Having beaten back the assault on the Castle, the Baron plans a sortie outside. The two-pronged attack will strike at the main body of Brock's troops while a second, smaller group strikes at the village. Ser Morause will be leading the cavalry sortie. As his men get ready in the Outer Ward of Castle Redgard, you have a few moments to talk and converse.
Rooker casually strolls near Lady Helaine and catches her eye. "Can we speak in private for a moment?"
Lady Helaine is resting quietly on a bench in the Outer Ward. She looks up wearily as Rooker speaks. "Of course, Rooker." she says.
Rooker and Lady Helaine move out of ear-shot from the others and speak quietly to each other.
Kane says, "Thragga my friend, this time we will need more stealth then we've seen in the recent past."
Thragga nods sagely. "You better not make any noise, then."
Kane says, "I'll try not to."
As you bustle about, the late afternoon sky begins to darken and pennants flutter
in the breeze..,a summer rain squall is coming in.
Sharif looks over his horse to make sure that everything is in order.
Kane says, "I believe we will need to travel back to the village to find the Vorghol."
Thragga says, "I will scent for them, if I can..."
Kane says, "We should leave soon as well if we plan to get there before dark."
Dake tells Sharif, "You look like you know how to seat a horse."
Sharif pats the horse. "Yes. I have been around them my whole life. My father joked that I was born on one."
Kane says, "I thought that was born of one?"
Dake grins at Sharif at Kane's jest.
Rooker says, "Lady Helaine, I am concerned about Sharif. He seems to be acting....unlike himself. How did he behave during the fighting?"
Helaine says, "He seems a skilled mage. But he grew pensive, as if drawn to something he sensed off in the village."
Rooker says, "I have noticed a.....growing joy when he draws the power from the staff that he found in the necromancers tower. It seems out of character."
Helaine shudders. "The tales of Xoth fill me with dread. If he is touched in some way by that evil spirit, then he may be in danger."
Rooker says, "I wonder if it is the staff which draws him to the village. And if it is safe to let him seek it out."
Helaine looks weary. "The staff could have been key to Xoth's power...If you can keep him from it, Rooker, by all means do so. No good can come of it."
Rooker says, "It might be best if he remained here when we go."
As the trumpets sound, Rooker and Lady Helaine rejoin the others.
Thragga says, "What is your plan, Kane?"
Kane says, "Unfortunately I haven't come up with anything firm yet. I
suppose we will make our way by stealth to the village and then try to locate
where the Vorghol's lair is. At that point we can decide what is the best way
to attack it. "
Thragga says, "Just point me at it!" He adds, "We must rescue Nimyr, by the way."
Sharif smiles. "They are in the village."
Kane says, "Well, we suspected that already, do you know this for sure?"
Thragga grunts, "You seem pretty sure."
Sharif says, "You asked if I knew where they were and I have informed
you...what more do you need?"
Trumpets blow in the tower, and Baron Henrick appears in the Outer Ward amongst the crowd of soldiers.
Sharif pulls himself onto his horse. "It looks like it is time to go."
Rooker spends a moment in whispered conversation with Thragga and Kane before mounting a horse near Sharif. Rooker quietly tells Thragga to watch Sharif for anything odd.
Kane mounts the horse given to him.
Henrick stands encircled by a ring of soldiers, and speaks clearly so all can hear. Ser Morause stands by his side, in full armor. Helaine joins her husband, but stands regally aloof.
The Baron speaks. "We now take the fight to Brock. The attack will be in two parts...the first, two hundred knights of the King's Own Lancers, and led by Ser Morause. " A cheer goes up for the old knight, who waves down the applause with a grumpy frown.
"But it is the second on whom our hopes depend. The second attack is a smaller force of riders from Captain Ranigar's company." He locates you all in the crowd. "Kane, you know our foe best. Locate them and destroy them. Head for the village. Cut off the head of the snake and the rest will die."
Kane says, "Aye Baron, this we will do or die trying."
Baron Henrick adds, "But to the common soldier, show mercy, and show restraint. If we win, then our foe becomes our subjects..."
Sharif leans over to Rooker. "I see we have backed the correct horse in this one. The Baron is truly a man of honor."
Rooker leans close to Sharif. "If honor is what you value, then he is the horse to ride."
Ser Morause raises the lance in his hand. His gruff voice rings out in the Angharan words. The cheer builds as he speaks. "Strength and Honor! Strength and Honor! Strength and Honor!!"
Kane yells "Strength and honor!"
Thragga roars along with the others, axe in the air.
Dake claps Rooker on the back. "Try and keep up," he jokes, buckling his helmet into place.
Rooker returns the backslap. "I'll keep up, Dake, just keep out of the way when the fighting starts."
Sharif motions his horse into action.
Kane yells "Thragga we'll ride at last!"
The cavalrymen line up, saddling up their horses. You see Morause give Helaine
a kiss on the hand, husband and wife these decades, they still manage to maintain
a courtly distance. Morause gallops to the front of the wedge.
The riders have formed into two lines....the knights in front and the light cavalry in back, where you are. Ranigar, the old soldier who escorted you from Dorias, leads your contingent. Thragga looks uncomfortably to his left, where Kane sits his horse, and to his right, where Sharif sits his.
Kane is glad to be finally in action again.
Rooker nudges his horse into motion following Sharif. "I'll watch your back on this one, my friend. You seem to be the one who knows where we're going."
Sharif says, "I have an idea..but Kane is the expert on the habits of Vorghol."
Rooker says, "And he has Thragga to watch out for him. I'll stick with you."
Sharif says, "That will be fine, my friend."
The summer squall rolls in over the valley, and lightnining crackles distantly in the clouds. No rain falls yet.
Kane says, "Thragga, would you ride with us? I have room on back."
Thragga shakes his head. "I will keep up. Urag do not ride."
Kane says to Thragga, "Now is the time for action, my friend. The time we were born for."
Ser Morause receives his lance from his page. He gallops up and down the line. "Aim low!" he reminds them. "Stand tall in the stirrups! When you drive home, drive hard." Then he takes his place in line, snaps down the visor on his helmet, and snaps his lance into place.
The horns blow and the vast body of cavalry move out, hooves and armor clattering with teeth-grinding volume.
Thragga grins with fanged teeth up at Kane.
Rooker says, "Maybe we'll get lucky and find the son of a whore who's got my pack. I hate to lose that much loot."
Sharif laughs .." I'm sure we'll find more even if we don't find your
pack"
Kane says, "You mean no stashes left around the country side?"
The cavalry wedge gallops forward. The drawbridge chains rattle as the drawbridge drops. The two hundred lancers race forward at full gallop, followed by the light skirmish cavalry with you , hooves chunk-chunking against the reinforced oaken drawbridge.
Thragga races forward...in his magic boots, he can easily pace a horse.
Horns blow, swords are drawn, bows are loaded and readied for battle.
Rooker chuckles softly. "No, I figured that you three would defeat the whole army and bring my bag to me at the Baron's bedside."
Just then, the rainclouds open up, and lightning strikes the clouds far overhead.
There is a tremendous boom of thunder as Henrick's cavalry charges forward. They loop in an arc out of the drawbridge, then canter down the slope that the Castle stands on. Before you, you can see Brock's men lining up, preparing for the impact of the armored knights.
Rooker stands in his stirrups and marks the position of Ranigar and Dake.
Pikes are levelled at the oncoming knights. The hornsmen blow "Charge!" Lightning strikes and thunder booms across the valley as the rain pours down, clouding your field of view.
Sharif says, "Let us hope they can buy us some time!"
Ranigar signals to his own cavalry to break off the charge...this is part of the plan.
Dake orders you all, with his sergeant's voice "All right, you rotten bastards!! Wheel left! Left!"
Sharif guides his horse with the skill of one who has done this maneuver a million times before.
Rooker tightens his grip on the reins and follows Sharif as closely as he can.
Thragga roars with Urag battle lust. Up ahead are a surprised company of the archers who peppered you with arrows earlier in the day. They sprint to form a line before you slam into them.
Kane looks to make sure Thragga is still with him.
Thragga is keeping up with Kane, racing along with the long-legged lope of the Urag.
"Fire!" the archers loose arrows into your line. The air is filled with deadly missiles. The raindrops and arrows pour down on you.
Men and horses fall to the left and right as deadly arrows strike.
Rooker leans down close to his horses neck and speeds along with the cavalry.
Thragga runs forward, unscathed. He laughs loudly.
Kane raises his sword and readies himself to meet the archers.
Sharif dances the horse to the left and then the right, evading the rain of arrows.
To the south, just beyond Yellow Creek, you see and hear the clash of steel as Morause's knights crash into the main line of Brock's troops. Brock's men fall back under the onslaught of the elite lancers. Shrieks go up from wounded men and horses as the battle rages.
Rooker ducks the hail of bolts that threaten the cavalry column.
Your line crashes into the archers, who fall back, shocked.
Sharif spins his staff in his right hand and brings it crashing down on the first of Brock's men he meets.
As the cavalry reaches the line of archers, Rooker draws his daggers and grips his horse tightly with his knees as he prepares to fight.
Thragga springs into the air, swinging his spiked axe as he lands.
Kane rides down the nearest archer and hacks at his head. His sword cuts his foe's head clean off.
Thragga's spiked axe slices his enemy in half. Rooker stabs down at the men beneath him, cutting one's eye out and the other's throat.
Sharif's enemy dances back out of reach, nocking an arrow and aiming it at the mage.
Sharif leaps the horse forward to knock the archer to the ground. The arrow bounces off the saddle of Sharif's mount, in mid-leap. As the bolt strikes the saddle, Sharif lunges forward to strike the head of his foe.
Seeing Sharif charge forward, Rooker grabs for his reins to follow.
Kane turns his horse into the next archer he sees and sweeps his sword into his body.
Arrows rain down on Kane and Thragga. One sticks in Kane's armored chest, bringing him no harm.
Sheathing his daggers, Rooker charges on the heels of Sharif's horse.
Sharif's spins his staff and strikes...the staff caves in the side of the man's head, and he crumples.He lunges towards the next advancing foe.
Thragga cuts the legs off another man, then takes a moment to kick the dead man in the face. "Haar!"
The lightly armed archers topple back under your assault. There is a gap in the line now, and Ranigar roars to his men, "Forward! Forward!" The horns blow wildly all around you. In the sheeting rain, the ground is becoming muddy and slippery.
Rooker says, "Fly, you fools!"
Kane spurs his horse forward through the gap.
Rooker slaps the loose ends of his reins across his horses flank as he urges it toward the gap.
Sharif races past the archer and uses the staff like a lance -punching the foe in the chest. His foe topples and Sharif rides over the man where he lies.
Out of the original fifty troopers, there are perhaps forty left. Dake strikes down one man with his sword, then turns to ride through the gap. The company crosses the creek, with the Bridgehouse to your right and the Kingsroad leading away beyond. A company of Urag mercenaries...the ones who hunted you earlier...are racing forward, out of the trees to the north of the village.
"Kai Uraaag!" they yell, the war cry of their people. The riders pull up short, uncertain of this fierce new foe.
Dake screams at the men. "After them, you stupid bastards! For Henrick! Strength and Honor!!"
Rooker says, "Ride, now! For Henrick!"
Kane says, "Ride the dogs down!"
The riders find courage and the horns blow for full gallop. You are right in the forefront now.
The riders slam into the Urag center, horses and Reith and Urag screaming in
shock and agony and terror.
Thragga is furious now. He leaps high into the air and lands in the midst of the mob, swinging wildly.
Sharif leaps over the approaching Urag, striking him in the head on the way past
Angling his horse across the line of approaching Urag, Rooker again draws his daggers to attack.
Kane leans low in his saddle and thrusts at the vitals of the nearest Urag. He guts his Urag foe effortlessly, green Urag guts spilling out... and then Kane spurs forward.
Sharif's staff flies free from his hand and splashes in the mud. Rain has made it slick.
Rooker's foe roars in rage and topples backwards.
Thragga, surrounded, goes down under a pile of Urag soldiers, who are screaming at him in the harsh Urag tongue.
Sharif draws the knife from his belt, rides low on the right side of his horse and stabs at the Urag. The wicked Urag scimitar catches Sharif along the side of the head and opens a deep gash.
Seeing Thragga overwhelmed, Rooker turns and charges toward the pile of Urag bodies.
Kane seeing his comrade in trouble turns around to come to his aid.
Sharif evades his enemy as he spurs forward.
Thragga catches two blows to his midsection as he roars in rage at the Urag mob.
Riding hard, Rooker sheathes his daggers and draws a throwing knife, hurling it at one of the Urag warriors closing on Thragga.
Sharif's knife opens a wound in the Urag's armor, but he fights on with the tenacity of his race.
Thragga slices open his opponent's midsection as Rooker's dagger catches the Urag from behind.
Rooker wheels his mount and heads back to help Sharif.
Sharif switches his grip on the knife and slashes at the Urag
Kane charges the nearest Urag to Thragga.
The Urag, a big warpainted leader, hisses at Kane as he dodges the blow. Thragga takes the opportunity to strike at him. The leader evades Thragga's blow as well.
Drawing another knife, Rooker throws at the Urag facing Sharif.His knife wings off into the shadowy rain.
Sharif's foe laughs at him. "I rule you!" the Urag grunts.
Sharif says, "No. I rule you." He raises a hand and makes a gesture.
The Urag raises his weapon, squints up at Sharif, and nods. "Yesss!" he cries.
Sharif says, "Kill your comrades. Then come find me. I have more for you to do!"
Sharif's tame Urag cries out and falls upon one of his comrades from the rear, rending him to shreds.
Bring his sword around full circle, Kane again swings into the Urag leader.Kane looses the leader's warpainted head from his body...it goes spinning off into the mud. The body falls forward, blasting Thragga with a stream of black blood. He grins to his friend, "Try to keep up this time!"
Dake gallops up behind as the main Urag force falls back. The riders regroup, bloodied, winded, but ready. You are just now to the east of the Kingsroad and west of the forest immediately adjacent to Blackstone. You can see the village in the rain just ahead.
Kane says, "Sharif,which house is he in?"
Rooker rides to Sharif and offers him the Grail of Ardis, filling it from his waterskin. "Drink, quickly, we must ride."
Sharif drinks quickly. "It's good you kept that..."
Captain Ranigar has fallen, and lies motionless in the mud nearby with some of his men. This leaves Sergeant Dake in command. "Let us finish this, then!" he cries.
Lightning strikes nearby. About you is a tumult of men, horses and rain.
Rooker tucks the Grail away safely again and chuckles: "I'm sure somebody will think to ask for it soon."
Men in the village--at this distance and in the rain, just dim shapes--hastily bustle about, trying to mount a defense.
Sharif says, "We must move quickly...before darkness falls!"
Dake draws his sword. Rain sleeks down his face. "Kane...we will handle them. You find the Vorghol and kill it."
Rooker says, "Dake, we must ride now!"
Sharif senses: A heated sensation is coming from the largest, most prominent house in the village, at the end of the main street.
Kane says, "Thragga we have work to do. I believe our target is in sight."
Thragga gulps down some rainwater from the Grail, shrugs, flexes his arms, and nods.
Moving to Thragga, Rooker again fills the Grail and passes it to his comrade. "Drink and then we must fight, friend."
Sharif points to the largest house on the street. " There. That is our target!"
Rooker says, "Then we should be about it."
Dake points. "We will hit them there and there..." He indicates where he will aim his assault, at the near end of the street. "You circle around and take them there." he points to what Sharif is pointing at.
Kane waits impatiently on his charger. With his goal in sight, it is hard to hold back.
Thragga eyes Sharif...thinking about what Rooker told him.
Rooker moves close to Dake. "Don't go getting yourself killed, now, you still owe me a drink."
A small figure looms out of the rain and mist. Sword drawn, he races for Thragga, whose back is turned.
Kane turns, sword in hand, ready to cut down the on rushing figure.
Thragga spins, not surprised. He smelled this coming. Nimyr charges up and yells, "Don't kill me, you great Urag clot!" Selandri sword in one hand and a loop of sausages in the other.
Nimyr grins at you all. "I did some of my finest acting back there. You all owe me more than just this sword!"
Sharif says, "Nice to see you again Nim!"
Rooker says, "What did you do with the axe I gave you?"
Nimyr says, "I traded it for some food."
Kane says, "Just in time, to join us on the way back in!"
Rooker says, "Maybe you can earn it back again."
"You're here to kill someone?" Nimyr asks.
Kane says, "Nimyr do you know where the Vorghol lord sleeps?"
Nimyr nods. "In the cellar of that house over there. But he's well guarded!"
There is a roar from the valley behind you, past the Kingsroad, where the massive pitched battle rages on.
Kane says, "And we are well armed. What guards them?"
Nimyr says, "I've never been inside...but the thralls don't like to go in."
Kane says, "I guess we will just have to see for ourselves then."
Dake urges, "We must strike now..." He forms up his men for a charge on the village while you make ready to strike from the rear at the merchant's house.
Sharif says, "Let us go then!"
Reaching his hand down to Nimyr, Rooker smiles. "I guess you're riding with me again, shorty."
Dake's bugler blows charge. The Anghari yell their war cry as they race forward in the rain.
Nimyr shakes his head. "How did I get into this mess?" he takes a bite from a sausage and scrambles up into the saddle behind Rooker.
Rooker heaves Nimyr up behind him on the horse and prepares for a quick charge into the village of Blackstone.
Kane charges forward like a bat out of hell.
Sharif races after Kane.
Following Sharif closely, Rooker rides into the rain and gathering gloom.
Thragga charges forward beside Kane, approaching the house. As you close in, you can see the fine house's windows have all been boarded up. In the main street, Dake's men engage the foe, a professional looking band of swordsmen with a Tol Nedran look to them. In the clash, men fight and scream and die.
A ragged looking band of thralls with spears waits outside the house. As you close in, they race forward.
Kane heads for the rear of the house.
The thralls hurl their spears as you gallop forward.
A spear catches Nimyr in the chest as you race towards the house. He cries and falls back off the horse. The thralls draw their shortswords and advance in the mud.
Thragga stops to help Nimyr, who seems to be mostly uninjured.
The hurled spears flash past you and then you're on the foe.
Kane crashes in to the thralls and cleves his way through them.
Sharif strikes with urgency.
Drawing his daggers as his horse plunges into the thralls, Rooker slashes at the nearest one.
Kane guts his enemy. Sharif bashes in a skull, knocking teeth flying. Rooker shreds his foe's face.
Thragga breaks a neck and steps daintily over the dead man's body.
Nimyr guts his opponent with a cry in Vulkah.
The remaining thrall charges forward with a cry.
The pitiful wretch slips in the mud at Kane's feet.
Rooker turns and sticks a dagger in the fallen thrall.
The door to the house slams open. A fell figure stands there, armored in a style from a century past, shrouded in dark streamers. A vicious looking axe is in its hands.This can only be a spectre, a lord of the undead legions of Tol Nedra...A lightning strikes forks right overhead, and thunder booms.
Thragga cries out, "Hey! That's my axe!"
Kane lets out a battle cry and charges the spectre.
Thragga is right beside Kane.
Sharif says, "Do not let it touch you! It will be worse than certain death!"
The spectre's chill voice taunts, "But more pleasant, surely..."
After dealing with the fallen thrall, Rooker cautiously circles the spectre
and draws two throwing daggers. "I don't plan on getting that close, Sharif."
Kane charges forward and swings at the spectre's head.
Thragga gives a roar and his axe slams down on top of the spectre's helmed head. There is an immense crash of steel as he rips into the thing.
Flipping the knives in his hands, Rooker looses them both simultaneously at the spectre.
Kane hits it low, and Thragga hits it high. The creature falls back under the tremendous paired onslaught, hissing its rage. Rooker's daggers miss and thunk into the wall of the house.
The spectre swings the axe at Thragga, but Thragga is a furious green blur.
The axe catches Kane in the stomach, driving the wind from him.
Drawing his last pair of throwing daggers, Rooker maneuvers for a clear shot at the monster and throws again.
Ignoring his wounds Kane again slashes at the spectre, but drops to his knees from blood loss.
Drawing his last pair of throwing daggers, Rooker maneuvers and waits for a clear shot at the monster.
Thragga's enraged strike misses the foe.
Sharif reaches into his reserves, and launches a magic missile at the creature.
Thragga feints left, strikes right, and opens up the spectral warrior with his blade. Horrid ectoplasmic streamers issue from its guts and the thing topples in a pile of fetid, stinking gore.
Rooker moves quickly for the fallen Kane, pulling the Grail from his belt as he moves.
The rain beats down. Just beyond is a darkened house.
Rainwater flowing over the brim, Rooker holds the Grail to Kane's lips. "Drink, friend."
Thragga stoops to help Kane as well.
Kane chokes but gulps down the water, his wounds sealing up in miraculous fashion.
In the streets beyond, Dake's men battle a squad of infantry.
Thragga rises. "No sleeping on the job, Kane! Work to do!"
A rank smell issues from the house before you.
Sharif says, "This is the place..."
Kane gets up on his feet.
Rooker says, "Your lead, Kane."
The house may have been fine once, but it is silent as the grave now. Silent, empty and dark, all the servants of the Vorghol are engaged in deadly battle. Now only a pile of six dead men lie in the corner, stacked like firewood. The door to the wine cellar stands half ajar.
Rooker leans down and picks up the spectre's axe. "I believe that this belongs to you, Thragga."
Thragga grins and hefts the axe. "My favorite!"
Sharif says, "Didn't do him much good!"
Kane looks around for a torch. No torches burn here. It is, after all, still daytime.
Kane turns back to Rooker and whispers, "Some light if you would?"
Sharif casts light on his staff.
Kane leads the way down into the wine cellar.
Thragga follows Kane, just behind him.
Rooker says, "Kane, if we burn the house down, will it hurt him?"
At the bottom of the stairs is a wine rack, dusty, and just next to that...is an ornately carved coffin.
Kane says, "Yes but I don't want to take the chance of it escaping. First we must strike."
The lid of the coffin has begun to open.
Rooker says, "It's awake!"
Kane says, "Rooker get the lid, Thragga and I will strike."
Even at this remove, the sunlight will burn what is within. Smoke issues from inside the coffin.
Kane hurls himself towards the cffin and strikes at the Vorghol's head.
The lid of hurled free and something not-human, dark and unformed, lifts from within. It has Xoth's staff in one hand. It's wreathed in clouds of foul smoke as its essence burns. Dathek looks enraged, and he squints out at you from slitted eyes.
Sharif looks for the covered windows in the basement to break.
Fingering his ring, Rooker yells. "Let's be quick about it!" and moves forward to the attack.
Sharif climbs upon a crate, raises his staff and bashes at the wooden shutters over the window. He rips aside the splinters of wood.
Dathek raises the staff. Thragga, charging forward, is hurled through the air, slamming into the wine racks and smashing the bottles there. The Vorghol hisses, "You think to slay me, Urag? I was old when your grandfathers were born!"
Gray gloom from the daylight outside streams in, burning Dathek's flesh.
Rooker maneuvers in a circle, attempting to flank the Vorghol for a sneak attack.
A carpet of tiny dark shapes scrambles into the room from a crack in the wall...little snouts, long tails, chittering shapes.
Sharif says, "Rats!"
Dathek swings the staff at Kane as Kane's blow slices into his flesh.
Kane parries the blow.
Sneaking up from behind, Rooker leaps for Dathek with daggers flashing.
The Vorghol turns to strike at Kane again, when Rooker looms up behind him, slicing madly.
He staggers forward two paces, face curled in a bestial sneer, then topples to his knees at Kane's feet. He crawls forward, talons flexing for Kane.
The rats swarm over Thragga where he lies in the wine rack.
Kane raises his sword up high and strikes at the Vorghol's neck.
Nimyr helps Thragga to his feet.
Sharif ignores the attacking rodents and grabs for the staff
The Vorghol's head spins loose. The creature turns to dust and smoke before it even hits the ground.
Thragga steps forward and snatches the staff from the Vorghol's grip before Sharif can take it. He looms over the mage. "Rooker said to keep an eye on you."
Nimyr cheers. "You killed him, Kane!"
Sharif says, "Thragga. You don't know what you are doing."
Thragga frowns. "That's never stopped me before..."
Rooker says, "Let's get out of here, quickly, before anyone else drops in."
Sharif says, "Thragga. Give me the staff"
Nimyr says, "I second that, Rooker. This way!" He points towards the stairs and heads up them.
Rooker says, "Let's go!"
Rooker says, "Thragga, up the stairs, we've got to get back to the castle."
Kane reaches into the coffin and recovers his sword.
Rooker notices Sharif casting and jumps to interrupt the spell.
Kane says, "Let us go. Thragga, destroy that thing before it causes any more trouble."
Sharif retrieves the Dragha egg from a cabinet.
Kane retrieves the rest of his gear.
Thragga looks puzzled. "But it is a good weapon, Kane!"
Rooker says, "It's too dangerous to use, Thragga. Let's go."
Grabbing his pack, Rooker moves close to Sharif and takes his elbow. "Come on, friend, it is time to leave this place."
Sharif says, "Thragga. You know that I am the only one who can wield that item. It has saved us time and again."
Kane says, "Thragga, strike it with your axe!"
Rooker says, "Sharif, its usefulness is not as great as its danger."
Thragga nods, dreamily. "He's right, Kane." He passes the staff to Sharif.
Sharif says, "That's better. Rooker...Remove your hand."
Kane strikes at the staff with his sword. His blow bounces harmlessly off the staff as Rooker and Sharif wrestle for it.
Sharif says, "Thragga. Your assistance please."
The charmed Thragga moves to headlock Rooker and pull him off Sharif.
Rooker is too good a wrestler for him and shrugs off the Urag. Rooker now has the staff, and Thragga and Sharif circle on him.
Rooker says, "Kane, some help here."
Kane lunges again at the staff.
Sharif says, "Rooker. Give me the staff. You know that belongs to me"
Rooker says, "It belongs to no one who lives, Sharif. You should know that."
Sharif says, "Rooker. Hand over the staff! Now!"
Whirling from the confrontation, Rooker turns to sprint up the stairs. But he timidly obeys the charm of his friend, Sharif, and passes it over.
Sharif says, "Both of yourselves busy yourself with the Vorghol hunter."
Sharif says, "I do apologize...but we know it's the only way."
Thragga nods. "The only way."
Rooker nods. "The only way."
Kane takes up his flaming sword and strikes once again at the vile staff of Xoth.
Sharif ducks out and disappears, invisible, up the stairs.
The door to the wine cellar closes behind him, locked.
Kane makes a dash for the open window. "Sharif!"
Thragga grabs at Kane's legs, hauling him back in. "It's the only way, Kane!"
Kane sees a horse with no rider go racing off into village.
Rooker nods. "The only way." and jumps for Kane, pinning him.
Nimyr bashes down the door from the far side, freeing you from the cellar.
Blinking, shocked, you all emerge into the daylight. The rain has stopped and the sun is beating down. Dake and his men give a cheer as you all emerge. "Look!" he points. "Brock's army is on the run!"
In the valley before you, the battle lost, the army of Brock is in full retreat. The sun shines down on the scene before you. The banners of Henrick's army pursue them and surround them.
Many heroes fall that day, on both sides. The smoky ruins of the battlefield are littered with their bodies, and with dead horses, overturned carts, discarded weapons, and all the burned and crushed debris of battle. Here a hundred men of distant Highfall, there slain riders from Viridan, and there the still bodies of stout halfling warriors. The carnage is heavy and the price for the throne, as ever, has been paid in blood.
Perhaps the whole Kingdom grieved to learn of the loss of Ser Morause, veteran of a hundred campaigns, as he led his men against Brock himself. But he fell in battle, for the realm he loved. Brock also was slain, burned to death by flaming arrows. The Lady Helaine has disposed of the ashes herself....he will no longer trouble Anghara.
He who will become the new King, Henrick, gathers his loyal soldiers and followers about him, there in the midst of Redgard Valley, and speaks. Pennants flutter in the breeze. The sun breaks through the clouds and shines down on you all.
You stand on the edge of the circle, dirty, exhausted, tottering from your wounds and exertions, but no one would forget the heroes you proved. You think of another who fell that day as well. Your companion, Sharif. He has fallen into the dark.
"Friends!" Henrick's voice rings out. "We do not forget what cost we paid today, fellow Anghari! But we do not seek revenge or rancor. There has been too long this war of brother against brother. I pledge an end to strife! Our reign shall be dedicated to the goddess, Ardis! As she healed us, let us heal this Kingdom!"
Cries of Strength and Honor! echo from the valley walls. The new King's reign is sure to be a fateful one.
Several days have passed since the Battle of Redgard. A robed figure arrives at the ruins of the Sunken Tower.
A ghostly apparition appears before the figure, glowing with green balefire. A lined face that is centuries old, decayed beyond ruin, eyes as cold as night. The apparition exudes immense power, power as strong as the grave. And patient.
The robed figure holds up the Staff of the Dead...his hood falls back. Sharif looks into the cold, black eyes of Xoth and says "Show me your secrets...I wish to learn them all."
The ghostly figure simply nods and beckons for Sharif to follow him into the Tower.
In the nearby cemetery, warriors long dead wait expectantly to rise again and conquer the lands of the living.