Story 12/14

The night started out with the group cleaning up from their previous battle with the drunk pillagers. They decide to continue making their way to the rich neighborhood, and pass a black well on the way. This well is similar to the one they saw earlier, Black liquid, not bubbling but steaming.

Klon does a holy spell on the water, and it stops steaming for a quick second and then starts steaming again. Beorn decides he wants to test it with the black water he vail'ed earlier. To his surprise, he finds the vial is now full of black crystal instead of black liquid. They pour a vial of blue liquid inside, and the blue liquid seems to evaporate. They pour a vial of green, and the top portion of the black crystal turns liquid for a brief moment, and then back to crystal. They pour a vial of the green liquid into the well, and it turns back to water for a brief moment, but then back to black liquid.

They continue on to the guard barracks, and when they get close they find a medium fire going outside, a person standing outside. and the door is ajar Hawkmoon circles the buildling, and finds the black moss growing on all 4 corners of the building, and notices the person standing outside has brand new armor similar to what the group found at the last guard barracks.

The group approaches the man standing outside, and they try to chum with him but he stands silently. After a few words, the door slams shut. The group is eventually able to find out that he will talk for money. He is willing to fight to the death with them if need be, and he would rather die than not get paid, because as a mercenary if develops a reputation for not getting paid he is done for.

The group eventually works out a deal, where if they pay him 100g now, and 350g later he will tell them everything and fight along side them. He goes on to tell them that he grew up in a large city north of here, but he has been in Thalstead for about 10 years as a city guard. Some among the city guard had despised Praesens, and eventually they were recruited by someone claiming they were gonna oust Praesens and set up a new government. About 30 or so city guards were in on the plan, and they were going to help maintain control while the new government was being set up. They were given the new armor to help fight and to help show they were part of the new government.

The pillage patrols have basically left them alone because they are wearing the new armor, and they were instructed to guard some pink thing with a skull by a guy named Ust-something until midnight. At that time, they were to return to the keep for more orders. His name is Andor and his commander in the city guard is Garrick, but he is not sure if Garrick was in on the plan. The group convinces Andor to try and open the door, which he said has 11 of his buddies on the other side.

He managers to get 2 to come out, and they slowly back away from the group once they realize what is going on. The rest refuse to come out, so Monashe gets the idea to smoke them out with the beds that are on fire. This works, and after a few minutes they burst open the doors and a fight begins.

The group is able to win the fight, and this gives them time to inspect the room. Khaelis finds an awesome two handed weapon on a weapon rack. Erevan finds a scroll on a table that he stares at for a few seconds, and then determines is magically protected from tearing and burning, but the scroll simply depicts black smudge. Beorn finds a planning table that has a few maps and some papers on it. They find a pink/purple crystal altar (what Andor was describing) with a skull, a stick and a sickle on top, surrounded by 8 green vials. There is a black shroud that is swirling around and above the altar. Erevan and Aeowyn working together get a feeling that another plane's energy is coming in and out of the area around the altar.

Monashe decides to throw a rock at the altar, which causes the shroud to act up a bit, and causes Erevan to feel a surge in the planar energy. He then throws the rock at the skull/stick/sickle on top, and as soon as contact is made the group hears an intensely loud shriek coming from the keep.

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