Knock,
Knock
4/15/10,121 - Kest I-Monds Tower
Its clear all is not as it should be, whether Kest-I-Mond is at home or not, something had definitely happened. Gathering in the courtyard, the gates are secured & the livestock, dogs & Gunter quickly housed in the outbuildings.
Skirting the squared tower itself it is clear that the doors have been forced, pulling their remains aside the hot air within rolls out carrying the smell of death, within the entrance lobby three bodies have been crudely crucified on the inner doors, two female & one male, gagging back the stench the bodies are dragged outside, there is no mistaking the pleasure that has been taken in torturing their broken bodies. Illyra guesses that the females were in their twenties & the male was considerably older, all have been dead for several week,s however from the scratch marks on the timbers & broken nails they survived for several days after crucifixion.
The inner doors also have been forced but remain usable, carefully pushing the doors open more bodies are visible on the stone flags, entering the ground floor, internally some forty five by fifty five feet with six rough hewn square stone columns supporting the floor above, seven sky city infantry's broken bodies are sprawled across the floor, there is also the body of a huge creature, part serpent, part humanoid (female). Looking around it is clear that most of the dead sky city troops died at the hands of the towers guardian.
The bodies of the troops have been hacked & battered presumably with the enormous broad sword still in the hands of the guardian, it takes Molin both hands to handle the sword, he shakes his head at its ridiculous weight & along with its matching shield moves them to one side. At the foot of the stairs two of the bodies whilst wounded by sword are also charred & the stairs around them scorched in several places.
A separate set of stairs running beneath the stairs to the first floor lead down into darkness below.
Realising that soon darkness will fall, the bodies are dragged outside, the outer gate secured as best it can be, the animals fed & a fire lit within the grate. There are no windows to the ground floor however there is a plentiful supply of firewood & unused torches stacked against the walls. There is little else to be found other than overturned chairs, tables, smashed pots & pans &, in one corner, a pile a skins & straw which presumably was the bed of the guardian.
As evening settles in the four agree not to wait until the morrow to explore the floors above however they concur to leave the cellar below until the rising of the sun. Whilst Molin & Tharla prepare a supper & straighten up the ground floor as best they can Kilite & Illyra quietly tread the stairs to the floor above.
Returning back to the others they report that the first floor appears to be the living quarters of Kest-I-Mond's servants, there are good cooking facilities, plenty & varied stored provisions, wine, water & ale as well as sleeping compartments for the house staff. The columns continue as timber & the floor is well ventilated from numerous openings in all elevations. On the down side there are several more butchered servants & three burnt sky city troops.
Pushing up the top level they find an Aladdin's cave, obviously Kest-I-Mond's private quarters/workshop. The entire floor is a single room with one corner curtained off behind which is the mage's bed. The room is littered with a multitude of arcania of all descriptions & without doubt it has housed the final stand of the mighty Kest-I-Mond. His ripped apart & mangled remains are roughly in the center of the room, from the state of the room he cast many powerful spells before being overcome. Around the head of the stairs are the burnt corpses of seven more sky city troopers, across the room. Lying next to Kest-I-Mond is an ornately carved staffs, the crown of which is surmounted with a large ruby, at his waist, still sheathed, is a particularly well-balanced engraved long sword.
Long into the night the four search the ransacked chamber finding many items of value & interest, the most concerning aspect however is the large overturned & mangled cage close by Kest-I-Mond's resting place, there is no sign of its former inmate & the group assume/hope that it has fled the seen.
One final search of the room finds a concealed compartment within the back of the large inglenook fireplace, opened with one of the keys found on a chain around the mage's neck, inside there are several rings & a scroll. Noting the ladders, which presumably lead to the flat roof, the four return to the ground floor to try & get some rest before continuing their search.
Having elected to take first watch Tharla fills the hours casting numerous spells of identification on the magical items recovered from above. Unable to wait until daybreak, curiosity gets the better of Molin & he rises from his pallet & joins Kilite in front at the hearth. Disturbed by the chatter around the fire Tharla & Illyra are woken & reluctantly agree to an earlier search of the cellar than intended.
Molin, torch held aloft, carefully descends the cellar steps into a small unlit & odorous room, about a quarter of the area of the tower above, with a low vaulted roof. In the opposite corner a low arch leads onto a descending flight of stone stairs cut into the bedrock. Watched from the stairs by his comrades Molin crosses the floor towards the archway, as he does so, what was assumed to be a stinking pile of rags unfolds & a large gangly ape like figure rises bellowing. As it charges across the cellar Molin drops the torch & hefts his axe, braced to meet the flailing limbs of the creature. Delivering a monstrous blow Molin is surprised when the beast continuous to rake its talons across his torso. Staring from the stairs Tharla & Kilite are unable to assist as Illyra, standing transfixed, blocks their path. To their horror Molin drops in a fountain of blood, a gaping wound across his chest.
Staring into the face of the creature, Illyra can see its immense flared nostrils sniffing the air, also however she can see its scared, burnt & blinded face. Reacting to the bustling from behind Illyra regains her composure & as the beast leaps towards her she thrusts forward her hand & lets fly one, then a second stream of flame from the ring on her finger. Seeing Illyra's action Kilite casts & unleashes an arrow of flame.
Tortured beyond belief by flames anew, the creature thrashes in all directions catching the slumped Molin a heavy blow, seeing the beast mortally wounded Illyra again bombards its body in a third gout of flame.
As its charred corpse collapses, Tharla pushes past the others & desperately tries to stem the flow of blood from Molin's gaping chest, realising that bandages alone are not sufficient she fumbles through her pouches &, almost to late, forces a potion of healing through his blued lips.
Later as Molin slumbers peacefully in front of the fire, the others gather in the, now, silent cellar, determined to discover what lies beyond the arch. Striding forward & into the descending stairway & corridor beyond, they are assaulted & near over powered by a foul stench, gagging, eyes watering, a quick retreat is made, maybe the cellar can wait until tomorrow.