Episode 4- part 1

## "A Grave Undertaking"

Bayside's Rat's Nest, Mersscene, Islamore. Tuesday, Dawn.

After some much-needed rest, The party reconvenes around the table in the inn's parlor. Issac, the last to arrive, bemoans his decision to drink last night while the others are engaged in a theological discussion on the implications of Deadalus' purported godhood. Soh, at least, welcomes the thought of Deadalus being a God like any of the Nine. In his experience, the gods have affected his daily life very little over the years, and he is not opposed to the thought that mortals could attain the same power, under the right circumstances. Fried is slightly concerned at the prospect, holding the gods in reverence and not comprehending the possibility of a mortal ascending to their status. However, to be honest, the prospect excites him.

When they are all united, they begin to outline the plan for their day. Fried and Issac agree to go together to clear the name of the innocent man accused of killing Constable Edward, who has been imprisoned for a crime that the cultists had committed. This was decided because the magistrate will be far more likely to trust the word of a paladin of Antares and a disciple of Alnorum than any other members of their band. Raziel, Edriar, and Soh Vi H'el are more interested in spending their hard-won gold on resupplying and obtaining new gear than such an altruistic endeavor, and elect to spend the morning shopping. Dechard, arriving about this time, opts to join the trio, as he is well connected in the city and knows a few shops of unique interest to the party. They agree to meet at the graveyard around noon to investigate the use of Dechard's mysterious key.

The elf, the wolf, and the Deadalin follow Dechard to his home. It's the first story flat in a larger building. As they approach, they notice the door is slightly ajar. All but Edriar enter cautiously, as he would not be comfortable in a room with such a low ceiling. Stepping inside, they find the suite in general disarray, certainly ransacked by someone or someones. Soh, after being convinced that there is no danger inside, invites the others in. “All clear, though I daresay you could use a maid.” Dechard sighs “I thought those hoodlums might have looked for me here... they certainly did a number on the place.” He takes his time to collect a few belongings and books, dispensing a few leftover potions to them, then leads the party to the shop of a friendly machinist called Phil. Phil takes an immediate interest in Edriar, There's no greater machine than a Deadalin, after all. Edriar spends a few gold pieces to acquire an exceptional repair kit and a terrifyingly large crossbow that Phil has dubbed the “Heavy Arbalest.” Soh also peruses the wares and selects two lengths of rope, a pint of oil, and a new a pair of crossbows that far outshone his former set.

Leaving the machinist, Dechard takes the trio to The Blue Herb, an apothecary shop run by Savannah, a salty-mouthed herbalist who carries a grudge against Dechard. As soon as he enters her shop, she promptly kicks him out, but welcomes the other three with open arms. Edriar purchases a rather potent poison, just in case. Soh buys several armfuls of ingredients and begins using her facilities to make potions, poisons and alchemical grenades. The quality of his work impresses Savannah and endears him to her. She gives him an excellent price on a mobile achemists' kit, and offers him the option to work nights for her at the shop. He graciously accepts, since he does not sleep, and offers to use his pay to reduce Dechard's debts. Edriar purchases a rather potent poison, just in case. This stop taking quite some time, they head directly for the cemetery upon their departure.

The cemetery is near the center of town, and rather large. Hoping to get a sense of direction, they speak with a mortician and worshiper of Covalla. Upon being asked about the key, the man sighs. “You're another one of those... searching for some damned magic temple. There've been a lot of you lately. I've been here almost all my life, and I've never seen or heard of such a thing. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got more pressing matters to tend to. Goblins have been seen scurrying about the gravestones lately, and it's been quite upsetting to those coming
to pay their respects to the dead.”

The group offers to take care of any goblins they find while they seek the keyhole. The Covallan seems waves his hand, gesturing acceptance of their offer and dismissal simultaneously.

Meanwhile, Issac and Fried make their way to the capitol hill to see the magistrate. This journey takes far longer than it ought, as neither had ever been in Mersscene and the beauty and stature of the city is mesmerizing to them. They stop and ask passersby about monuments, great mansions, and a grand statue of Creot as they walk. They also pass several Justicar training grounds and barracks as they near their destination. Justicars are, of course, followers of Antares without the skill or faith to be considered paladins or clerics, and are among the primary peacekeeping forces in the capitol. Fried stops one to ask for directions. As it happens, he is an acquaintance of Issac's, named Slade. He hears of their errand and leads them to the office of the magistrate. Upon hearing their account of the true nature of Edward's death, his brow furrows. Necromancers and cultists beneath the city killing officers and animals is a bit of a tough sell, and he is unconvinced. However, upon learning Issac is a Ginly (a prodigious and noteworthy name amongst seekers of justice), he proposes that Issac swear his veracity whilst kneeling upon an altar to Antares. Legends tell that anyone speaking a falsehood on such an altar will be struck down by the god of truth. Fried and Issac agree to follow him, both suddenly very uneasy. Issac, who had been trained in such rites, had never actually performed one. Though his hands are shaking, his voice is clear and confident as he swears that the imprisoned man is innocent of Edward's death. After a moment of silence, seeing that Issac yet lives, the magistrate asks Issac now to swear that he had no hand in Edward's death. Issac, swallowing a lump in his throat, again swears before his god that he did not kill Edward... at least not the first time.

The magistrate, satisfied, promises that the man will be released from jail, and cleared of this crime. Fried and Issac both breathe sighs of relief, and quickly leave the building. They make their way down the hill in search of breakfast, as neither had yet eaten.

After a hearty meal for Issac, and a humbler one for Fried, they make their way to the temple of Alnorum, where Fried hopes to find Hellen. Fried, not wanting to take the hideous necromancer's staff with him into the temple, persuades the restaurant owner to keep it for him until he returns. She had been absent at the inn that morning, but she'd asked Fried late last night to accompany her there. The temple is large and beautiful, but not overly ornate. It's walls and stained glass provide a welcoming haven to any who wished to enter. Men and women roam the sanctuary in pristine white robes, tending shrines, singing, or praying with those who had come to worship the life-giving god. Bowing before one such man, Fried inquires after Hellen. The brother tells the pair that she is speaking with the priest, and cannot be disturbed, but that they are welcome to wait in a nearby alcove until she is finished. Taking seats on a wooden pew, they do so.

It is not long before she joins them. She's thrilled to see Fried again, and greets Issac warmly. They trade pleasantries for a moment before she tries to persuade Fried to stay in Mersscene and rejoin the brotherhood of Alnorum. A look of great longing and sorrow crosses Fried's face as her turns her down. He, in turn, asks if she could follow him and let him protect her from future harm. Hellen shakes her head, saying that her place is with the church, and always will be. She does, however, offer Fried a cleric's robe to replace the one he'd lost fighting the necromancer. She brings him one, and he slips into it. Nostalgia and comfort wash over him as the familiar feel and scents of a temple robe envelop him. Hellen hugs Fried tightly, promising to pray for him daily. With tears in his eyes, he kisses her hand, and hurries out of the temple, Issac following right behind.

It being nearly noon, they make their way to the cemetery as well. Issac asks the first man he sees where the giant robot is, which leads them straight to their friends. Fried is horrified to see Soh and Raziel perched atop tombstones and mausoleums, looking for signs of goblins. Their purposes once again united, they all begin to hunt for these vermin. Edriar catches a glimpse of one scurrying into a mausoleum nearby that is locked with an old chain and padlock. Easily opening a link and removing the chain, he opens the door only to be welcomed by a wave of garbage and junk, with a putrid stench accompanying it. Almost riding that cascade out of the doors, eight goblins scamper to attack to group. Fried stares at one and attempts to frighten it, but (after hesitating for but a moment) it joins forces with two of its comrades to bring him to the ground. Soh and Raziel hear the squeals of the goblins, and rush to the aid of their allies. They both take positions atop closer tombs and provide ranged support for their allies in the crazed melee.

The last goblin to leave the crypt is met my Edriar's foot, stopping him cold and flooring him. As he stands, Raziel sends a bolt of dark lightning into his back, felling him. Fried, speaks a deplorable word in the dark language the others have heard several times before, and all the goblins touching him cover their ears, shrieking unintelligible curses and releasing Fried from their grasp. Fried rises again, only to fall prey to another goblin's grasp. The danger is averted by Issac, who brains the beast with him shield, punts it away from his friend, then pierces it to the ground with his sword. Raziel mystically levitates a goblin off the ground, and it cries out as lightning courses through its body, stopping suddenly as one of Soh's crossbow bolts flies into his open mouth. Fried and Soh cooperate to slay a rogue goblin who had rushed Dechard, who only just managed to scratch the old man before his charred, bolt-ridden corpse fell to the ground. Edriar and Raziel pummel another pair of goblins as two others drag Issac to the ground by stabbing at his hamstrings with makeshift weapons. Fried sees his ally kicking them away, and urges him to back up. As Issac does so, Fried releases a fireball that harms the remaining goblins, leaving only one alive but destroying several tombstones in the process. Fried is distraught...after chastising Soh Vi Hel for merely standing on a gravestone, he'd utterly demolished four. Trying to put it out of his mind, turns to their final adversary. Another vile word causes its weapon to burst into flames, dazing it. He reaches down, lifts the goblin, and flings him into a statue, cornering it along with his friends. Kneeling down, he takes the occult key and shows it to the creature, and sees a flash of recognition in its beady eyes. “Where's the keyhole?” he asks. The goblin cannot understands Fried's words, but it points to the mausoleum it had just exited.

Rising, Fried says “Well, we've found the right place. I can't bring myself to kill a defenseless creature, so...” Before he finished his thought, he hears a soft whistle beside his ear as Soh puts the pest out of its misery with a well-placed shot from his crossbow. Noticing the horrified expression on Fried's face, Soh responds “It had served its purpose. I saw no reason to suffer it to live, after it and its kind attacked us. Besides, I told the gatekeeper we would take care of his pest problem.” Fried, not aware of this prior arrangement, does not question the execution, but is still somewhat unsettled by the callous nature of it.

Fried suddenly remembers that he had abandoned his staff back at the restaurant. Profusely begging the pardon of his compatriots, he sprints away to reclaim it. He stops only to likewise beg the forgiveness of the grave keepers, whose property he had just destroyed. The remainder of the troupe enters the tomb and begins searching for the keyhole. Sifting through the muck and clutter of a goblin home is a daunting and disgusting task, and takes quite some time. The walls of the structure have doors with centuries worth of a family's dead embalmed behind them. Besides a few sconces, the only remarkable thing in the room is a large ornate coffin made of stone, that even Edriar cannot seem to budge. Discouraged, the party takes up comfortable positions around the room to await Fried's return. Edriar characteristically leans against the wall, and in doing so accidentally nudges one of the sconces near him. It gives way, and the group hears a clear click coming from the coffin at the end of the room. Trying once again to move it, they find it slides easily aside, revealing a flat metal door in the floor beneath it. It is a simple, solid panel with no decorations or adornments save a small keyhole.

Fried pants up to the door of the sepulcher, leaning heavily on his newly retrieved staff.“What'd I miss?.. Ah... whew...”

“Just in time!” Soh says, grinning. “The key please, Dechard.” Soh takes the offered artifact and unlocks the door. Opening it, the group stares down into utter blackness of an underground tunnel leading directly down below the graveyard by means of an old metal ladder. Having the most experience in the dark, and in tight spaces, Soh volunteers to enter first. The rest follow in turn, down into the unknown.