Sidrea07 - Escape from Castle Avernon

It began with the companions woken up by a terrible cry of agony. Opening their eyes, they found themselves in a torture chamber. Each member of the companions (including Tadira and Amathyya) is manacled tightly and inside a hanging cage. The spell-casters (Haeythir, So’yoko, and Zerkestor) are all gagged as well.

Beneath the dangling cages of the companions, an old dwarf was being tortured by hooded torturers – whose screams had woken the companions. Finally, the old dwarf passed out from the torture and the haggard screams ceased.

Shortly after, several figures then entered the torture chamber – a nobleman, followed by a hooded man, and followed by a scribe. The nobleman introduced himself as Baron Tolanan Marabyr Volantru -- the ruler of Averdale and the surrounding region, including the village of Kemend.

Promptly, the baron then dictated the charges upon which companions have been arrested by: aiding and abating a fugitive, possession of stolen property, obstruction of justice, and murder. Then, calling upon the power of high justice vested in him, the baron pronounced the entire party guilty and sentenced them to death by torture, to be carried out at the appropriate time. The scribe who wrote all this down was then dismissed.

The baron then gleefully mentioned that he heard about the companions from a mutual acquaintance – at which point, the hooded figure behind him revealed himself. Despite the fact that his eyes are gone and his flesh pasty white with bits missing where the carrion birds had their way, the companions could still recognize the creature as Caelin.

[Caelin the Pale was a priest of Nerull. Pretending friendship with the companions, Caelin led the companions to the dark spithra. Once there, he revealed his true color and tried to sacrifice the companions to the dark spithra (see Sidrea04 – Voracity). The companions managed to defeat Caelin and the dark spithra. The last time the party saw him, Caelin was a stripped corpse of in the snowy wilderness.]

Haeythir recognize that through the unholy power of Nerull, Caelin has risen as a death-knight. The power of the God of Death now infused him -- Caelin's empty eye-sockets burned with flames of unholy hatred. Caelin cursed the companions and claims that for hindering the purposes of the Gloomking (Nerull), the companions shall die in great suffering.

As Caelin stalked off, the Baron decided to “get to the business at hand.” One by one, each member of the companions is tortured and interrogated. The questions mainly concern the monatery school of Atroa and how much the companions know abou the Amulet of Maeruka. The torturers and the baron seems particular interested in whether there are other survivors from the Monastery-School of Atroa and where the companions are going to meet them.

Eventually the torturers turn to Tadira. When the torturers started whipping Tadira, however, they found strange golden runes incised into the flesh of her back. Although the whipping has damaged the flesh of her back, the runes remain intact. The Baron immediately becomes excited – examining the markings carefully and noting its dim glow he laughed that it is the true marking... None of the companions know what the Baron mean...

After the interrogation, most of the companions (except for Amathyya and Tadira) were dragged to their cells as the Baron decided that he’s “done with business and now to pleasure…”

In the prison, the companions found themselves separated. Each member remains shackled and the spell-casters remain bound. Berek found himself sharing his cell with the old dwarf whom the companions saw being tortured earlier. Dalrick found himself sharing his cell with none other than the mad elf Larkel, whom the companions had met earlier in the city of Averdale.

Larkel seems a lot saner and calmer since the companions last saw him. He explained to Dalrick that the pain of the torture has temporarily blocked out the maddening effects of the song in his mind. He knows that he must return to the Ghostwoods and that the song in his mind "must be completed” for him to regain his sanity. He tells Dalrick that he has some things that could help the companions escape, which he is willing to give to the companions, if the companions simply promise to return him to the heart of Ghostwoods.

Dalrick agreed and Larkel told Dalrick that the guard of the prison has a small miniature chest that belongs to Larkel. The miniature is the key to Larkel’s secret chest, which can be summoned with the miniature. The chest contains numerous items that could aid the companions.

Dalrick then asked Larkel to pretend madness in order to draw the guard into the cell and enable Dalrick to get the chest. Unfortunately, the commotion drew several guards. They seem to be quite paranoid and ordered Dalrick to lie down at the corner of his cell before they would come in to subdue Larkel. Dalrick tried to resist the order but then were beaten with long sticks until he obeyed – at which point the guards enter the cell and beat Larkel to the ground with their saps.

Meanwhile, Berek talked to the old dwarf in his cell and found the dwarf’s name to be Almir Ironbeard. Apparently he has heard of Berek – as the tale of a dwarf adopting a human child is quite unusual among the dwarves. Apparently Almir came upon some crucial information for Arch-duke Iorlas. The ancient treaty that grants the Deep Delver dwarves their territory also stipulates that the dwarves need to report such information to the Empire of Rondor. Almir is concerned that given his wounds and his illness – he probably would not make it…

Almir charged Berek to take a message to Lord Cormur in Jharuel. He also told Berek that it’s a matter of the clan’s honor. Should anyone attempt to questions the authenticity of the message, Berek is to ask Lord Cormur about “winter fishing in the River Arlog.”

Late that night, the guards dragged an unconscious Amathyya to her cell. Even a casual glance speaks volumes of horror and abuse that the young half-elven woman was forced to endured. Her cloth is in tatters and welts and burns cover her exposed flesh. Her fingernails and toenails have been torn out.

Possibly because the guards were annoyed by Dalrick’s act of defiance or perhaps because they were sadistic, the guards provided the prisoners with neither food nor water for the next two days. Screams and cries echo through the stone dungeon as the torturers plied their trade. When Amathyya became conscious on the second day and she was dragged out to be worked over by the torturers again.

Between the thirst, the starvation, and the sounds the prison none of the companions slept well. On the third day, the cleaning maid appeared. To the companions’ surprise, she is the elven woman whom the companions had helped to purchase her freedom. Apparently she got the job as the maid to clean out the castle prison. She was surprised to see the companions there, but quickly hid her surprise from the guard of the prison.

As she cleaned the prison of Berek, she whispered how she could help the companions – whether there is anyone in the city whom she could contact to help the companions. The companions asked her to find help from Banfor (a lieutenant in the guards and the fiancé of Kaydi – the herbalist in the village of Kemend). The elven woman, named Sehlana nodded before leaving.

That evening, the Baron once again appeared before the companions with a grin that the companions have really come to hate. The Baron directed the guards to haul the companions to the roof of the castle. Rough hands seized companions and haul them to the roof.

On the roof, to the surprise of the companions was gathered a large crowd. Prominent among the figures is a priest of Pelor and Dagna Orris – the clerk of the Banking Guild whom the companions had met earlier.

In front of the crowd are three great slabs of stone – two vertical and one horizontal. Upon the horizontal slab is Tadira – chained and unconscious. Runes decorate the slabs of stone – Haeythir recognize the runes as the same corrupted draconic runes that decorate the coinage of those who had attacked the monastery school of Atroa.

Finally, dangling above the prone form of Tadira is a small wooden cage. Inside the cage is a young female child. To So’yoko’s surprise, he recognizes the female child as the child who has haunted his dreams.

Once the companions are shoved into cages and appropriately secured – the crowd looks at the Baron expectantly. The Baron, the priest of Pelor and Dagna Orris all assume their true form – those of hideous half-blood yuan-ti.

Hissing with a forked tongue, the Baron laughed at the companions – condescendingly, he called them fools and in mocking gratitude, thanked them for delivering to him the Amulet of Maeruka and the chosen holy vessel to contain the soul of the divine consort, Maeruka.

The Baron laughed that Tadira was a naive fool and the companions even dumber for believing her. The Baron then proceeded to tell the companions of the truth in the ancient times. The yuan-ti had invaded modern Rondor and encountered strong resistance from the ancient gray elven kingdoms here. In that conflict, the ancient elves had mistaken the yuan-ti as humans and the yuan-ti did much to promote the deception.

Eventually, to overcome the gray elves, the yuan-ti used their magic to enhance the poisons of their sacred serpents and created the deadly disease that become known as “Lingering Death.” Greatly weakened by the disease, the gray elven kingdoms crumbled before the yuan-ti onslaught.

Centuries later, humans arrived in the south and overthrew the yuan-ti, breaking apart their dominion over Sidrea. The surviving yuan-ti were driven into hiding. They hid in the mountains and other remote areas. The yuan-ti survived, however, and as the human memory of them grew dim, the yuan-ti began to patiently plot their revenge.

Ilinar Haran was apparently one such secret yuan-ti. He sought to use magic to modify the Lingering Death and to use it against the humans. He experimented on the villagers whom he ruled and eventually even his own family – killing them each in turn. However, before Ilinar could succeed in his research, one of the villagers whom he experimented on escaped. The villager carried an incomplete, extremely virulent form of the disease and the disease spread rapidly among all humanoids. Within a few years, all civilizations on Sidrea collapsed – resulting in a dark age that ended a thousand years ago.

But all of that, the Baron laughs, is ancient history – whereas, new history will be made this very night. Haeythir looked up and saw that the Serpentine Constellation was clearly ascendant in the night sky. The sun had set, the moon had not yet rose, and the wanderers (the planets) crowded in a corner of the sky – as if cringing beneath the bright Serpentine constellation.

The baron carefully fastened the amulet around Tadira’s neck. The crowd kneeled down and chanted. The runes on all three stone slabs glowed. Slowly, the two vertical slabs rose in the air, drawing upon ancient wizardry to levitate. Higher and higher the stones rose as the chanting grows louder and louder. Finally as the chanting reached a thunderous crescendo, the stone slabs slammed together and crushes the wooden cage with the girl child in between them.

Innocent blood dripped down from the stones onto Tadira and the amulet upon her neck. Tadira now wakes and struggled desperately against her bonds. But as the blood dripped upon Tadira, shadowy serpents emerged from the amulet on her neck. Thousands of the serpents materialized, encasing Tadira in a writing cocoon of coils and scales. Finally, there was a sudden moment of silence and stillness. Then, the serpents faded away. Tadira sat up, freed of her bonds – only it was no longer Tadira.

In Tadira's place there was a woman who bears some resemblance to Tadira but possessing an incredible alien beauty. Her skin was alabaster white and flawless. Her pupils are deep and black – and ancient beyond imagining.

The crowd and the yuan-ti kneeled and put their face to the ground: “All hail Maeruka! All hail the beloved of Merrshaulk!”

Maeruka’s first act was to make the companions into her tools. She walked up to each of the companions and kissed him or her passionately on the lip or cheek. At the end of the kiss, each companion felt a slight sting where Maeruka kissed him (or her). Finally, as Maeruka finished kissing Haeythir, she smiled at the gray elven wizard: “Haeythir, so blessed with intelligence – have you ever wonder where the yuan-ti come from?”

Maeruka then stuck out her tongue and to the horror of the companions, her tongue is a small snake. She then brushed Haeythir on his cheek, where she had kissed: “Sleep well and grow, my child.” She then orders the companions to be returned to their cells.

When the companions returned to their cell, Berek found that the torturers have not been idle in his absence. Almir Ironbeard had been tortured again and lay close to dying. With his dying breath, he whispered “…treachery is planned by the baron. An… an attempt will be made on… the duke… Careful, the baron has allies – a red… red… d…” At which point Almir died.

That night Haeythir strived mightily to loosen his gag. He had almost loosened the gag when Sehlana, the elven woman who was to clean the cells arrived. When Sehlana was in Zerkestor’s cell, she slipped him a small package. The package was two small vials of curaxa (an alchemical solution that acts as a rusting agent that eats away at metal over time) wrapped in a parchment. On the parchment was written: “Two hours after I leave, Banfor will be here. Be ready.”

Zerkestor used the curaxa to free his hands and then untied the gag behind his head. He pretended to leave the shakles on, however, bidding his time for when help would arrive.

Two hours later Banfor arrived with Noggin (the man who had helped the companions purchase the freedom of Sehlana) as his "prisoner". The ruse managed to get the two close to the single guard in the prison. With surprise on their side they disabled the guard quickly. With the keys from the guard, the companions were quickly freed.

Banfor indicated the layout of the castle dungeon to the companions and told them of a secret passage through the trash chute from where they can escape. Banfor and Noggin will try to go back the way they come from and possibly create a diversion to prevent too many guards from swamping the companions.

Taking back the miniature chest from the prison guard, Larkel summoned forth his chest. Within which are many items that would aid the companions – including healing potions, a long sword and several scrolls.

The companions also indicated that they would like to take back their properties – which is located in the same dungeon level but locked inside a heavily guarded vault.

Certain of their plans – the companions went forth – filled with righteous wrath over the days of helplessness, despair and suffering. Despite their weakened conditions, the guards and the torturers were no match for the companions – within a short while, the Baron’s men lay dead or dying.

Seeing that the companions has their escape well in hand, Banfor and Noggin took leave of the companions at this point.

The companions, however, found that breaking into the vault was slightly more problematic. The vault was guarded by a stout iron door with a strong lock that requires the correct combination to open. Haeythir took the simple expedient of using the scroll of knock on the door. The door opened, but the trap was triggered – summoning two hell hounds – whose fiery breath immediately puts down the hapless wizard.

However, the warriors wade into the fight and dispatched the hell hounds. In the treasure vault, the companions recovered all of their items, but only a portion of their wealth. However, they also found an enchanted sword that was made by the dwarf Almir. Haeythir also found two black pearls – which he recognizes as pearls of power – magical aids to wizard, clerics and druids.

After securing their gear, the companions dodged into the trash chute that Banfor had told them and slid down into the darkness. Wading through the terrible filth in the tunnel, not a few grew nauseated and contracted filth fever. Among the waist-high debris, the companions encountered a great ovoid creature that seems to live on garbage. The creature decided to add the party to its dinner menu. So’yoko nearly succumbed immediately and Berek was munched on for a few bites, but the companions were eventually able to vanquish the creature.

Finally, the narrow tunnel led outside and the party emerged at the foot of the hill upon which Castle Avernon was built with the dark woods of Ghostwoods before them. Larkel cautions the party to be careful and suggests that they should head into the woods – as he knows how to bypass the guardians of the woods and it would be unlikely for the baronial patrols to head into the woods…