RPG Campaigns

Giraine Summaries

Hi,

You pressed deeper into the Cathedral, turning the corner around the edge of the spire's base to find a stone staircase leading up to an open archway wreathed in shadow: the obvious entry to the tower. That shadow, however, was alive- it slid down from the archway and groped for Boamund, who rolled away. Ahappi stood transfixed and inactive, with a strange distant stare, mouthing words. Maugis threw a Banish spell, sure that it was a darkness essence (a Shade) and it was obliterated.

You entered the archway, into the Inner Sanctum. Another archway ahead led into the spire's spiral staircase. That core of the spire was surrounded by the walls of the sanctum, which were lined by decepit remains of shelves full of ruined scrolls and tomes, and the floor littered with desks, lecterns, tables and unidentifiable remains. This was where the Witnesses; the Zzaburi of the Cathedral; did their studies and prayers. But Ahappi didn't care. Singlemindedly, with a vacant expression, he said “Stay down here; I must go up.” And he rushed up the spire's stairs. You were inclined to follow him, but to the right side of the stairs, inside the sanctum, a figure stepped forward.

It was the rotted, dessicated, grimacing figure of an ancient troll. It wore full lead plate armour and carried a great mace that shed ice crystals. More importantly, a kite shield was slung on its other arm. The shield was decorated with Law and Darkness runes, and together the figure reminded Fraud and especially Boamund of a simple image they'd seen on the map at the top of the Tower of Goode Menne. It must be Saint Karkovoch, and his shield!

The troll-lich hissed, “Killlll themmmmm!!!” and twin shadows dripped from the ceiling, casting waves of cold your way as they extended tendrils of ebony death. A fight was on- but the troll was so terrifying that Maugis and Boamund could do little but stammer, try to puzzle through what was happening, and throw defensive magic.

Fraud Shaven faced the Uzko himself at first. He blocked its first blow, and soon Boamund was in the fray, after overcoming a force from the shield that made him hesitate. It held its own for a while, accepting your blows on its abdomen with indifference, and soon was tripped prone. It threw magics at you, trying to make you lose heart, but you held firm. Miguel did a clever trick by creating a Phantom Sound of the troll's voice, commanding the Shades to stay back, and they did; further encouraged to do so by Fraud's use of the Foestopper Fan to push them back. This probably saved your lives; facing two powerful elementals with the troll-thing would have been a desperate fight.

Maugis drained himself down to his last magic point throwing a Palsy spell that, for once, did not affect the troll foe. (This lich was one of the worst foes you've faced: skills around 140-150%!) Finally, you wore the troll down and smashed in his skull, just as it was finishing a great incantation that might have done you all in. [Many Luck Points had been burned!!] The Shades kept their distance now.

Boamund, not concerned about holding a darkness-related shield (it was surely anti-chaos and thus useful to his Order), took the kite shield and felt its power immediately. He could see through shadows and felt no cold, and could repel undead with a thought. It was indeed the Shield of Karkovoch! Boamund was thrilled to become its wielder, and Shaven, while jealous, did not argue the point further.

You touched the mace but it unleashed wicked shadow-magics that made you think twice. Maugis saw strange sorcery around it; linked, he soon thought, to the lich and to the surrounding shadows of the Cathedral, but there was also non-sorcery there, and massive power. You left it be; even Boamund's fire-ring did not harm it.

Moments later, the troll stood up, grabbing its mace- it had knit itself back together! It was still aggressive but first spoke, commanding Boamund to give it back the shield or face a “terrible doom”. He refused, of course, saying that he knew of and accepted his doom. It said that you did not know, and a longer conversation ensued, in which you learned:

-According to Karkovoch, the “saints” were not saints at all (I forgot to mention, he said that “Where do you see shrines to these “saints”? Who holds them in high regard? None among good Malkioni.”). They were traitors, all three of the others, and he was the one that stayed here to try to keep the shield hidden in the depths, preserved in the Cathedral. He laughed when you said the Godlearners were foes, saying that they were dupes he defeated, and that the Vadeli were the true enemy. Ahh.

Most interestingly, Karkovoch insisted that (as you'd heard before) there were five “saints” (he called them adept heroquesters), and (as some of you suspected) Granno was the fifth of them. Karkovoch did not know Granno's fate but did *not* consider him a traitor like the others, and knew that the others had fallen into doom. (You know that Granno IS a Saint, in every sense- the Giranois truly worship him and receive Malkioni blessings from his essence/Ascended Mastery node)

But then the conversation turned bleaker; Karkovoch mentioned that he must stop you and that your doom otherwise involved wearing his “skin” (he got a bit garbled here and it was not clear what he was talking about; some contradictions). He insisted that you must leave the Shield with him (even seeming to plead), and he hefted his mace and swung. You bashed his skull in again and burned what you could, then explored the Inner Sanctum, wondering what Ahappi was up to in the spire. The books and scrolls looked to be in hopeless condition, until you rounded the left (east) side of the spire. There, atop a stone pedestal at the back of the sanctum, was a book that lay open, emitting a soft glow that seemed to extend upwards toward the ceiling… Maugis's jaw was agape. What was it?

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