Weary after the big battle we had fought against the Hobgoblin forces guarding the Keep's second level, we leave towards town to restock on supplies and get some rest. Some of us were wounded, especially Kralho, so we couldn't risk going further onwards without being replenished. We pick up our horses and start riding towards town. As we pass by the crypts near the Keep however, we encounter an unpleasant surprise. The road was blocked by about a dozen or so skeletons armed with bows and the female Elf we had fought back in the Keep. She screams out a challenge, saying that this would be the end for us.
We hesitate for a moment, wondering how she managed to get here, especially because we had investigated the area she had fled to, and had found no traces of her or of the Deathjump Spider. The only explanation was that she had fled towards the path we had not yet explored, and somehow managed to slip behind us before we faced the large Hobgoblin garrison. She must have been quick about it though, because we hadn't wasted much time between the battle with her and the epic battle that followed. It was either that, or there was another way out of the Keep we did not know about.
Anyway, this time we had to make sure she would not escape us again. Sora responds to her challenge, attempting to Intimidate her into surrendering, but to no avail. Battle ensues, and we are forced to take special care with this one, as we are very low on healing. Kralho is forced to hang in the backlines, being the most injured of us all. Luckily for us, the skeletons were incredibly weak and most of them are quickly dealt with thanks to Sora's Dragonbreath, Ceteribus's Turn Undead and my Eldritch Blasts. Chuck focuses on the Elf, forcing her into melee combat. When the battefield is almost clear of the undead, Kralho flanks the Elf, attempting to hit her whith his Sneak Attack. We are soon able to swarm her and she goes down quick after that.
After the battle is won we investigate her corpse, finding a few gold coins, and a message written in a sheet of vellum. It was signed by Kalarel and revealed that he was aware of our meddling and wanted her to deal with us. The message contained intructions on how to raise the dead so she could use them against us. Furthermore, Kalarel warned her that he was close to completing the ritual and that he should not be interrupted. Finally, the message also contained the pass phrase to get by the guards in the second level: "From the ground, some magic was found". All of this meant that we must be causing a lot of trouble for the evil priest and also that we needed to deal with him fast. If he completed the ritual, all would be lost.
And so we ride to Winterhaven as fast as we can, intent on returning as soon as possible. When we arrive to town we are surprised to see that some people were leaving and many houses had been abandoned. Even Bob and Noddy from the militia were nowhere to be found. We head to the Lord's house to give him an update and ask what was happening. When we arrive before him, he tells us that many of the townspeople were leaving because they did not believe we could deal with the task at hand, and were trying to get as far away from the Keep as they could. We found this to be strange, because we had been successful so far, having returned from the Keep twice. Considering noone had managed to do that before, i'd say those were pretty hopeful signs...
We update the Lord on our doings so far, and leave searching for an abandoned house in which to pass the night. After the attack on Sora's room the last time we were here, we weren't taking any chances. Before that though, we go to the remaining merchants to sell some of our loot and buy some potions. Meanwhile, Ceteribus goes searching for Valtrum, the town scholar, to try and find out some more about his "cursed" stone. After looking at the stone, the ring and the golden key, Valtrum seems to remember something and amidst his old records and tomes, he finds something of note. He confirms that the stone had existed for a very long time, always being passed from master to apprentice. Eventually, a cult arose dedicated to studying and protecting the stone and its wearer. The stone was said to possess all the knowledge in the world and was suspected it held the secret to opening a path to Heaven. The cult grew very powerful over the times, embolden by the knowledge and power of the stone. Their power and influence drew the jealousy of others and the cult became persecuted and eventually wiped out. At that time, the stone went missing, staying out of history books until now. Much to Ceteribus's regret, Valtrum could also confirm that the stone could only be passed on to a willing disciple and that it had perilous long term effects.
We find an abandoned house near the town gates and rest there for a few hours, without being disturbed. This time there were no red crosses marking our door. All rested and restocked on potions and rations, we leave for the Keep, hoping that the next time we return to Winterhaven would be carrying the head of Kalarel as a symbol of our victory.
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