Madness at Gardmore Abbey - session 8

 played Aug. 20

                                  Skill challenge to get through Orc town
                                    Worgs attack

Ruined Garrison

        Four Statues
        Wraiths

'The sword of our lost brother Hrom - the fourth - we need to dispel the summoning circle before the orcs can summon the demon into the garrison! Quick, Hrom - they are already scaling the walls and the magic circle is shimmering! No! - the outer gates! There's not enough time. Where is he? He went to warn Zandrian and the brothers manning the watchtower - what is taking him so long? We need his blade.'

'Three, not four. That was the problem. Three not four. Three not four.' and then a terrible howl into the sky: 'Hrom!'

[INT check to remember name Hrom from Font Vision]

'The slender knight with the pale blue sword was Zandrain, an eladrin knight. He arrived just last week looking for information about the ruined temple of Zehir in the Witchlight Fens. But soon after the orcs attacked and he was trapped here with us. He is a good warrior, I have do doubt he will manage to defend the watchtower.

But where is Hrom? Three, not four.'

{open the door}

the Wraith wails 'Noooooooo. Vandomar's ward! You will release the demon!' Too late, [PLAYER]realises that the door although unlocked has been sealed by a Glyph of Warding. As it swings open soundlessly a burst of freezing cold air smashes into you.

With the doors open you can see inside the ruined garrison, a large high-ceilinged hall separated into three rooms. Enough light filters through the cobweb-choked arrow slits to provide dim light. A magical gloom mutes light sources, reducing any illumination radius by one half of the normal squares (rounded down). In the hallway are four human-sized statues of knights in plate armour. Though they and their armour are stone, three of them hold metal swords. Two of the swords are pointing downwards  and one is pointing upwards . The fourth statues' hand is empty . Two more wraiths float just above the floor in the room, both of them pointing at you in accusation.

Through the gloom you make out a large table in the back-left room. The long table is an obstacle and grants partial cover. Jumping up onto it costs 1 extra square of movement and requires a DC 12 Athletics check. A creature can also drop prone and crawl underneath. Here also a spiral staircase leads up to what was the second floor of the garrison. The stairs are choked with rubble, and the level above is utterly collapsed.

In the back-right room you see a large and richly decorated reliquary sitting on the floor. There are large round metal rings fixed along its base. The chest is richly decorated with silvery designs and has an inscription along it. In front of it is a large demonic-looking creature with huge claws and an angry, monkey-like features.

Suddenly flames erupt out of the ground between [Player] and [Player] – no, not flames exactly, but a ghostly apparition of flames. They burn brightly but create no heat, and flicker soundlessly like a projection.

The wraiths constant mad whispering confuses and disorients you, and you find himself drawn ever deeper into the garrison toward the ghostly knights. One reaches out and touches you] with its shadowy hand, grasping at his head with screeches of madness. Its cold touch brings thousands of voices and images swarming in his mind as they echo and reflected continuously inside his head (14 psychic dmg to your & -2 all defences save ends).

Confused visions dance through your mind. The four knights bringing the blessed vessels to the garrison as the orcs storm through the gates of Gardmore. The magic circle on the floor. The knights, dropping the sacred chest to the floor and killing the orc shaman, but not fast enough to stop the ritual completely. The circle shimmering; a portal opening to another plane. Then a message, and one of the knight leaves with a large decorated box, intending to return. The three remaining knights watching in horror as the circle glows and something coalesces within – powerless to stop the ritual without the fourth. Then someone seals the great doors. And the screaming…

     Brazier of Silver Flame

The statues indeed appear to be real (normal) statues. The swords on them are removeable and insertable.

The chest is more a reliquary, decorated as an altar. The metal rings on its base and sides could allow two sturdy wooden poles to be inserted, allowing this heavy container to be carried (it would need four bearers as it is so heavy). The chest is decorated with inlays of dragons breathing silver fire. It bears the inscription,   'The just shall lay down their arms and bask in the light of justice.'   A careful examination reveals four slots about the width and thickness of a sword blade, two in each end of the chest. There is no obvious opening mechanism and the chest appears to be locked shut.

The chest is reinforced but could certainly be bashed open, destroying it. Usually these sorts of reliquary have some sort of curse that triggers when they are smashed open – you suspect this might be a bad idea overall

[Int check]

There was a sword with the remains of the spider cocooned knight you discovered in the woods.

 His sword was rusted beyond use, but he scratched some words into his breastplate. Something about how he had failed his brothers and the chest would remain sealed without him. Brazier unlit.

'I have failed my brothers – without me the chest will remain sealed and the brazier unlit – Bahamut forgive my weakness'.

[insert rusty sword]

Things click, and the lid flies open and the gloomy room erupts in blinding whiteness (which does horrible damage to all undead and especially demons in the vicinity – luckily no-one is  harmed). When the light dims to a glow you see it radiates from a brazier – the Brazier of Silver Fire, one of the Sacred Vessels of the Temple. Beneath the brazier in the reliquary are six pearls (100 gp each), a fine silk priestly vestment (250 gp) and a note.

The note says: ‘Paladins – keep the braziar inside the reliquary and open it only once the demon appears. The Silver Fire of Bahamut is only triggered the first time the reliquary is opened every day. Havarr of Nenlast.’ There is a further scribble in the margin of the note. ‘The Bowl of Io’s Blood has been sent to the vaults for safeguarding’.

As you read the note you  senses something else hidden inside the reliquary. Searching  about and eventually, through instinct more than anything else, discovers a very-well hidden secret compartment holding a very worn stone object with a solar design. It looks thousands of years old. Those of you who are experts in ancient history or religious history may know more. –[lvl 10 holy symbol  player choice]