Master, what I tell you of our next actions comes in large part from what my friends have told me, for I was trapped in darkness and unable to see during many of these events and during other portions I was insensible.
When we had defeated the thoxel demons, we paused for a few moments to consider what we should do next. Battling the fiendish minotaurs had greatly depleted Jiro's ability to heal our wounds, and Runa had been very badly injured by the creaturers and though Jiro's magic had healed her she was weary. Together we decided that we would have to forego pursuing Joran Vhane and instead return to camp to rest.
Jiro took the items we had recovered from our foes that day and made an accounting of them. When combined with other things we had acquired during other forays into the Citadel, we were each given a substantial credit with Quartermaster Gwerm. Irabeth desired to send forces into the Citadel to block many of the doorways after we reported our latest success to her, but Jiro told her he thought it was not a good use of resources as the demons are all capable of teleportation and any barriers the soldiers could erect would do little to control them.
I spent the remainder of that day scribing a new spell Aravashnial had given me into my spellbook, repairing a damaged ring that had been found in the barracks, and recharging one of the healing wands my comrades carry - I think that it may have been Shim's wand, but he did not bring it to me. It arrived in my tent unseen, wrapped in a note written by Bohgong. Yes, the monkey is capable of writing. After I had restored some of its charges I left it where I had found it and it soon vanished.
While I was occupied with those tasks, Jiro at last decided that he should acquire some armor. He has grown beyond the humble gardener he was when we first met, but has resisted donning armor as he felt it would somehow transform him into something other than his true nature. But our foes become ever more deadly and every protection we can gain is worthwhile.
Once Jiro had acquired his armor, he distributed a number of scrolls and potions among the rest of the group. Zosta then approached him to ask him if he would go to the armorers and try to persuade them to make something for her. She seemed to believe that because they had declined to make any alternation to the brass knuckles Rhino bestowed upon her that they would make nothing for her at all. Jiro was unable to make her realize that this was not the case. Then she asked me if I would cast a spell to send a message to Rhino, telling him how unhappy she was that each time she used the powers of the knuckles they harmed him, or at least this is what she believes to be happening. I agreed to send the message, but after courteously tell ing her that I required privacy to cast the spell, I altered the message particulars to give Rhino a less angry text. I told him, "Your sister worries for you. She asks that you not harm yourself to aid her."
The response I received from him stated that he had almost perfected a process by which the enchantment would no longer harm him. I do not think that did much to alleviate Zosta's concerns.
On the following morning, we prepared to re-enter the Citadel and seek out Joran Vhane, The priest Sosiel granted us magical protection from fire before we entered the structure. We then made our way to the doorway that Jestak told us led to Joran's chamber. This chamber proved to have an especially sturdy door of heavy iron with a high quality lock, which Shim was very nearly unable to overcome. After he had unlocked it, Jiro set his lantern and used the butt cap of his staff to rap on the door. Jestak had accompanied us and she assured us that the voice we heard say, "Come in" from the opposite side of the door was that of Joran Vhane.
Joran Vhane
Jiro walked calmly into the room beyond and the rest of us followed, keeping our weapons sheathed to show that we did not mean to attack. We found Joran in the company of three babau, which appeared to be there as his bodyguards. They did not immediately turn on us but they were clearly tensed and ready for battle. We had been told that Joran was an armorsmith, and this was indicated by an unfinished set of armor on a stand, which Shim observed was marked with the symbols of a dwarven deity of craftsmanship. I did not observe this myself, have elected not to approach too closely to the demons, but I heard the others comment that he appeared exhausted. As Jiro and Runa drew nearer to him, the babaus moved closer to them. Jiro greeted him courteously and told him that we had come to discuss his retirement from the battle. Runa then spoke in the orcish tongue, which none of us but Zosta could understand, saying to Joran that if the demons were holding him prisoner we would free him. But Joran also did not speak orcish.
The babaus however did understand what Jiro and Runa had said. Zosta turned to the one nearest to where she stood and told it, "You can just leave. If those down below are taken out no one will know." The babau did not appear to give her remark any consideration.
Joran said to Jiro, "Maybe I"m perfectly happy where I am", to which Runa responded, "Exhausted, dirty, miserable?" Jiro added, "There is a better life available to you." Then Shim exclaimed, "They're attacking!" I drew a wand. The room fell into darkness, a power possessed by babau. I was not within the darkness myself but I could not see beyond it. Shim told me later that he heard the sound of a spear falling to the floor and then one of the babau clawed and bit him. A second babau attacked Jiro. Joran's voice could be heard murmuring a spell. He said to Jestak, "You should give up this quest for redemption and just leave." Jestak sheathed her sword and walked out of the room.
Jiro cast a spell and banished the darkness. I touched him with the wand I had drawn to give him the endurance of a bear. Then I called for a lantern archon to join us and give him its aid. Zosta tripped on of the demons and stamped it fiercely. It began to crawl away. Jiro's light vanished and all was dark again. Jiro cast another spell and fought off the demonic darkness once more. Runa then granted Zosta the opporunity to make another attack on the babau and followed by dealing her foe a mighty blow. Zosta tripped a second demon and stamped it with such force that it appeared to die immediately. The third demon had already been slain.
Suddenly another door opened and two fiendish minotaurs squeezed through into the room, standing so close to me I could feel the heat of their breath. I immediately cast a spell of invisibility upon myself and backed away from the creatures. I heard Joran say, "I had this handled" to which another voice of similar timbre answered "No you didn't." All of us realized at that moment that the betrayer Staunton Vhane was beyond the doorway. We had assumed he would be in the dungeon below. Zosta commented, "If you two would like to talk we can go out in the other room with the fiendish friends."
Staunton Vhane
Shim had managed to stab one of the minotaurs as it passed him, but rather than strike back at him the creature swung at me. I fell and knew no more for several moments. Jiro told me that I was on the point between life and death and he was only able to prevent my spirit from departing my body by making a heroic effort. When I recovered my senses I found both Jiro and Bohgong leaning over me, Bohgong enlarged into the form of a giant ape. I was so weak that I could not move and could only direct the archon to continue giving aid to my friends. Bohgong remained protectively by my side while my companions continued to struggle with the minotaurs.
But the difficulty of their struggle only grew when Staunton Vhane himself joined. He moved across the room suddenly to stand before Runa, attracted by her gleaming armor adorned with the emblem of Iomedae. A great many things happened at once, not all of which I could see from my position on the ground. Jiro had summoned two spirits to attack the minotaurs, but another babau had abruptly appeared and it dispelled one of the spirits. Staunton hit Runa with a great deal of magic and some special powers that he possessed, leaving her very badly injured. I asked the archon to help her, but the little it could do was insufficient to save her life. She fell at Vhane's feet. By this time the two minotaurs had been dealt with by Zosta and Shim, but Jiro's health was much depleted by the link he maintains with all of our lives when we are prepared to fight.All of them used every potion, wand, and spell they had at their disposal to heal her, but they were unable to prevent her spirit from departing.
Zosta had pinned Vhane despite the spikes that adorned his armor and held him still while Shim manacled one of his hands and one foot. Shim struck him hard with his elven blade and Staunton appeared to go limp. Joran's voice from a corner of the room said, "You have to make sure he's dead. You have to make sure he's dead." Though he was weak and weary, Jiro answered, "We will. And you can rest before we speak." Shim and Zosta dealt Staunton the final blows to remove his traitorous spirit from the realm of the living.
Now we have only to find a way to restore Runa to the mortal realm. We are confident that she will want to return, but we fear that there is no one with the army who has the power to cast a spell to raise her.
Frairuna 'Runa' Rivensdottir
Next: part 42, Resurrection and Redemption
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