Valkon

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Rezello

---

As the party left the library behind to make their way out of the vault, it seemed Arcan may not have been entirely finished with them after all. Or perhaps he simply intended to make it clear he was still monitoring them as they left? The line of questioning he began with Vesemir before they moved through the exit into the southern passage proved the situation to be the former. As soon as one trouble ended, another inevitably began, it seemed. In this case, it was the accusation that the party had taken more artifacts than they had been permitted to acquire - two, if Rezello recalled correctly. As far as he could tell, nothing had been taken from the library. Was the curator petty enough to consider each of the items they had enchanted as a separate artifact? Or, perhaps...

The confusion was cleared up soon enough with Fia’s confession. She chalked it up to a mistake, a misunderstanding, but regardless of whether the apology was genuine or just a cover now that she had been caught in the act, the curator apparently had decided to take advantage of the situation. Rather than reprimand her, he began to explain the nature and purpose of each of the artifacts Fia had pilfered, ending with an offer: return two of the three items, or take them all, with one condition.

On the surface, the deal may have seemed tempting, and Fia made it quite clear that she was, in fact, tempted. Claim more artifacts, and simply ensure they’re put to good use. But the trouble lay within the one making the offer; the full extent of the elder djinn’s power was as of yet unknown, and sealing deals with such beings always carried risk. What stuck out immediately to Rezello was the specific request to make “good use” of the items; what exactly that would entail might normally be up to interpretation, but within the context of an arcane pact it was likely it would solely fall upon the curator to determine. And given what had just occurred in the library, Rezello wasn’t particularly keen on finding out what Arcan’s idea of “good use” would prove to be.

Thankfully, Vesemir, Miwa and Jazdia voicing their objections had already proved enough to convince Fia to turn down the offer, instead electing to take the emerald brooch she had intended to give to Eblana. Another ‘situation’ resolved. Thus, there was only one choice left to be made: take the main exit, or pass through the cursed side chamber. The former would be quicker, but Rezello knew what he had to do.

"Well, anyone want to open it? Otherwise, we'll take the exit door. What do you say?"

Rezello stepped forward, approaching the shoddily barricaded door and placing his free hand atop the single bar keeping those doors shut. He turned to face the others, speaking, ”This is ultimately what I joined this mission for. Whatever remains within, I must see for myself.” He waited for a moment in case any of the others chose to join him, shifting his spadone from its resting place upon his shoulder to ready himself should anything hostile be found in the cursed room. The curator did claim earlier that the room was harmless, but whether that meant there was nothing dangerous in there or that he would be suppressing anything that was - and after the events since may no longer be - it was better to be prepared for nothing than taken by surprise by something.

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Rezello

---

When Arcan vanished, it became evident that the combined words and defiance of his allies had successfully convinced him to let them be - albeit perhaps more through frustration than genuine persuasion, though in the moment it hardly mattered. Rezello’s grip on his spadone eased somewhat as he approached the three who had been the primary focus of Arcan’s animosity, holding out the rune-marked dagger and hairbands for Verdant and Miwa to take. “Your equipment,” he spoke, breaking the silence he had maintained to avoid drawing too much of Arcan’s attention to himself.

“While I agree it would be most sensible to leave as soon as possible, there is still the matter of the necromancer’s ritual chamber. Knowing what occurred there, I still intend to look into it,” he paused, turning to Miwa. “That is, if you still intend to attempt a purification.” After all, he wouldn’t have any idea how to deal with curses and other such dark magics if he was on his own - whatever cursed magic it was that had sealed his mask to his face was already more than he knew how to deal with.

Nonsense. My presence is a boon, not a curse.

Enchanted armor would be a boon, but that doesn’t mean I would want to wear it all the time.

Your loss.

In any case, even if they couldn’t do anything about or discover anything in the unnatural darkness that flooded the room the necromancer had converted into a ritual chamber, the shattered wall they witnessed when they first arrived at the vault could at least serve as a shortcut out of Arcan’s territory.

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Rezello

---

Though Miwa’s reasoning seemed to get through to the curator, at least enough for him to release Jazdia from his grasp, the tension in the room remained high as the miko and the ranger continued their parley with the elder djinn. Through the ensuing exchanges, the nature of Jazdia’s curse was revealed; a portion of Lythiel’s soul was corrupting Jazdia’s own. Arcan remained insistent that the condition was incurable, but while the breadth of his knowledge was undoubtedly vast, he surely couldn’t be omniscient; perhaps a missing piece of critical information that was held not in archives and vaults, but deeper within the forest, waiting to be discovered. They had only just begun their delve into these blighted lands, after all.

Verdant, meanwhile, had been steadily moving into a position more suitable both to assist Jazdia and for an engagement, taking on a new form - something neither quite human nor serpentine, but somewhere in between - and was occasionally throwing out her own remarks at the expense of the curator. While the latter’s attention was still focused on Miwa and Jazdia, Verdant shifted her eyes to look to Rezello, to which he responded with a slight nod and a quick glance down to the hand at his side, still holding her enchanted kris dagger and Miwa’s hairbands. If the magic Vesemir had placed on them was useful against more than the necromancer, it could prove vital in the hypothetical battle.

As would the newly arrived reinforcements. Those that had remained in the gallery were now entering the library, no doubt investigating the source of the disturbance that had rocked the vault. Arcan’s final words, however, indicated that the battle would remain a hypothetical, at least for now. Still, it was clear that their welcome was growing thin - that is, if it hadn’t been worn out entirely already. Rezello maintained his defensive stance, avoiding any blatant display of aggression but standing his ground until Jazdia and the others were safely out of the library.

There was, of course, still the matter of the cursed room. Whether Arcan would permit them to remain long enough to investigate it was yet to be seen.

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Rezello

---

Of the four present in the archives, Miwa was the only one that seemed to notice Rezello’s entry.

"Sorry! We will be done in a moment." Miwa said to Rezello, discreetly mouthing the words without emitting any sound before she turned her attention back to Jazdia, Arcan and Verdant.

Rezello gave an affirmative nod in reply, turning to watch what was happening between Jazdia and Arcan. It wasn’t long after their hands met that something stirred within the curator, rising into a fury that resulted in Jazdia being pinned to the wall by the wrathful djinn. The underground structure reverberated with Arcan’s rage as he berated Jazdia, the outburst of anger causing Rezello to take a step back in surprise.

As the ranger’s strained pleas failed, Verdant and Miwa tried to reason with Arcan, the former stepping forward with a vial of an unfamiliar white and crimson solution while the latter drew her polearm, striking the ground to emphasize her words. Tightening his grip on the hilt of his spadone, Rezello moved closer, stopping next to Miwa. He didn’t know what it was that had broken the curator’s composure, but if the situation came to blows he would be ready to defend himself and his allies.

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Rezello

---

" We still have that room to clear," he transferred his gaze to Rezello, who had just finished admiring his sword. "Aren't you and that Miko girl Miwa wanted to investigate that room?"

Rezello looked to Elc, resting the blade of his newly empowered sword on his shoulder. “Indeed we did.” He then turned to Vesemir, adding, “If I’m not mistaken, she and Verdant left with Jazdia before the enchantments on their items were completed. If they are finished, I can bring them with me.”

"Certainly master Rezello. Please tell miss Jazdia to don't feel hesitate to tell us if she needs more time."

Rezello took the items, giving a nod of acknowledgement before turning to the east. Enchanted hairbands and dagger in hand, he made his way out of the western section of the vault and back into the main room. The only remaining path was the previously darkened corridor to the north, but by the glow emanating from the room at its end it seemed some lighting had been activated by the presence of the others. As he approached the chamber, the sound of conversation could be heard, but it ended before he was close enough to make out what was being said.

Entering the room, it appeared as though something of significance was occurring. Rezello silently stood in the entryway, trying to avoid interrupting whatever was happening.

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Rezello

---

Rezello watched as Vesemir divided the work of enchanting the party’s equipment between himself and Eblana. While the former discussed with Miwa what item of hers he would be imbuing, the latter had begun work on the two items Akari had settled upon having enhanced. Interestingly, the visual effect the enchantment had upon each item seemed to differ between the owners of each item; while the pocket watch Jazdia had chosen was left untouched aesthetically, Akari’s blades took on some rather odd-looking glyphs. While he had seen numerous arcane runes over the course of his prior adventures, none resembled these; a system native to her homeland, perhaps.

This was followed by Akari expressing her gratitude in a manner that left Eblana flustered and red, having retreated to one of the corners of the room. A far-eastern custom, maybe? Miwa had exited the room to tag along with Verdant and Jazdia, so there were no concerned objections to her behavior to indicate if it wasn’t. If nothing else, the display seemed to bring some amusement to Fia. Turning back to Vesemir, he observed as Vesemir was in the process of enchanting his own weapon; a multitude of small runes had formed along the blade, glowing dimly as they manifested within bands of the scheel-forged steel alloy. Did the magic-conductive nature of the metal interfere with the enchantment somehow? Regardless, after some time the scholar seemed satisfied that the process was complete, though how he could tell was beyond Rezello’s level of arcane knowledge.

"All done, Master Rezello." He said, respectfully holding the blade with both hands and presenting it to the masked knight."May it serve you well!"

He took the spadone, looking over the runes on the surface of the blade. It was remarkable that the glyphs fit within the steel’s patterns so neatly... or perhaps the runes had always been there, and he had failed to notice them before? Whatever the case, it seemed he had taken too long inspecting Vesemir’s handiwork before saying anything, as the scholar had already returned to the enchantment table and begun conversing with Fia and Stepan. One of several disadvantages of being perpetually masked: with only an eye exposed, it could sometimes be difficult to display much of a reaction to something without voicing it.

With Stepan’s questions, the tone of the conversation shifted dramatically. Vesemir recounted the events that had driven the elves from their homeland. The occupation that took place after the war, the tension that it brought, and ultimately the resolution of exodus. Rezello knew how it felt to lose one’s home, of course, but the sheer difference in magnitude between his own experience and those of the elves rendered any comparison between them moot. It was clear that the pain of generations long ago still lingered in their descendants; given it was his own kind that had caused that suffering, even as their own form of retribution - “justice”, some would claim - for the war prior, he was thankful that the elves didn’t seem to carry a grudge because of it.

Or, at least, most of them didn’t.

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Rezello

---

Rezello had much to consider. The curator had proven a valuable source of information, much of which answered several of his questions, yet inevitably also introduced some new mysteries to dig into. He now knew why Scheel had been the site of the incident, and why they only found a fraction of the vanished - teleported - populace within the tunnels. The main questions at hand now were the locations of the other three destinations of the scepter’s magic and that of the necromancer that had performed the ritual; the last living being that could be held responsible for the fate of his home. The answer to the former could probably be found in the records the curator had mentioned, though unfortunately it seemed they were back in Westernant, in some government archive - if not destroyed to suppress sensitive and potentially dangerous information. To think, he had been delving into ruins and pillaging dungeons for lost grimoires when he should’ve been fighting his way through bureaucracy. A far more perilous task, certainly.

While Rezello contemplated Arcan’s words, Elc had gotten into an argument with the curator, who had taken his leave. His concentration was broken when Fia offered him the scepter, which he looked down at for a moment before taking it off her hands. With the magic drained, several missing gemstones, and a damaged mechanism, it currently was little more than an expensive relic, but perhaps they would find a use for it later on. For now, it would serve as a marker of Rezello’s progress in his quest. “Ten years without so much as a trickle of progress, and now it comes like a flood. I took on this quest with the hope that I could prevent such a thing from happening again, and once we are in possession of the control ring I can ensure it doesn’t, but... I never expected to have an individual to hold responsible for it.” He looked down at the scepter, turning it over in his hand before stowing the damaged magic tool in his pack. “And now that I do... I’m not sure I’ll be satisfied until I know he’s dead.” The weight of the scepter’s gold would make a fine bludgeon to crush the skull of the necromancer, a fitting end for he who had used it to take so many lives.

As if by some turn of fate, Vesemir’s voice then carried over from the next room over as he announced the lich-slaying enchantment he had discovered. Rezello glanced at the others before turning and making his way to the leader of their expedition. Akari stood nearby, having dropped a pile of weapons onto a table in front of her and looking quite pleased with herself. “My sword,” he said, holding his spadone out to Vesemir to enchant. “Let the man that vanquished Scheel be vanquished by a weapon of Scheel.”

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Rezello

---

As the metal slab receded into the ground, Rezello entered after the others into the once-sealed corridor, followed shortly after by Elc and Verdant as the slab of a door sealed once more. The door at the end of the passageway they found themselves in was of similar make, and it seemed as one was opened the other closed, likely as a security measure. As he moved down the corridor, Rezello extinguished his remaining flame, the light of which had been drowned out by the structure’s own lighting. Aside from the door Vesemir had already begun to open, a smaller set of doors stood at the end of a passage that branched off from the main hall, sealed with a far simpler mechanism than the two heavy slabs - metal bars, jamming it shut. The same vile aura that he had felt from the darkness behind the shattered wall could be felt radiating from the doors; evidently, it hadn’t been enough to prevent whatever used to be in that room from escaping its confinement.

Putting aside the thought of the evil room - and whatever had once been in it - Rezello continued into the next chamber, a large square room that presented two new directions; another sealed slab-door to the left, and what appeared to be another hallway identical to the one they were currently exiting opposite, though it was difficult to tell as its lighting had ceased to function. A fountain in the center and a pair of statues on the wall to the right served as decor. The latter reminded Rezello of secret passageways he had encountered in ruins before, flanked on both sides with similar structures as a reminder of their location. Perhaps in their exploration they’d stumble across some hidden switch or lever.

After taking a moment to admire the room, Vesemir began another of his characteristic speeches, only to be interrupted by the appearance of an unfamiliar individual - a man dressed in formal garb, though from the abilities he casually displayed it was clear he was no mere human. He introduced himself as the curator of the vault, opening the western door and inviting the party to view - and claim two of - the artifacts held within. He also offered to answer any questions they had, and question him they did - though the questions asked generally had more to do with the curator’s nature than anything to do with the artifacts on display. When Miwa questioned about the lingering magic in the sealed room, Arcan recounted a story of a necromancer that had previously visited the gallery, apparently having taken the scepter as his treasure... and, after being betrayed by his cohorts, having used its power to summon the people that had died in the tunnels.

The hypothesis Rezello had been formulating seemed to be confirmed. The dead bodies of people from Scheel they had found in the tunnels had been summoned as fuel for this necromancer’s magic. Yet at the same time, more questions were raised - “dozens” would only account for a small portion of those that had vanished from Scheel. Furthermore, why specifically the people of Scheel? Did the necromancer have some connection to the city? Or perhaps the scepter itself was somehow linked with Scheel - after all, its location was chosen to safeguard something. What that was, though, Rezello had no idea. The details on that was something either lost to time or known only to a select few within Scheel.

As Arcan finished his offer to assist investigating the room - a detention chamber, as he had called it - Rezello spoke. “This scepter... its power, do you know how it worked? Or perhaps, did Theriadoere leave behind any information, notes or some such on it?”

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Rezello

---

With their newfound gold secured, the party carried on through the underground labyrinth, jagged edges of the tunnel walls eventually giving way to carved stone as they approached their destination. There was an opening in the wall ahead of them that opened into some unidentified chamber, engulfed in a shadow that seemed to consume any light shone upon it. There was something unnerving about that abyssal darkness, as though whatever magic had created it emanated malice, and they quickly carried on down the rest of the path.

At the end of the tunnel was another smooth stonework wall, this time with a large metal surface built into it; the door they had been looking for, evidently. Two more of the deceased rested along the wall near the base of the sealed opening, some slight damage to the otherwise pristine surface of the metal slab and a pair of damaged blades evidence of a futile struggle to break through. While Vesemir produced a small silver card and placed it on the door, activating some sort of magic or mechanism in the door, Stepan had taken interest in the scepter one of the corpses had been holding. Rezello watched as Fia, at Jazdia’s request, inspected the ornate gold artifact and the lingering magic within. Once her appraisal had concluded, she explained its arcane nature to Stepan: teleportation magic.

“Teleportation...” Yet another point towards one of Rezello’s current theories. Of course, given the nature of such magic, the scepter alone likely wouldn’t have been able to cause the Scheel incident, but its presence here couldn’t have been mere coincidence... could it? A piece of a larger puzzle, perhaps. The question at hand now was whether any more pieces to that puzzle, be it artifact or information, would be waiting for them within the vault.

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Rezello

---

While Verdant and one of the three Akaris set out to retrieve the treasure, Rezello gathered the old weapons scattered on the floor of the chamber, sending them into his Armory. Rust and age had rendered them unsuitable for more than one or two good strikes, and that same decay would make them worthless to a typical merchant, but he figured if he could use them to make the killing blow on a few devourers then that might help the spirits of their former users rest just a bit easier.

When the ascended snake and the illusory ninja returned, the former bearing a chest of coins - “shinies” - and the latter... exhausted, more than anything else, Rezello shifted his light towards them before approaching to better witness firsthand the party’s first acquisition. Aside from the layers of dust that coated the outside, the treasure chest and its contents seemed... far too recent. It didn’t seem likely that any expedition that would’ve made it this far would have left such valuables behind - let alone brought them into the tunnels in the first place - so where did these come from? Several of the deceased in the cavern still had their equipment and clothes with them; perhaps some unfortunate merchant or noble was transporting the gold when the corrupted magic that had affected Scheel whisked them away.

Of course, this was all just speculation on the assumption that it had come from Scheel at all. Regardless of how it arrived or who it once belonged to, it did no good sitting in the dead end of some cursed tunnels, doomed to rot and be devoured by... well, devourers. Better off in the hands of the living.

“A good find, this. Though...” Rezello paused, picking up one of the coins to inspect it closer before continuing, “I can’t help but wonder where it came from.” He flipped the golden disc between his fingers a few times before tossing it back into the pile, shrugging. “Well, better with us than forgotten here. I’m sure the original owner would agree.”