[color=1a7b30][h2]Rezello[/h2][/color]
[hr]

The time to depart came shortly after Rezello had finished cooking and eating his morning meal, giving him just enough time to clean and cool the heated pan he had made it in before returning it to its place among the rest of his mess kit. Summoning his armor, he took a moment to ensure it was secured before collecting his pack and following the rest of the party as they began their march.

For two hours they made their way through the forest, Rezello taking position near the front and watching the treeline for potential threats, though none had appeared. When they arrived at the gorge, he looked over the surrounding cliff faces before something Vesemir pointed them to caused Rezello to freeze.

[color=a2d39c][i]Well... this is unexpected.[/i][/color]

A skeleton, clad in plate armor corroded by years of exposure to the elements. But even through rust and decay, the design was unmistakable to Rezello; before them all sat the remains of a veteran knight of the Sten Corps. A knight of Scheel. A knight of Rezello’s home. While Vesemir, Stepan and Elc discussed the circumstances of the corpse’s presence and the logistics of transporting the dead, and Jazdia scanned the terrain ahead as she searched for the hidden entrance, Rezello approached the fallen knight, kneeling in front of it.

[color=1a7b30]“A knight of Scheel...”[/color]

He remembered the story. A group of Sten Corps knights had been hired to assist in a mission that would take them deep into the forest. Such offers weren’t necessarily uncommon, but from what he could recall the rumors at the time were that this particular contract was especially lucrative, and had attracted the attention of several of the knights who otherwise might have had reservations about journeying so far into cursed land. The income from such jobs was, after all, a substantial part of what allowed a city as remote as Scheel to function.

The survivors of that expedition returned to Scheel just a day or so before he and his fellow knights-in-training were sent out on the final mission before being inducted into the Sten Corps. He had heard the mission went poorly, though he didn’t remember hearing anything about a vault; then again, such information would have likely been above his station, seeing as he hadn’t yet been officially knighted. But considering the timing... could something that happened during that mission have caused the incident in Scheel those many years ago? Could they, having survived whatever set ruin upon their expedition, have inadvertently brought an equally terrible fate back with them?

Banishing these thoughts from his mind, he stood, staring down at the body. Summoning his spadone, he turned the blade downwards, tip resting on the overgrown forest floor, and placed his palms atop the pommel before closing his eyes to pay respect to his fallen would-be comrade. The best way he could honor the fallen knight, he decided, was to ensure that the information he had died to secure was put to good use. After a moment of silence, he took up his sword, resting the blade on his shoulder as he turned and started to head towards the opening Jazdia had uncovered.