Chapter 3: The secrets of Tegel

The party have left the old, wounded, and children that survived the razing of Eros with the sisters at the Abbey. Moep was able to procure a sack of traveling rations for himself.

Making their way into the town proper just after noon, the group was able to catch the end of the first day of Market. Lars was able to sell a bit of the crop brought along from Eros. Most of the parties gains were spent at the stall of Marcus the Decent, a merchant and seller of a great many things.

A few rumors were overheard, and the tale of the fate of Eros began to quickly spread. Friar Beavis headed to the White Horse Tavern to procure some holy vintage and gather news.

As evening fell, the entire group retired to the White Horse where ale and the tale of the "Starless Sea" was told by Lars!
Even Moep found himself reliving the terror of that adventure all over again, thakfully he could drown his fears in ale!

By  midnight the tales of Tegel town and the Manor on the hill flowed freely. Hasnovar the tavern keeper told Tyrrian when asked of Tegel Manor itself;

"I'd not send my worst enemy to that place, young sir! Cursed it is, all those who go there die within days of being there. Or just never come back, that's fer sure!"

By mid-morning of the 2nd day of Market, Lars led the group to Altharonthas boarding house and got rooms for all. Sally arrived with a satin pillow of Tarantian make under her arm. Just then a group of militiamen arrived with an invitation from the Mayor to come for late breakfast.

The Mayor Ternelmor related the woes that had begun to fall upon Tegel town in the past few weeks. This seemed to fall in line with what had befallen the town of Eros as well. The evil of Tegel Manor has taken root again and begun to spread into the land itself. But of more pressing need was for heroes to cleanse the local graveyard and the old Temple on the hill. The rumor that the Mayor could indeed turn "Steel into Gold" seemed to hold a bit of truth. Gold indeed if the party can sanctify the Temple on the Hill for the town.

Gathering the wayward members of the group the party set out for the hill by noon. At the outskirts of town Tyrrian reveals the secret of the parchment he found sewn into the hem of his cloak. A partial map of Tegel manor and clues to evil within. Also that last night Tarek had come into possession of a certain Title Deed for the Manor itself!

Atop the wooded hill the graveyard seemed quaint and undisturbed in the noon sun. The old Temple was truly old, and had to be searched before Lars discovered a secret latch that uncovered a steep and descending stair!

Lighting torches, Bull Zi followed by Sven and Thora (with torch) led the descent. A musty cobwebbed chamber was discovered with a dark exit off to the right (east), and the northwest corner of the chamber was filled with rubble from a prior collapse. A single skeletal hand peeking out from the rocks.

Wary of a possible trap Lars moved forward to aid Bull Zi in a quick search for deadfalls. Coming to the conclusion that this was nothing more than an old cave in, Lars began to supervise the removal of rubble to uncover the body. Within moments the body was revealed to be a dwarf with a crushed skull and the strap of a large bag over its shoulder. With Thora's torch for light Lars, Sven and Bull Zi began to dig in earnest. The rest of the party waited by the starwell, and Moep made sure he had a clear pathway of escape.

Suddenly the walls and floor shook as a tremor spooked everyone, the caved in area explode in a cloud of dust, dirt and rock as a hideous bug like creature burst out of the wall! Easily twice the size of Sven the monster lunged forward thrashing its clawed arms and gnashing its mandibles! Lars saw Thora was frozen in fright and attempted to push out of the path of the monster, but he slipped in loose rubble and was only able to watch with the others as the thing clawed Thora with such force she was thrown 10ft back to slam into the wall next to the stairwell. Moep quickly went to aid Thora, in the flickering light of the single torch held by Tom he could not tell the extent of her injuries. Sven retrieved his axe from the floor by his feet and laid into the creature with blow that cracked its chitinous armoured hide and black blood flowed freely!  A quick but tense melee ensued as the creature was harried by Bull Zi, Tyrrian, Sally and much admonishment from Friar Beavis! Garrotte attempted to aid Moep who now relit Thora's dropped torch and they discovered she was far beyond aid.

Lars recovered a leather shoulder bag from the dwarf corpse, and the party opted to take Thora back above ground for burial before continuing. Above ground Calis who had stayed to keep watch points towards the coast and the storm clouds that had begun to gather. "Something unnatural, I feel." he mutters.

As a grave is dug for Thora, the sun is blocked out and the day becomes like night. A cold biting rain begins to fall and the group turns back toward the dark stairwell that descends to an unknown fate for all.