Iron Realm Log Six
Year of Darkness 1123
12th - 13th day of the Wolf
Mallepus the ranger leads the party down through the cloud that obscures their vision. They need to get out of Hell's Ridge and to the relative safety of Castle Haddon. Kysan'tel lends the ranger the chainmail called Arrowsbane gained from their fallen comrade Kliton.
Both Kysan'tel and Isirion keep their familiars close. Soon they come upon a marker in the track; Valorn brings the party to a halt; the archer knows only too well that this is to mark the optimum position for an ambush. But they have no other means of descending the steep mountain range. Isirion assumes wraith form and scouts the surrounding area, in particular the ridges that overlook the ambush site.
She is dismayed to find barbarians - hundreds in number - lying in wait close by. Before she can return to the party a massive brute of a barbarian with strange coloured eyes that seem to match his mood appears. It can only be Karnak, the self-proclaimed king of the barbarians.
The archers and spearmen now line the ridges and the party are forced to the edge of a precipice that plunges thousands of feet to the ground.
Karnak talks. He seems impressed that the party have lasted so long, but less than impressed that a dozen or more of his men have been slain. Isirion hands him the letter from Haddon but the barbarian rips it to pieces and discards it over his shoulder.
"I want you to kidnap Elgir the Librarian and bring him to me," Karnak says.
The party argue and stall the leader but their interest is piqued when Karnak reveals: "I need to get my hands on Horatio Haddon's secret and Elgir is the key."
Isirion ESP's the barbarian but gets the feeling that he is honest. Karnak wants a hostage and does not listen to the party when they complain that they are not powerful enough to kidnap the arch mage. Kysan'tel senses the barbarian leader is of mixed blood, there is Wilding in there somewhere.
"You got to me," Karnak replies, "don't underestimate yourselves."
Mallepus agrees to stay with the barbarian as 'guest' and despite Kysan'tel's misgivings they reluctantly agree to Karnak's demands. He has ten clansmen to lead them through the strange and magical tunnels. Once at the bottom of Hell's Ridge Kysan'tel hypnotises five of them and causes them to fight the others. Valorn starts to attack the barbarians with arrows. Plo'Koon and Kysan'tel use slings and the barbarians take serious damage until Isirion hurls a fireball into the tunnel and slams the door shut.
Meanwhile, in Karnak's Lair, the barbarian king treats his hostage well and for his part Mallepus tries to learn as much as he can from his host. When Karnak offers him a Brotherhood of Blood, Mallepus becomes suspicious, but there are plenty of other men with wounds on their inner forearms. Karnak slices open his right arm and Mallepus does the same.
The gathered crowd at the feast urge the ranger onwards. He shrugs and slices his forearm and the two men's blood mingles to the sound of cheering and whistling.
But Mallepus is not prepared for the awesome surge in his mind. It is as if he has become suddenly drunk, but not poisonous drunk, this heady experience is from an overload of pure and raw magic. He wonders how his mind can survive but he is a hardy soul and staggers back to the sound of laughter and cheering. The barbarians slip in and out of his vision, as if he can see their spirits, their past and possible futures. It is too much for him to take in all at once and he staggers to a quiet corner to observe the new sensations.
Back on the ground the party find themselves at the north gate of the citadel and head straight for the inner citadel. An old friend awaits them; Geoff the Guardsman remembers them and boasts to his fellow guards that he was able to stop the vampyre and her friends entry. He is being troublesome today as well.
Unable to contain their frustration, the party attack Geoff. But the fight is short and is stopped by the Chancellor, Maldarus Knifehand, who decides to get the party into the castle to avoid further bloodshed.
He takes them to Lord Haddon immediately, who adjourns his daily court business to speak to them in private. Isirion chances an ESP when Kysan'tel asks Lord Haddon about his 'secret' - the lord quickly gains controls of his thoughts but not until Isirion sees dark tunnels and catacombs...a hint of what or where the secret lies.
He does not take the news that Karnak wishes to kill him rather than talk well; nor does he wish to get into life-changing debt by calling for King Vainner.
Shortly after the meeting with the lord of the castle they go to the library where Elgir awaits. In his private study the two sorcerers feel an intense magical presence, a surge of extraordinary proportions. To their credit they tell Elgir everything; from Karnak's idea to kidnap him to his yearning for Haddon's secret...whatever that may be. Elgir does not elaborate on that secret and Isirion fails to get into the old man's mind.
But Elgir offers an alternative plan. One that involves his apparent kidnap but will actually get him into Karnak's lair safely. He shows them a bracelet - one of his own making - and tells them that it will suppress magic and make it impossible for him to be tracked.
Isirion, Kysan'tel, Valorn, and Plo'Koon return that evening to the foot of Hell's Ridge, with Elgir the librarian as 'hostage'. Soon the portals on the rock appear - the barbarians are waiting for them.
They are led up to the feasting room where the party is in full swing. But all noise ceases when the four travellers lead the librarian into the room. Karnak moves carefully over to the librarian, disbelief on his face that the party were true to their word.
"We will speak in private," he proclaims.
Mallepus is brought to them as Karnak sneers at Elgir, a savage smile on his face.
But strangely the librarian is calm. His words are gentle but contain the hardness of dragon steel. "You will cease this nonsense at once Karnak, lest you feel my wrath. I can destroy all your warriors and destroy this lair with a single word.
"Now that I am face to face with you my suspicions have been proved correct. You are the Duomancer."
Karnak is angry. He is about to retort but has no time to move. Elgir - who has spoken secretly to Kysan'tel in her head - casts a quick spell to stun the barbarian. Kysan'tel grabs Karnak from behind, puts a hand over his mouth and slaps the Elgir's bracelet on Karnak's wrists.
"Don't let him utter a single word or we are all dead," Elgir says.
Now all his magic is subdued. Elgir tells Kysan'tel to keep hold of their captive and the others he tells too barricade the door. He prepares a circle.
"How will that help?" Mallepus says, wondering how they are going to fight several hundred angry barbarians on the other side of the door.
"It is a pentacle of transportation," the librarian replies calmly. "I need a few minutes to prepare it."
Mallepus drives an arrow of silence into the door and Valorn uses a wall of force arrow to further secure the doorway. They pile furniture in front of it as the barbarians realise something is wrong and attack the wood with axes.
Kysan'tel puts a grease spell onto the other side of the door which further hinders their attempts to break through whileIsirion creates an image of karnak in the corridor walking away to confuse those outside.
Elgir calls them when he has done. They hurl themselves as one at the pentacle - within seconds they find themselves back at Elgir's library, where he promptly opens a bookcase to reveal a specially prepared cell. He dumps Karnak inside and closes the door.
"We should tell Haddon," Valorn says.
Elgir shakes his head. "We should wait a while...this is the first sighting of the Duomancer and I am curious to study him. Give me until breakfast and you can concoct any story you like."
That night Plo'Koon, who is not a natural sorcerer, manages to stumble upon the activation of the armour of absorption - spells cast at the wearer are stored as defences for use at a later date.
Next morning they breakfast with Horatio Haddon, who is thrilled at the news that they have captured his greatest enemy.
"What a marvellous thing!" he says with a gleeful smile as he claps his pudgy hands hard. "It is so long since we had a public execution..."