Furyondy: Rathskellor & the Eye of Glirek
Wealsun (VI) 592 - Rathskellor Tower & the Eye of Glirek
Returning to Chendl, Sister Slainie uses her church ties to care for the northern refugees, with financial aid from Sir De Cervange. They seek audience to report what they learned and are greeted rather inhospitably by none other than the Connétable of Furyondy (overall military leader), First Officer of the Crown, His Grace Maxellen Valenay de Chezal, Count of Vorlende and Nephew to the King. They nonetheless learn there not only La Redoute but also the northern capital of Caleport has been invaded and taken by the Drow and their Forest Goblin allies.
Soon after, the heroes get embroiled with the King's justice when Drow items are not returned to the Crown, as per royal decree. An officer-bailiff of the court, Jeffroy Le Béron, deals with the matter and stiff fines are levied.
Lady Ursini goes to the Celestial school of Magic, the Academia Arcanis, where she is surprised to find wizard refugees from Caleport, Initiate Agnien D'Isenbart and aged Master Hervoet Lanier, former apprentice to the famous Archmage Sorgan. They were saved by 2 mysterious half-eves whom Ursini recognizes by their facial tattoos, through Helio's diary (now lost at La Redoute), as the Half-Drow brothers Uthan and Aeltrax in magical disguise, sons of Lolth and the Archmage Glendower of the Valley of the Mage.
After initial mistrust, some information is exchanged. Uthan tells them knowledge can be learned at the nearby Tower of Rathskellor about the Egg they retrieved from the Drow in the North bearing the Mark of the Dark Spawn, used to defile. Rathskellor can also yield answers to the enlightened that seek it. Uthan surmises the 12 cloistered mystics of the Tower might open their door to an apprentice of Sorgan, and someone clever enough to answer their mystic riddles may be allowed to gleam into their oracle knowledge. He also says he knows a Drow who might be willing to cooperate to assist returning the Egg to its former self. Telyniar's mentor had informed his pupil something pure was held within, but only a true Dark Elf could help cleanse the defilement.
The heroes take up the challenge and are allowed within Rathskellor. The 3 leaders of the mystics, Mhinrek the Grey, Telfalas Ebonstar and Forghen the Wise, confront Lady Ursini with their riddle which she passes. Basked in the mystics fumes of the Tower she gleams knowledge on how to break the enemies alliance. She sees what is needed is the Eye of Glirek. Slainie's knowledge allows the heroes to learn it is probably located at Beory's Well, at the junction of Tear (lake) and the Dark Forest, the well being a metaphor for an entrance into the underdark. De Cervange resists the intoxicating powers of the oracle fumes, that has rendered all lethargic in mystic trance. He is able to carry his drugged comrades outside: who knows how long they would have remained in the Reveries of D'Arghirik where they gained this insight?
One more influence is felt while within the Tower, one unrelated to the Quest for the Eye of Glirek. An evil influence called the Rings of Draxhoul taints the place. It is linked somehow to Telfalas Ebonstar, whom the heroes view as an elf but Telinyar later recounts there are no elven mystics at Rathskellor. Another point of note is the heroes deduce correctly the name of the Tower is linked to the Titan Rathkra (from Helio's diary).
They trek to Beory's well, now in possession of the Dragon-Horn Akilias, who was retrieved by Bishop Bombakar during the ransom exchange for young Lord Cerbros Vesvakis, then given to Telyniar to study as per the deal struck with the Elves.
At the well they find the entrance to the underdark and proceed inside. They find a lair guarded by a monstrous Roper and Kobolds led by Glirek, a massive Formorian Giant. His over-sized evil eye lays down curses of deformity, fortunately countered by Slainie and Ursini's respective divine and arcane magics. Finally defeated, Glirek's eye is removed, and his medallion pendant, a huge symbol of Pelor, taken. Also found are a strange glowing green stone inside a dead roper's gizzard that seems to have poisoned the creature from within. They also find a man-size humanoid rat skull and a strange rune of a horned rat. And a rat's tail: a clue from Mhinrek about something of importance they were to find in their quest. Who are these mysterious rat creatures defeated by Glirek and his minions?
The giant symbol of Pelor and the green stone are left at the Academia Arcanis in Chendl. Bishop Bombakar arranges a meeting with the veteran inquisitor Gilebert Gaiac. It is decided he will accompany the heroes back to Beory's Well to insure there are no passageways from the underdark that threaten Furyondy from below. Two Dwarves of the Giggun clan, Thulmir Boulderboot and Undroum Ironbelt, also join the expedition. Thulmir, a longbeard (elder), is a master of underway passages, mining and tunnels.
Back underground, Sir Du Marais proposes the dwarves get to work preparing to collapse the passageway while they press deeper to better understand who has built it. Thulmir's investigation points to an engineering device having being used to dig it.
The heroes encounter Glirek's followers: a large tribe of Cyclops numbering at least over a dozen. Kobold minions, including a few Carrion Crawler riders, serve the one-eyed giants. Combat ensues with the Cyclop rearguard, caught feasting on recently killed humanoid ratmen corpses. 5 cyclops and a few Kobolds are slain but enemy numbers begin to grow. Gaiac valiantly sacrifices himself to buy precious moments to allow a retreat. Telyniar calls upon a great mist to cover the heroes' escape. Du Marais's precautionary use of dwarven craft pays off: Thulmir lights a fuse and the tunnel collapses, sealing the passage behind them. Beory's Well is closed for the time being.
Returning to Chendl, Sister Slainie uses her church ties to care for the northern refugees, with financial aid from Sir De Cervange. They seek audience to report what they learned and are greeted rather inhospitably by none other than the Connétable of Furyondy (overall military leader), First Officer of the Crown, His Grace Maxellen Valenay de Chezal, Count of Vorlende and Nephew to the King. They nonetheless learn there not only La Redoute but also the northern capital of Caleport has been invaded and taken by the Drow and their Forest Goblin allies.
Count Maxellen Valenay
Soon after, the heroes get embroiled with the King's justice when Drow items are not returned to the Crown, as per royal decree. An officer-bailiff of the court, Jeffroy Le Béron, deals with the matter and stiff fines are levied.
Jeffroy Le Béron
Lady Ursini goes to the Celestial school of Magic, the Academia Arcanis, where she is surprised to find wizard refugees from Caleport, Initiate Agnien D'Isenbart and aged Master Hervoet Lanier, former apprentice to the famous Archmage Sorgan. They were saved by 2 mysterious half-eves whom Ursini recognizes by their facial tattoos, through Helio's diary (now lost at La Redoute), as the Half-Drow brothers Uthan and Aeltrax in magical disguise, sons of Lolth and the Archmage Glendower of the Valley of the Mage.
After initial mistrust, some information is exchanged. Uthan tells them knowledge can be learned at the nearby Tower of Rathskellor about the Egg they retrieved from the Drow in the North bearing the Mark of the Dark Spawn, used to defile. Rathskellor can also yield answers to the enlightened that seek it. Uthan surmises the 12 cloistered mystics of the Tower might open their door to an apprentice of Sorgan, and someone clever enough to answer their mystic riddles may be allowed to gleam into their oracle knowledge. He also says he knows a Drow who might be willing to cooperate to assist returning the Egg to its former self. Telyniar's mentor had informed his pupil something pure was held within, but only a true Dark Elf could help cleanse the defilement.
The heroes take up the challenge and are allowed within Rathskellor. The 3 leaders of the mystics, Mhinrek the Grey, Telfalas Ebonstar and Forghen the Wise, confront Lady Ursini with their riddle which she passes. Basked in the mystics fumes of the Tower she gleams knowledge on how to break the enemies alliance. She sees what is needed is the Eye of Glirek. Slainie's knowledge allows the heroes to learn it is probably located at Beory's Well, at the junction of Tear (lake) and the Dark Forest, the well being a metaphor for an entrance into the underdark. De Cervange resists the intoxicating powers of the oracle fumes, that has rendered all lethargic in mystic trance. He is able to carry his drugged comrades outside: who knows how long they would have remained in the Reveries of D'Arghirik where they gained this insight?
One more influence is felt while within the Tower, one unrelated to the Quest for the Eye of Glirek. An evil influence called the Rings of Draxhoul taints the place. It is linked somehow to Telfalas Ebonstar, whom the heroes view as an elf but Telinyar later recounts there are no elven mystics at Rathskellor. Another point of note is the heroes deduce correctly the name of the Tower is linked to the Titan Rathkra (from Helio's diary).
They trek to Beory's well, now in possession of the Dragon-Horn Akilias, who was retrieved by Bishop Bombakar during the ransom exchange for young Lord Cerbros Vesvakis, then given to Telyniar to study as per the deal struck with the Elves.
At the well they find the entrance to the underdark and proceed inside. They find a lair guarded by a monstrous Roper and Kobolds led by Glirek, a massive Formorian Giant. His over-sized evil eye lays down curses of deformity, fortunately countered by Slainie and Ursini's respective divine and arcane magics. Finally defeated, Glirek's eye is removed, and his medallion pendant, a huge symbol of Pelor, taken. Also found are a strange glowing green stone inside a dead roper's gizzard that seems to have poisoned the creature from within. They also find a man-size humanoid rat skull and a strange rune of a horned rat. And a rat's tail: a clue from Mhinrek about something of importance they were to find in their quest. Who are these mysterious rat creatures defeated by Glirek and his minions?
Kobolds and their trained Carrion Crawler mounts
Roper guardian to Glirek's cave
Glirek the Formorian Giant
Inquisitor Gilebert Gaiac
Back underground, Sir Du Marais proposes the dwarves get to work preparing to collapse the passageway while they press deeper to better understand who has built it. Thulmir's investigation points to an engineering device having being used to dig it.
The heroes encounter Glirek's followers: a large tribe of Cyclops numbering at least over a dozen. Kobold minions, including a few Carrion Crawler riders, serve the one-eyed giants. Combat ensues with the Cyclop rearguard, caught feasting on recently killed humanoid ratmen corpses. 5 cyclops and a few Kobolds are slain but enemy numbers begin to grow. Gaiac valiantly sacrifices himself to buy precious moments to allow a retreat. Telyniar calls upon a great mist to cover the heroes' escape. Du Marais's precautionary use of dwarven craft pays off: Thulmir lights a fuse and the tunnel collapses, sealing the passage behind them. Beory's Well is closed for the time being.
Cyclop
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