The wedding of Churchkey

The Vanguard is dazed for a moment. Slowly everyone has takes stock of themselves and their friends. Once it is realized that everyone is alive and the major ichor is brushed off armor and plucked out of hair a plan is again formed.

First, the coffins are destroyed, shattered in to splinters and unrecognizable planks of wood. Todd is stashed in Barrett’s haversack and Jenyas body is gently laid to rest on Churchkey’s horse. Ice walls are breached and plans are made.

The group makes its way back downstairs to where the “spawn” and the church business chambers are. All creatures are spiked no matter what. From there the group begins a detailed search of the two remaining rooms in the Church of Wee Jas. It is quite evident that the first room is that of Ike Iverson. There are no special or out of place items. Although the flagrant misuse and abuse of Wee Jas religious relics is appalling, there are no documents other than church business. After some careful pouring over of church financial records (happens over the next 24 hours) the church is basically broke. Ike and Embril have used every copper. (see below)


The next room is obviously Embril’s. It looks perfectly preserved and unused for months. Clothes are missing and a very slight amount of dust covers everything in the room. After some careful research there is a false bottom found in a desk drawer where three potions and some letters are recovered. It takes some time to read through all the letters. They are all very cryptic and hard to follow (being all one sided).

From there it is decided that Jennya’s body should be placed on the balcony to be exposed to sunlight to remove the vampirism.

Because the group can’t just leave the temple and Churchkey is to be wed is three hours, it is decided that Barrett and Pepper will stay behind. In the meantime the rest of the Vanguard make their way to the Lathenmire’s. Here they send the Redshield’s back to help protect the temple and then get to wedding preparations. Bathing feels like a week of sleep not to mention the arrival of guests to keep one awake.

In a small wedding in the Lathenmire’s great room; Bolgrim gives a sermon to stir the soul and adds some much needed levity to a heavy and burdensome time. By 9:20 Anna Taskerhill and Paulus “Churchkey” Matrius are married. With happiness and glint in their eye, they kiss for all to see. From here a brunch with wild soups, meats poached in coconut milk, grilled vegetables and stuffed venison. A bounty of food for all appropriately ended with a table of sweet treats for every tooth and pallet.

As the guests are leaving and saying their goodbyes it come to the attention of the married couple, their friends and family that a large group (15 or so) ½ Orc mercenaries are taking careful notes across the street. It takes very little deliberation before the ravishing and silver tongued Anna Matrius walks to guards with a smile on her face. Cora and Zachary are standing close by and the rest of the group watch nervously from windows. Conversation waxes and wanes and there are moments of hands slipping to blade but in the end, the talents of Anna win out and the mercenaries make the leave.

The rest of the day is spent with family and lone time for the newly weds.

•••

Meanwhile back at the Temple of Wee Jas. Pepper, Barrette and the Redshields have begun to take in their surroundings. They are looking at cleanup of bodies, research of materials and how to dispose of all the vampires. All of this and shortly there after a small stream of water begins to pour down the stairs from the hundreds of cubic feet of ice that are melting. After about 30 min of wandering and looking in the nooks and crannies of the church there is a heavy knocking on the door. Barrette and Pepper look out over the Balcony and see 8 Acolytes with buckets and other implement of cleaning. Additionally, stone masons are showing up as are the young priests giving out the daily prayers to the people on the steps of the new Cathedral.

The thrumming of the Acolytes pounding on the door puts Barrette and Pepper into a quick discussion as to what to do… Perhaps a minute later Barretts magical hat is throne on Peppers head and Pepper morphs into Ike Iverson. Moving onto the Balcony in his new disguise, Pepper gives a short prayer and says the Cathedral is almost ready to be opened. We are however in the midst of doing some rituals of blessing and so the church will remain closed for the day.

Jennya’s body is placed carefully on Ike’s bed and from here the party sits.

The Redshield’s spend most of their time making sure all the spiked Spawn stay spiked. Barrette is bored and Pepper is reading over church records and the letters recovered from Embril’s room. Of the cryptic letters found earlier that day there is not much information. However, there is one letter that is damning. This letter alone brings Embril from the ranks of “give her the benefit of the doubt” to “definitely bad and must be dealt with”.

Pepper receives a message from Anna at Churchkey’s request asking how they are. Pepper responds, “All is well, sent workers home for the day, uncovered interesting information we should discuss. CONGRAGULATIONS!”

That evening Barrette slips out of the Church and makes his way to Churchkey. He grabs a bunch of food, chats and dumps Jenya’s body out for Bolgrim to raise dead.

That next morning, before the sun has had a chance to rise, the Vanguard and the Stormblades make their way to the Church of WeeJas. At dawn, all of the spawn, except for 1 are put on the balcony to be permanently destroyed by the sun.

Pepper, dresses like Ike and then dons Barrette’s hat of disguise. He gives another speech on the balcony telling them to take the rest of the week off, the ritual will take longer than expected. The Acolytes leave, seeming concerned and whispering anxiously amongst themselves.

At this, Donner, dressed as the merchant, goes and finds Skellerang. Skellerang follows Donner back to the church but is wary of an ambush. He has sergeants and magic wielding gnomes follow him to the church. Here there is a standoff. Skellerang calls out Churchkey and the group. It doesn’t take long for an agreement. Everyone is to vacate the Church except for Churchkey and then Skellerang will enter alone for a one-on-one meeting. This is agreed to. With the large show of force, not to mention the whole of the local heroes in front of the new cathedral a crowd begins to form.

Skellerang and Churchkey have a long discussion, lasting more than an hour. The crowd sees Skellerang walk onto the balcony. From here he gives a speech. Not a great speech but an honest speech. One that gives thanks to the Vanguard and Stormblades. One that says that the city has been duped by the current rulership of WeeJas and once things are sorted out, the law abiding true followers of the faith are welcome to return to their place of warship. That until the Lord Mayer and Vhelantru are found, Skellerang will run the city.

The next day (Day 5)

Bolgrim raises Alec Tercival and casts spells to shield him. Then, everyone prepares for the public wedding.

There is a new freshness in the air. People are baking and as if by magic people have placed laced flowers bridging the streets as acts of true altruism. Although the mercenaries are still abundant and the taxes are still abhorrent, people can see the change. There is a sense of cooperation again, Noble families that have problems with one another have taken their struggles from open fist-fights to back door political maneuvers. Some kind of veil has been lifted and is marked by the public wedding of Churchkey and Anna.

Baths for all then clothing and regalia are handed out. As an added bonus, Pepper has the spire on the top of the cathedral of WeeJas toppled. Again, the Church of Pelor sparkles in the sun again.

That afternoon there is a grand wedding. The church of Pelor is packed to the gills and the streets are lined with well-wishers. Carriage after carriage bring guests to the Chalice for a dinning and dancing experience. An exhausted, but much more rested Skellerage makes a short appearance but makes his leave to for duty calls. That evening in their private guest chamber is a gift basket with expensive oils, perfumes, fruits from Barrette.

The next morning, the happy guests are unexpectedly not brought home via the carriage, but to one of the now abandoned buildings in the city. There the Matrius’ and Taskerhill’s await. A small army of workmen are already at work converting this one-time Rug shop into the new home of Churchkey and Anna. Churchkey and Anna spend a good amount of time together that day and on the morrow, planning and work begins again.

The following day, the crew begins training new skills and honing their old. They learn new spells and research clues.

Anna begins research with Pepper on:
Vittris Bale and Karan-Kural
Pepper also casts a Hallow spell on the church of WeeJas. It at least cancels the UnHallow that was shadowing the Cathedral.

Skellerage has dropped taxes by 10% and fired 10% of the ½ Orc mercenary army that was infecting the town. He also reinstates the Caulderon Broadsides. Their first interview? Churchkey!

From here the Vanguard helps Churchkey unlock another attribute of Alakast. They make a five day trek into the mountains and down into a steam vent. At the appropriate spot they smash through the rocky crust and expose the magma below. It is here that Churchkey must submerge part of his body. Then, on his way back to Cauldron, they summon a devil and Churchkey slaughters the creature with but a few nicks and scratches.

When the group returns, Anna has a whole bunch information she found about Vittrisss Bale.

Vitriss Bale is a Green Dragon that lived a thousand or so years ago. Vittris was hired by the spell weavers to protect the their city Karran Kural. They promised Vittris eternal life for his task. The inhabitants of Karran Kural have left, or died out… no one really knows. However, Karran Kural is the neighboring community to where the Demon Scar currently is located. Unfortunatly no one knows how to enter except via the last time everyone entered which is a long treck

So the Vanguard packs up… they bring the Redshields with them and head to Redgorge.
Then get on boats and a day down river they beach next to the boat they left behind 5 months ago.
From here they trek into the Jungle for just over a day and find the giant mettle tube.
Maneuvering through the maze, the party emerges into the ear-shattering canyon of the demon scar
The group gives the password to the Ogres that are protecting the enterence and from there the group spends the rest of the day relaxing and chatting with Dugobras. Most importantly, people get their new equipment and the Redshields now know the “trade rout”.

It is in the safety of Dugobras’ chambers that we leave our adventurers.

Todd is Dead... again. (Jan 25, 2009)

Charging after the swarm of bats seems to be the unified thought of the Vanguard. Only one member opts to wait and that’s Pepper. Hoping to minimize further attacks on Bolgrim, Pepper Deathwards Bolgrim.

For the next 12 second everyone is running after the swarm of bats heading back towards the Church nave. The bats amass in a massive swarm of black, screeching madness. Bolgrim yells out that Todd has turned to gas and slipped through a door.

Here Connal steals himself and charges into the black chaos. The bats claw and bit generating a lot of blood, but not a lot of damage. Connal feels along the wall until his had finds its way onto a door handle. Quickly, Connal turns the knob and shoulders his way into the room beyond.

Connal yells, “I’m through!” and takes in the room. Its a small room at the base of a tower containing a large spiral staircase. At this the group moves through the dark and damaging swarm of bats. Donner swiftly charges up the stairs and yells down to his companions, “The gas is going upstairs” Churchkey casts a prayer to keep everyone protected.

Todd changes back into a solid form and begins running up the stairs. Connal, freaks and in blind rage charges up the stairs. Donner easily steps by Connal, places a foot on the wall and literally leaps over Todd. Todd reaches up and grabs a hold of Donner, trying to force him back. Todd’s angle is bad and Donner just barely makes it past Todd, lands clumsily but a foot jabs into Todd’s stomach. Barrett charges up the stairs to help join the fray.

Todd tries to retaliate but misses. Connal sees his chance and raising his sword above his head bring it down in a mighty strike. The sickening sound of bone shattering strikes the ears but Todd seems unaffected but is then quickly struck by two solid blown from above by Donner. Todd turns back to gas and this is quickly noted to those below on the staircase.

In the mean time the rest of the group has made it through the bat swarm and has put their energy into healing and protection spells. Churchkey yells, “Where is the cloud going?”

The gas cloud begins to move at its easy to follow pace up the stairs. The Vanguard follow by passing two doors on the way. All the while Bolgrim (from the back) is yelling that we need to kill him in his coffin.

Then the mist slides under a door. Still in a rage Connal blindly attacks the door scream for the demise of Todd. Donner deftly reaches under Connal and turns a doors handle. The door opens with a crash and before the party is a wide stairway that at its terminus takes a 90 degree turn to the left. Still in a rage, Connal charges up the stairs and turns the corner. Donner, a bit more cautious moves to the top of the stairs and gingerly peers around the corner.

The rest of the group is gathered along the stairway when Bolgrim (still with “true sight” enchanting his eyes) steps into the room and realizes that there is a huge illusion cast in this room. The hallway at the top of the stairs does not exist. On either side of the hallway are five 9’ tall Zombies poised and surrounding Connal. He also takes note that the room is huge and suspended from the 50’ ceiling by a 10’ chain is a soulcage. Standing on the air, above the cage is a human with multiple versions of himself casting spells.

Bolgrim yells a warning, “We are in an illusion – actually in a huge room – cage above us.”

Once warned, Peppers magical training kicks in and he immediately sees through the illusion. Noting Ike is the one next to the cage, he casts “shield” on himself.

Donner also sees through the illusion and yells “Connal, watch out – undead next to you” he then takes a short step and seems to punch through the wall. In reality he makes four solid punches into one of the massive Zombies. Due to Donner’s position, he can also see that in the center of the room is a dais and on that dais are two coffins, and a third in the making. There is also a huge creature with skin taught over its muscles and horns. A long prehensile tail whips dangerously behind.

Moving up the stairs, and using the elevation as a defensive move Barrett’s deadly lash cuts into the Zombie who’s focus is Donner’s.

At this, Ike’s spell is finished being cast and a pillar of unholy fire arches down from above dowsing most of the party in a blast furnace of heat. Burnt flesh and hair fill the room... but the fire was not the most dangerous thing Ike does that round.... spittle and the word, “Attack!” lunge from his mouth... and the room erupts in deadly combat.

What later is identified as a Bone Devil summons the realm of magic. The moisture in the air condenses and freezes and begins to form around Pepper. Pepper flexes his proverbial muscles of magic and shatters the crystalline structure. Moving like a shadow and a wisp a large wraith charges Connal. Its eerie hand reaches into Connal’s flesh becoming solid for a moment and then wisps out of his flesh. Connal jerks and muscles tense from the pain. But Connal keeps fighting.

Connal, now able to see the Zombies swings in his maddened state at a Zombie. Chuncks of flesh break off like a lumberjack attacking a tree. Bolgrim using the power of Palor shoots a light of pure good at a zombie. Char and visible damage are evident, but the zombie continues to move.

Churchkey turns to Pepper, “Ike has turned! Pepper, get him!” Churchkey tries to shuck off the zombies with his own divine might, but the evil of this chamber is too great and weakens Palors touch.

In an act of pure bravery and wild intentions, Donner activates his boots of spider climbing and dimension doors to the top of the cage. His boots adhere to the top of the soul cage. Pepper, launches four screaming bolts of energy at the images around Ike taking three out. Only two images left and Ike, the problem is to figure out who is who. Ike, shocked by the sudden danger tries to cast a spell on Donner, but is flummoxed and fails to cast. He takes a step back, still walking on air.

Barrett still hammering on a zombie finally rips one of its bloodless legs off. The Zombie falls to the ground limp. the other Zombies descend on Connal. Connal can barely stand, bloodied and broken. His rage is all that keeps him standing. As a coup-de-gras the wrath steps in takes another swipe at Connal’s soul. This time Connal stairs at the wraith... locking eyes and with raw determination denies the wraith his treasure.
Todd reforms in his coffin... conscious, Todd is unable to move or react to anything for an hour. It is maddening trying to figure out what is happening, only able to see the actions of Donner and Ike as they are directly above him.

Connal on the verge of collapse strikes at a Zombie, his strength is at a place where his sword is weighing heavy in his hands. Bolgrim, runs to Connal’s aid and hits him with raw healing power unmatched by anyone in the Vanguard. Connal’s muscles heal and bruises disappear. The spark reappears in Connal's eyes.

At the same time the Bone Devil again crystallizes the water in the air making a wall 12’ high and 1’ thick cutting Pepper off from the rest of the party but putting Pepper and the Bone Devil a good 50’ form one another. In a life saving desperation, Pepper dimension doors across the room.

Not sure what to do, Donner throws his kama’s at Ike hoping to remove one of the magical images. Success. Now it is down to two versions of Ike. Ike responds... a magical dagger flys out of Ike’s hand and begins jabbing and stabbing at Donner as if it had a mind of its own.

Barrett quickly realizing the big threat in the room is the wraith, moves forward and lashes his mighty chain. The Chain ineffectively passes through the body of the wraith as if it where a shadow.

Churchkey charges forward as well, due to the raw power of Alakast the wraith is unable to resist and seems shocked to have been hit. Alakast is screaming in Churchkey’s mind, “The Devil... kill the devil!”

The wraith quickly turns its attention at Churchkey and reaches into the heart of Churchkey and pulls. It is a struggle to the outside person lasts but a split second, within the spirit of Churchkey, he and the wraith wrestle and after a long struggle Churchkey casts off the attacker. Although, Churchkey saved his soul, his body did not fare as well.

The Bone Devil begins to section off the room with another wall of ice. This one taller and again isolating Pepper. Pepper, ignores the Devil for now and fires four more bolts at Ike. The remaining image disappears and Ike is hit by two of the sizzling bolts of energy.

Donner sees his chance and leaps of the cage at Ike. He tries to latch onto Ike. Ike and Donner begin to struggle. Ike hammers on Donner’s hands all the while Donner trying desperately to climb higher onto Ike. All the while the annoying and dangerous dagger slashes and jabs into Donner’s flesh. Eventually Donner can’t hold on any longer and falls, landing hard onto the ground 30’ below. If not for Donner’s athletic prowess, broken legs would have been inevitable.

Meanwhile a slugfest is happening below. Churchkey focuses on the wraith and Barrett turns his attention on the far more easy to hit zombies. Bolgrim, again swearing the name of Todd for his lost power shoots another beam of perfect bright holy light into the wraith. The wraith shrieks and spasms. All the while the zombies swing claw with their massive hands at Connal, Churchkey and Barrett.

Pepper, thinking he is temporarily safe from the ever approaching Devil looks up to see that the Devil is now flying and easily moves over the ice barrier and hovers 5’ off the ground be-lining toward Pepper.

Then, Connal in pure exhaustion falls to the ground unconscious. The tremendous damage and effort combined was too much for his body. But not for long... Bolgrim steps in and one more time shoots raw energy of healing into Connal. Connal, still badly beaten and tired staggers up and with shear bravery? stupidity? well either way, Connal attacks a zombie and pulls one down.

Barrett has also been concentrating on one of the huge zombies and pulls another one down at the same time. Donner also pulls himself up and tumbles towards a zombie and heals himself.

Pepper, scared out of his wits tries to dimension door out. The stress of the on-coming devil almost makes Pepper err, but he pulls it off in the end and shoots back to about ½ way down the stairwell.

Ike, angry begins “stepping” down towards the combat. A spell of terrifying power slams into Churchkey. Alakast uses his own will to help buffer Churchkey and with the combined efforts of the Deathward provided by Bolgrim, Churchkey is unaffected. Churchkey strikes with all his might at the wraith and like a candle flame, the wraith is gone.

The Bone devil, frustrated, tries to section off the room but one more time. Churchkey steps into the forming block of ice and shatters the flow of magic stopping the wall all together.

The focus is now the remaining zombies, Ike and the devil. the party is beat to snot but they will not relent. Connal swings again at a zombie trying to protect the nearly dead Bolgrim. Bolgrim steps up and instead of healing himself, rescues the injured Connal. Churchkey takes a moment to survey and quaffs a healing potion. When Pepper changes the tide of battle.

Pepper concentrates on Ike and doing all he can begins to unweave the magic on and around Ike. Ike tries to resist and blocks some of Peppers attempts but is unable to stop them all. Most importantly, Ike stops walking on air and falls with a loud “crunch”.

At this Donner tumbles to Ike; feet and hands making deadly strikes. Ike's armor and Constitution seem to absorb some of the hits and resist the stunning effect. Barratt also strikes. The chain tearing into Ike’s legs.

Ike, stands up and with a spell all too familiar to the party, become a giant version of himself.

The zombies thump into Churchkey dissolving any gain made by his previous healing potion. When another wall of Ice shows up. This wall cuts the party in half.

Donner and Barrett against Ike and a Bone devil

Pepper, Churchkey, Bolgrim and Connal against two huge zombies.

Connal steps in to try and take out a zombie and makes good headway toward his goal. Bolgrim seeing the waning light of Churchkeys life steps in and touches Churchkey healing him. In that effort a zombie hits Bolgrim from behind bringing him dangerously close to death.

Churchkey barks a command, “Pepper, get me through that wall” and attacks a zombie hitting it with a notable crunch. Pepper, swallows hard and tries to dodge by a zombie unsuccessfully. Peppers ears ring from the hit but grabs Churchkey and they blink out of existence... a moment later they are on the other side of the ice wall.

On the other side of the wall Donner puts everything he can against Ike. At this time Barrett whips the chain around the devils waist and pulls... flesh shreds and blood flies and the devil howls in pain. Barrett yanks out a stakes, takes a quick side step and jabs the stake into Todd’s chest. The Devil sends out a pulse of fear. Barrett succumbs to the magic and runs toward the edge of the room.

Ike swings pulls his bladed hand back and two strong swings at Donner. Donner tries to dodge but Ike is too good. The blades find their mark and Donner falls. Pepper quickly casts “Intervention” forcing some healing into Donner as he collapses. Donner still breaths but is unconscious.

Churchkey goes to town on the Devil while Pepper makes a mad dash to Donner's side and casts a major cure spell. Donner stands up, takes a step in and attacks Ike. Ike falls to the ground.

Meanwhile Bolgrim is clobbered by a Zombie and drops to the ground, blood dripping from multiple wounds. Connal runs to his side and heals Bolgrim. Bolgrim’s eyes blink open and return the favor by healing Connal. With this, Connal is almost fresh and with wild abandoned strikes at the remaining zombies. The zombies strike back drawing fresh blood, but with Bolgrim casting one more searing light and Connal’s blade it takes a matter of 15 seconds before their are no more zombies.

The Devil makes a mass of attacks on Pepper. Amazingly Pepper stands until the lightening quick flick of the Devils tail and then Pepper gurgles blood and slumps to the floor. Churchkey charges into the devil swinging the blood lusted Alakast. Again Churchkey says, in a calm but commanding voice, “Donner, attend to the mage.”

Donner does a quick flip and bounds to Peppers side. Quickly pulls a potion from his pouch and begins to force it down Pepper throat.

The Devil now turns its attention toward the heavily wounded Churchkey. The devil finds Churchkey much harder to hit but find his mark a few times. Churchkey returns the favor and with Alakast in hand the devil screams and is returned to his own plane.

With that, the room is quiet except for heavy panting, moans of pain and inquiries as to one another’s health.

Pepper takes the next 3 min and casts a ritual of healing on Bolgrim help to restore the damage by Todd. In that time the group begins to search the room and chips at the ice.

In the room they find:

• one coffin with Todd
• a coffin with Jena’s body in it
• a coffin being built with the name Anna Taskerhill on the brass name plate.
  
  

The group also finds a list on Ike Iverson:

Alek Tercival

Sarcom Delshrn

Kristoff

Mirthan

Jena Urikas

Bolgrim (focus on him)

Ekaym smallcask

Embril Aloustiani

Ruphus Laro

Severan Navalant

Vhalantru (find him)

It is 5:00 AM. The sun is just about to rise over the mountains. The room is beginning to fill with water as the ice melts and there is much to research before Churchkey and Anna are married in a mere 4 hours.