Embedded Files
Summary
Virtue is relaxing in the hot springs within the Monastery of Zorn. She is reminiscing about her time spent growing up here, training with Colmar Cloudwing and her sister Faith, and listening to Chapman's philosophical speeches about Zorn and preservation. She sees an empty space in front of her where Faith would usually sit in the hot springs, and thinks of how much she wants to see her again. She looks over at the sword of Pontium Robasack, and remembers that Chapman was waiting to give it to the one who was most worthy, eventually. At this moment, she is interrupted by Chapman, who tells her to come quick, and take the sword. Virtue and Chapman sneak through the monastery and Chapman tells her that the Lurisians are slaughtering the monks, and that he needs to protect her desperately. Virtue casts suggestion to send a guard away as Chapman conducts the ritual to get them into the Archives.
In the Archives, Chapman and Virtue eat rations as they talk about the fate of Zorn, who is fading. As long as there are Knights of Zorn to carry on the memory of Zorn, he will live: however only a few Knights of Zorn remain now. This is why Chapman needs to protect Virtue, and why she needs to find Faith again. They see the painting of Virtue left by Astrik, and determine that the rest of the group went to the Green Highlands. Chapman, however, tells her to avoid them and instead focus on finding the Knights of Zorn. He doesn't want her to die chasing after the Wilderman and for Zorn to fade as a result. Chapman takes some spell scrolls as a backup plan and notes that a Teleportation Circle is missing. They see the remains of a circle in the ground and see the Oracle in ruins. As they deliberate on the desecration of the Archives, Lysarius shows up. Virtue rushes in to fight, but Chapman dimension door's her out of there. However, Lysarius casts something as they leave.
In a snowy valley outside, Virtue watches in horror as Chapman realizes that his internal organs are missing, and dies. His last words are "keep Zorn alive". Virtue has no time to mourn as Lysarius teleports after her. Knowing that there is no point running away due to his portals, Virtue stands and fights. In a relentless flurry of swings, with Virtue wielding the sword of Pontium Robasack, she defeats Lysarius and slices off his hands, even gaining his arcane focus. He retreats back on the ground, crawling away, as a gust of wind comes by and the Wilderman appears. He kills Lysarius with his talons, and shakes Virtue's hand. Then, he realizes that she is one of the Westward Fellowship members, and goes in to attack her.
While she was on the offensive earlier, she instantly realizes that she is out of her depth with this fight, and struggles to parry his talons. However, she is saved by the bumbling Unfettered Crew on the back of Saffron the Brass Dragon, and the Wilderman assumes the form of the wind once more to leave. The Crew introduces themselves to Virtue and remark on how she appears to look like Captain Faith. They decide to head to the Green Highlands to locate more Knights of Zorn and meet up with the Fellowship, then head west to Ulvick to meet Faith. As they fly off on Saffron, they see the monastery in flames.
Two weeks later, and the Fellowship is in a goblin encampment within a magical hut. The Crypt entrance was declared to be sacred ground. Jinx convinces the shaman Grub to allow him to duel their leader so he can replace them. Grub communicates with the Goblin Queen, and they arrange a duel. As the goblins surround the arena, Jinx has a projection of himself go up to fight the Goblin Queen, who is actually Virtue. They forgo a real duel since they realize they are on the same side, and Jinx simply loses on purpose by manipulating his image. Astrik sneaks behind Grub and poisons his waterskin during the fight. After Virtue is declared the victor, goblins lift her back to her longhouse. Grub escorts Marvin, Astrik and Jinx (in disguse) to the longhouse as well. The Unfettered Crew and Saffron are there, and are in charge of the encampment with Virtue the Goblin Queen. She asks for the goblins to leave so she can talk with the new arrivals.
They catch up about the Wilderman quest, and learn about the fate of Lysarius and the monastery. They hear fighting outside, and Astrik opens the door a crack to see the goblins all battling each other in a frenzy. Grub is dead, and his friends are blaming another goblin tribe. M Knight investigates the murder, Florus tries to calm some goblins and makes it worse, and Babyface wallows in self pity. Saffron and M Knight work together to stop the fighting with a stage production, but they succeed only after a third of the goblins have all died.
Virtue, Astrik, Steve, Marvin and Jinx head into the Crypt of Zorn. Steve and Astrik have a tense conversation and Marvin tries to ease the conflict. Virtue sides with Steve, united as they are both Knights of Zorn who must live. They traverse the Crypt, completing a rune puzzle, a mirror puzzle, and then must give up the sword of Pontium Robasack to go underground 100 feet. There they find statues of Blackyon Roy and friends, and Roy's statue has runes detailing that they must give an answer as to how to become "truly immortal" before passing. Marvin beats Astrik to the chase and speaks of the Denmer Code and Wraithdom. The statue moves aside and reveals the entrance to an auditorium-size chamber, the home to a black dragon.
Colmar Cloudwing kneels before an altar to Zorn next to the sarcophagus of Blackyon Roy. Steve, Virtue and Marvin approach him and learn that he set up the statue to see if anyone knew about immortality, as he wants the secret so he can stay here forever and protect the outside world from the power of the Onyx Blade. There is a dead black dragon in the room, and he says that with the power of the sword he was able to kill it easily. Such power should be kept away from those who would abuse it. As he explains this, and as Marvin explains immortality via the Denmer Code to him, Astrik sneaks up behind him and Jinx prepares a spell. Marvin sees Astrik and motions for him to begin: Astrik jumps out to stab Colmar. Jinx stands up and uses Geas to command Colmar to give him the sword.
The sword itself compels Colmar not to give it up, and they see that he is bound to it by some dark energy. He undergoes mental trauma as he wants to give it to Jinx now due to the Geas, but the will of Nath is that he dies fighting to protect it. Marvin and Astrik attack Colmar as Steve and Virtue stand and watch in horror. Jinx casts feign death on him to trick the sword into thinking he is dead, and it begins to work as Astrik continues stabbing him. Marvin has a change of heart and restrains Astrik; Steve hits him with the Dao Maul. Virtue takes away his poison knife. In a last-ditch effort to get the sword, he dives over to Colmar's body: however, Jinx has just picked it up.
As he is putting it in his bag, the sword binds to Jinx and compels him to lunge at Steve. As a massive buildup of dark energy rears to release, Virtue instinctively dives in the way, taking the full brunt of the Onyx Blade. Marvin and Steve fall over screaming as Virtue instantly dies. Jinx casts dimension door and gets him and Astrik out of there.
In the hour after this harrowing event, Marvin smashes his dulcimer and shaves his head. He also burns Astrik's paintings. Steve puts Virtue in an empty crypt and kneels before it with his Maul in front of him. Marvin resolves to find and kill either Jinx or Astrik or both, and sets off. He finds Saffron, informs her of what has gone down. "Nothing good came of that Crypt". He flies off on Saffron to who knows where next.
Astrik tries to strangle Jinx in a rage induced by an unknown reason. However, Jinx effortlessly subdues him and incapacitates him with the sword. He then heals him and modifies his memories from the last 24 hours. Tellig Tulach and Donaleustopher inform Astrik and a disguised Jinx about how they are trying to find certain people to warn them about the Wilderman. Jinx tells him that they should avoid the nearby goblin encampment as they were just all fighting each other. Tulach and Donaleustopher reminisce about Grub as they depart. Jinx and Astrik resolve to head to a Church of Atarius to reconnect with some of Jinx's allies. They continue on their quest to kill the Wilderman at the Gathering of the Four Divines.
EPILOGUE
Ronvik flies into Nuwel and addresses his army. The city is being rebuilt at an impressive rate. Father Topaz and Zephin Steel drag before him a bearded man in a brown cloak, and throw him in front of Ronvik’s feet. He claims that he snuck in here to find him [Ronvik], because he had heard that his cause is against the followers of Domecus and their poisoning of the nations of the realm. They already have Zarkhin, the Crownlands and Moray, and they must not get the Wilderness as well. Ronvik acknowledges that this indeed is one of his goals, since he values freedom above all and Domecus’s followers seem to favour tyranny. The bearded man then looks up and smiles at Ronvik.
“Then consider me your most faithful servant”, says Opus Magnus.
Featured Locations
- The Monastery of Zornacles
- The Last Archives
- Greth Summit
- Goblin Encampment (Green Highlands)
- The Crypt of Blackyon Roy
- Nuwel
Google Sites
Report abuse