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Jubilex
Posts: 3038
(3/23/04 1:10 pm)
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The Cairnhollow, Part V
The Fortress of Lead is an octagon some one hundred feet in diameter, its upper ramparts only thirty feet above the long stone bridge that leads to its only visible entrance. The throng of curious villagers who stand just inside the massive iron doors of the citadel make way for the companions and their prisoner. Theony comes along behind, still dragging the enormous mass of duergar equipment.
Just inside the doors the group enters a chamber that looks to encompass half the upper floors of the keep, an octagon cut in half. Massive, and apparently solid, iron buttresses rise up from stone floor along the perimeter of the chamber and curve outward to provide further support to the citadel's thick stone exterior. Iron reinforced stonework... it's hard to imagine any common siegecraft could bring this unique fortress down.
The chamber is cluttered with chairs and improvised tables, open boxes and barrels, and other signs of habitation. Two steep staircases lead directly up to the enclosed ramparts of the fortress, while two more descend down into the lower levels. At the far end of the chamber stands another set of iron doors, and though they are closed the flickering firelight that peeks from around the portal shows that the source of the pervasive orange glow that shines throughout the Cairnhollow is not far beyond them.
"Almaer, Tul, take Ulrup down to the lake," Chandra commands. "Well bury him tonight. Valthur, Bura, take the duergar to the cells and bring me the key once he's locked up safe. The rest of you, make room."
Chandra pushes through the gawkers to reach a large table near the closed iron doors at the far end of the chamber. Theony finally hauls her loot to the edge of the room and returns to close the main doors of the citadel.
Dropping into a simple wooden chair, Chandra gestures to the companions to join her.
"Come, I am eager for news of Moagara. Perhaps you could begin by telling us how much time has passed since the broo invaded the Nral valley."
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doggius
Pogar Stonecrusher
Posts: 644
(3/23/04 1:25 pm)
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Re: The Cairnhollow, Part V
Dragging Draxim aside, Pogar quickly says in dwarvish " Thanks are not needed among brothers. You would have done the same for me if I were the one to drop my weapon, or even the over cautious elf. It is a good idea for an extra axe, if it doesnt become too difficult to carry and fight with at the same time. That Theony is surely impressive with her strenght, a bit too stuffy for my likes though" he finishes with a slight snicker, as to show his joke to Draxim, yet to not offend Chandra and the others.
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doggius
Pogar Stonecrusher
Posts: 646
(3/23/04 3:25 pm)
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Re: The Cairnhollow, Part V
Pogar will find a chair, that has his back towards the wall, if possible.
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Atan
Atan Finith Ring
Posts: 705
(3/23/04 3:52 pm)
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Re: The Cairnhollow, Part V
Atan eagerly takes a seat, happy to be able to let down his guard and relax a bit.
"It depends which invasion you mean. The legions left over twenty five years ago and the Broo have been pushing out of the Wild Lands since. Even now a pack of Yorul Broo are poised outside of Cairnhollow."
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Kenner
Draxim
Posts: 915
(3/23/04 4:24 pm)
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Re: The Cairnhollow, Part V
Draxim smiles, a bit uncomfortable with the civility of normal honorable people that is offered by Pogar. He nods his head in agreement at Pogar's praise of Theony, but at the word stuffy his head whips around affording a disapproving glare. " Now don't you speak ill of the young lady. I'll not have it. She and her mother with whitely fletched arrows turned the tide of that battle for us." he hisses. " You should be grateful to them and show them respect! ". he chides.
At some point, Draxim will get Atan alone and ask him, "Atan how many shares should we divvy up?" Perhaps I should split it in half, give one half to Mistress Chandra and then divvy the other half amongst us?"
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doggius
Pogar Stonecrusher
Posts: 648
(3/23/04 4:43 pm)
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Re: The Cairnhollow, Part V
A bit shocked at the dwarfs admonishment, but quickly to shrug it off, Pogar replies "I meant no harmful words towards any that are here. Just aint my cup 'o mead, if you get my drift".
Edited by: doggius at: 3/23/04 4:43 pm
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Tarondor
Madragar
Posts: 1012
(3/23/04 4:54 pm)
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Re: The Cairnhollow, Part V
Madragar takes a place in the shadows, quiet and observant. He remains near enough to Atan, should the ranger need him, but otherwise tends to Kyethe's hurts and his own.
"At least," he thinks, "She didn't suggest locking up the wizards with the duergar."
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squarefodder
Khelzhad
Posts: 153
(3/23/04 5:16 pm)
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Re: The Cairnhollow, Part V
Eagar for a lengthy exchange of information, Khelzhad pulls up a chair and drops his gear nearby. As they prepare to converse, he looks around at passers-by for any recognizable symbols of their faith or culture.
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Atan
Atan Finith Ring
Posts: 707
(3/23/04 5:27 pm)
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Re: The Cairnhollow, Part V
As an aside, Atan responds to Draxim suggestion, "Hmmm, actually, I was thinking even share for all, including the fallen one. These people will surely show us hospitality that could not be more welcome in this place. It will be worth far more then the money. But lets wait, we can discuss it amongst ourselves soon."
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Jubilex
Posts: 3040
(3/23/04 5:37 pm)
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Re: The Cairnhollow, Part V
A wave of murmuring and harumphing passes through the crowd of villagers gathered in the hall, all of them eager to hear confirmation of what they have suspected for some time. A few of the young men seem honestly shocked, disbelieving entirely Atan's claim. Chandra raps lightly on the table in front of her and the rhythmic sound seems to calm them.
"Perhaps you could be more specific, Atan," she says calmly. "How much more than twenty five years? It is a very important number, you see, for we have been in this place for almost exactly that amount of time. For these people, the matter at hand is the difference between returning to Moagara to live happy lives with their children, the grandchildren, or perhaps having no family left at all."
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Atan
Atan Finith Ring
Posts: 709
(3/23/04 9:19 pm)
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Re: The Cairnhollow, Part V
As the crowd murmurs and Chlandra questions Atan, he lays his bow across his lap and, while remaining seated, wriggles to get his arms free from his back pack straps and quiver. Setting them by his chair he then lays his bow on top.
"If I remember correctly they began departing Moagara approximately twenty six years ago. Finishing their withdrawl almost eighteen years ago." Atan looks about at the other party members for confirmation to make sure he has his numbers correct.
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Ulwe
Ulwe Suulosse
Posts: 772
(3/23/04 9:29 pm)
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Re: The Cairnhollow, Part V
Ulwe leans close to Atan. He covers his mouth so his lips cannot be read as he whispers in Elven: "Lyssa told us of the departure of the Legions from the Nrall nearly fourty years ago. The following springtime, the Broo invaded."
[I think nobody wants to make Atan look bad... Since Ulwe whispered the correct facts to Atan, can we assume that it is Atan who corrects himself rather than another PC and move on? ]
Edited by: Ulwe at: 3/24/04 9:51 am
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Kenner
Draxim
Posts: 917
(3/24/04 9:52 am)
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Re: The Cairnhollow, Part V
Draxim is mollified by Pogar's words, and grins to reassure him. " Very well, just mind you manners with the ladies. he then becomes more solicitous remembering that people often sometimes call him a hot head in these situations. How are you feeling? Can I get you some water? I wonder if there is anything stronger in this place?
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Jubilex
Posts: 3043
(3/24/04 10:06 am)
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Re: The Cairnhollow, Part V
"Ahem, yes," Atan corrects himself. "Forty years or so from when the broo invaded the Nral. I suppose Hryl would have been the first to fall, so forty three years as of this last spring. It's autumn now."
Louder and more distrubed grumbling and harumphing erupts among the villagers.
"Yelm's teeth, my son would be an old man by now," one man laments.
A black-haired woman in a leather apron breaks into tears. "All dead, my children, my mother, everyone's dead."
"That's enough," Chandra shouts, rising angrily from her chair and glaring at the assembly. "It is too soon to shed tears for those you've lost. The land is still there, and we are alive. Do you think you would have lived to lament their passing had your village fallen to the broo? It would be your children, your wives and husbands, your dear families that would be crying over your graves."
Angry, morose and stunned, the villagers remain quiet while Chandra continues.
"It was no accident that my daughter and I came to Hryl less than a fortnight before the broo invaded. I assure you there were other places I would have rather been than trapped in a doomed village, but I went, for you. The blood of the Hladra runs in your veins my friends, and the heritage of the Nralvadlings before them. We are kin, and I would give my life for you as I've given my blood. Survive! Endure! Hold to your courage and we will have our valley back again."
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Kenner
Draxim
Posts: 918
(3/24/04 10:23 am)
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Re: The Cairnhollow, Part V
"Retaking Hryl won't be easy your ladyship. The "Ruara" broo live there now with their accursed wasps nestling down in the long house. Even with you and your daughter and these stout fighters, we would be hard pressed to dislodge them. But if you decide to try it, well we shall stand by you."
[OOC: yes I realize Draxim is speaking out of turn and for everyone else when it is not his place to do so. What do you expect from a reformed criminal with little common sense?]
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Jubilex
Posts: 3044
(3/24/04 10:42 am)
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Re: The Cairnhollow, Part V
Chandra smiles.
"I have no fear of broo, valiant Draxim, whether there are one or one hundred of the brutes. But Hryl is not our first challenge. Clearing the valley of enemies would be pointless if an ending is not given to the two wounded Shadows that still linger here in the Cairnhollow."
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doggius
Pogar Stonecrusher
Posts: 649
(3/24/04 11:11 am)
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Re: The Cairnhollow, Part V
"No disrespect intended, however, I was wondering if you had something to drink, something with a little bit of a kick?" Pogar asks, winking at Draxim.
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Ulwe
Ulwe Suulosse
Posts: 774
(3/24/04 11:11 am)
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Re: The Cairnhollow, Part V
Ulwe straightens up at Chandra's words. A slight grin crosses his face and with a zealous gleam in his eye he nods his head to the Noble woman and excalims "Aye! An end to the shadows!"
[Who is more wounded: Madragar, Pogar, or Kythe? ]
Edited by: Ulwe at: 3/24/04 11:30 am
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Jubilex
Posts: 3045
(3/24/04 12:04 pm)
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Re: The Cairnhollow, Part V
[Madragar is the worst, followed closely by Kyethe, then Pogar. All of them are in the single digits.]
Janes, who's sitting not far from Pogar, mumbles "not a drop, my friend. We didn't have time to bring anything from the village and the legionnaires that lived in this place didn't drink. We've got fresh water, but that's about it."
Edited by: Jubilex at: 3/24/04 12:32 pm
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yucatanyeti
Sangraal
Posts: 937
(3/24/04 12:30 pm)
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Re: The Cairnhollow, Part V
"We have much to do and much to discuss." Sangraal interupts. "I though admit that my view of the situation is less then complete. If I may ask, what is the situation?"
[OOC: Diplomacy +6
Sangraal is looking for a short concise synopsis of the events and situation from Theony and Chandras viewpoint. Hoping that they fill in some blanks.]
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Jubilex
Posts: 3046
(3/24/04 12:32 pm)
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Re: The Cairnhollow, Part V
Theony sidles up to Chandra and drops into a chair beside her. The older woman rests her chin on her hand for a moment, breathes deeply, then sits up straight and nods.
"The situation... yes, I suppose it is time to trace the path that led us to this place where our fates have come together, for good or ill. I have given much thought to what forces might have been at work here and am not encouraged by the answers I have found. If I can trust your reckoning, Atan, it all began more than sixty years ago when I was just a girl and my father was visited by a stranger with eyes like fire."
"I was raised to believe that my family had a responsibility to the people of the Nral valley, that their fate could not be separated from our own. We are the descendents of that first tribe, the Nralvadlings, and have in our veins the blood of Hralma Tenherds. He is my kin as much as Theony here beside me, as are Ogdalan, and Yalai the Feathered Queen, and all those heroes who have faded from our memory in all but name."
"Thus did my father seek to unite the clans against the Lunars when they came to our valley, and with his strength and skill succeeded where all others had failed. I never learned who, or what, first came to my father and taught him the secrets of arcana. But the potency of his blood and his thirst for knowledge made him a terrible adversary of the Empire. For a time he was known as the Butcher Wulfwaru, or the Tyrant of Nral. Just names, but my father would not yield and struck a bargain with the cunning legate Kasos to join their cause against Chaos. He accepted, but it was not the last bargain he was to strike with the Emperor."
"Thus I came into this war with Slaeg Gnara knowing nothing but hatred for Chaos. I was born a warrior as a hawk is born a hunter. Yet the Serpent was defeated before I could lift a blade, and peace settled on the land."
"Then the stranger came. He looked human, but there was a fire in his eyes that betrayed his true nature. My father's keep was lit late into the night for many months, and I cannot say what passed between the stranger and he, but soon thereafter Wulfwaru disappeared. Left with the leadership of the Hladra I did my best, married, brought Theony into the world, and saw my husband slain fighting the accursed duergar beneath the Valegalen Peaks."
"Years passed and the peace forged by the Empire allowed the Hladra to thrive. Soon, however, I was visited by emissaries from the Emperor himself. He said that my father had gone to the court of Zulquerzarhen and made an agreement with the aging Emperor. In exchange for the cooperation of myself, and my daughter, the Lunars would help us save many of our people, and give us something of immeasurable value as well."
"Skeptical, but trusting in the foresight of my father, I agreed. The valley, the emissaries said, would fall very soon. The Legions were leaving Moagara and in their wake the broo would ravage the land. With this knowledge I would be able to warn the Hladra and get them moving north to safety. Those who would not evacuate in time might still be saved as well. The village of Hryl would be surrounded in a matter of days. If I went to them, and watched for a sign from the Lunars, I could lead the stragglers through the mines to a fortress built for exactly this purpose. Furthermore, in this fortress the Lunars had secreted something I scarcely believed existed - the last mote of power that remained of the ancient enemy of my ancestor, the mace of Irigaal."
"Surely they were lying about something, and gave no explanation for how they knew what they knew. The Lunars are far from altruistic, and would surely be gaining something from my cooperation. Yet they assured me that in the fortress all I need do is cooperate with a minor 'experiment' they were conducting, one that they claimed would present no danger to me or my daughter."
"There was no time to lose, so Theony and I made haste to warn the Hladra of the coming invasion. Few believed me at first, but the cohorts soon picked up their tents and began to march north. The exodus began, and we raced to Hryl just days before the broo arrived."
"The Jangui had no skill in siege craft so on the ramparts of the village we fought them tooth and nail, killing scores of the beasts. Soon they moved away from the village and began a siege. In a dream my father's face beckoned me into the mines, so at the break of dawn we fled beneath the mountain."
"Like a tidal wave the Jangui pursued us through the upper chambers, and through a garrison the Lunars had built to protect the miners from creatures wandering up from the Cairnhollow. Beyond this redoubt we ran, and not all were swift enough I'm sorry to say, but soon we came to this fortress. While the Emperor had called the legions home, the 9th cohort of the Raven legion he left here to guard the subterranean keep. Safe within the citadel they called the Fortress of Lead we watched as the legionnaires repulsed the broo assault. Leaving their dead to rot on the bridge, the Jangui settled in for yet another siege."
"We waited, and with what materials we could scrounge built ourselves a home in the lower chambers of this citadel, and the placid lake that lies far below it. A few weeks passed and we grew accustomed to our condition, if not satisfied with our predicament. Then the time came to fulfill our side of the bargain. This we did, Theony and I, though we were more than a little disturbed by the nature of the 'experiment.' But, I will return to that later."
"Then, quite suddenly, the Shadow came to the Cairnhollow in all his raw hate and potent menace. Urukavas swept into the cavern while we fled into the depths of the fortress. The lead sheathing of the place repelled him, though I cannot say why. The Lunars knew this somehow, and knew also that the Shadow would try to threaten the fortress before it happened. A great plan was unfolding but I had no time to consider it. Urukavas could not harm the citadel directly, but it wasn't long before it found a way to reach those inside. A powerful ritual was performed, sacrifices in plenty soaked the rocky cavern with blood, and in an instant we were all put into a deep and magical slumber."
"In this slumber we remained for years on end. When we awoke we found, incredibly, the 9th cohort still at their posts, yet each had reached or exceeded middle age. The Shadow's spell had not effected them, but their loyalty to their Emperor would not allow them to abandon the defense of the citadel. They said that the broo had long since gone, but had been replaced by the duergar. The Shadowborn had been besieging the fortress for years now without success."
"With ten years to practice their marksmanship, the legionnaires had forced the duergar to dig trenches in the solid rock of the cavern, and erect palisades to defend themselves. It was an impasse as each side could not dislodge the other without risking ultimate failure of their enterprise."
"A month or two passed without a way through the duergar lines. They were much more numerous then, and well led, so a direct assault would have been foolish. Besides this, Urukavas was still out there somewhere. The Shadow made its presence known a short time later when again we were thrown into a deep slumber. I can't imagine what Urukavas intended to achieve with this, but it is clear he wanted to reach Irigaal, though whether to control or destroy the ancient beast I cannot say."
"We awoke again. The legionnaires were very old then, and many had already died at their posts. The duergar remained as well, though the urgency of their siege was gone. The original besiegers had turned the war over to their children. The legionnaires had observed that Urukavas had been weakened somehow and the light emanating from that fiery Irigaal, trapped within its mace, constantly fought against Urukavas. The two beings were clearly at odds with each other but could not cause any direct harm. When the light of Irigaal faded, I guessed, the will of Urukavas would penetrate the fortress and we would all be put to sleep again."
"Yet, with the legionnaires out of the way I could try and find a way to destroy the mace of Irigaal, finally ending a battle that began when the Paindrinkers drove Hralma out of the Nral valley onto the slopes of Old Kurlew. With Irigaal gone, and the threat of the mace falling into the hands of the duergar gone with it, I could concentrate on Urukavas."
"Time was not on my side, however, and Irigaal's power waned, allowing Urukavas to reach into the fortress and put us all to sleep again. When we awoke the legionnaires were dead and the duergar remained. It wasn't long, however, before Kurigalos made his presence known. He and his companions had wounded Urukavas terribly and the Shadow had fled back to the Cairnhollow, hiding within the body of the Runelord and struggling with Kurigalos for control of it."
"So that, Sangraal, is our situation. Two Shadows of great power lie here at our feet, as vulnerable as you will ever see such creatures. Irigaal, here in this fortress, remains trapped in the mace he wielded in the battle against my ancestor. Urukavas is somewhere out in the Cairnhollow trapped within the aging body of Kurigalos, struggling to wrest control of it and gain the powers of a Runelord of Humakt. Urukavas must be destroyed before it can succeed, and Irigaal must be destroyed before it can fall into the hands of the duergar, or worse, Urukavas itself."
"Yet I am not certain how either of these tasks are to be achieved," Chandra concludes and takes a deep breath.
"There is a solution," Kurigalos hums from out of thin air. "A sword plunged into my heart will put an end to Urukavas forever. I will pursue him into the House of Death where Humakt will swallow his blasphemous existence as a hound devours a gnat. It is the only way."
Edited by: Jubilex at: 3/24/04 2:06 pm
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