characters have to close to fight hand to hand. This enables the priest to flame strike the Dust Devil causing it to dissipate, thus the priest turns his back on Crow and Brin and they drive home the advantage and kill him. The last Nosferatu finally flees the combat and somehow helps to spirit the other fleeing cloud away from the party before another Dust Devil can be created.

More magics are distributed from the corpses of those that attacked us. Johnny decides to stay at the Keep and help out there with looking after the prisoners and defending the Keep if necessary.

A long march to Castle Caltreen ensues, along the way Cometheus once again comes before us and gives amulets to the party to help ward away scrying eyes and to prevent our magic being drained further, our most powerful items seem to be losing their efficacy and some reluctance is shown in using the flying devices in case they cease to work.

The party finally reaches the Castle and Crow volunteers to meld into the earth and travel to the Castle Libraries to search for the information. Meanwhile the party does some excavation of the secret tunnel and waits for Crows return.

Inside the Library Crow sees two ogres but upon hearing them speak they seem to be allies in disguise. Crow reveals himself and the two turn out to be Bilger, Captain of the Guard and Silverlink a Elvin Lord come late to the battle – much distrust is shown between the parties resulting in some blood being shed. Finally Crow allows the two to search the Library, mainly due to his inability in being able to read Elvish which the tomes are scribed in. He scouts around the castle for Amon and Analinda, he spies two orcs guarding a door and comes back to retrieve the party. Bilger is happy to see Thule. Information about what is learned in the books is shared.

Some translated passages from old Elfish scrolls reveal:
"the distrust that arose between the sylvans and the wood elves after his disappearance."
"The great meeting with the Sylvan lord and the wood elves so many years ago, the meeting that rocked the foundation of trust between the elves."
"The great gift/item/artifact that the wood elves had shown to him were lost/stolen with/by him."
"He was thought to take these items back to his people rather than leaving them where they belonged in the place that protected them."

Also found was information on Crie Isle:
There were things left behind in the dungeons that were believed safer there than anywhere, since these items had originated there or always been there. It talks of a great gift given by the god Agon, a gift to protect in a time of darkness, that has long had a safe home in the dungeons below the island. That the king had long protected it, that the places secrets and magics have been lost or forgotten with time.

The party decides a journey to Crie Isle might be a good idea. Thules fiancee and younger brother are rescued and they are whisked away to the safety of the East Reach by Bilger and the Silverlink.

The party, meanwhile, decide it might be a good time to explore the castle to see if there are any coffins requiring destruction as the fleeing clouds may have headed this way.