The Cradle of Souls - Chapter 7: Storm in the Castle

Death was no end for me. I am a servant to the Lord of Vengeance, the King of Bones. My faith is unwavering. I will do whatever he asks of me, and none shall stand in my way.

- Corwin Degalli, Revenant of the Bone King

The Society building seemed to be deserted, but as the group stepped inside they learned otherwise. The doors swung closed, but not of their own accord. Two undead with glowing red pinpoint eyes. They barred the way out, but did not approach the group. Knowing the only way out was to fight, they pressed into the display room. A glass floor allowed a view down into the chamber below where more of the societies uncovered artifacts were kept.

Kaden stepped out onto the flood, expecting an attack that never came. He peered into the flood and saw Ulias below. The old man was walking without assistance, despite his deteriorated state. He grinned at Kaden and vanished from sight. Kaden backed out of the room and the group turned to fight their way out. As they did, two more undead appeared from flanking doorways in the hall. Their skulls burned with firelight. Kaden cast a ball of flame behind them, torching both. Neither of them advanced however.

“Please, stay. There is no need to fight.” Ulias said, appearing in the chamber behind them. He swayed unsteadily. “You just need to give the Xirisz Phasygn to me, and I will let you go.”

Not trusting the undead abomination, the group prepared for a fight. Krueler refused to turn the device over, prompting Degalli to attack, though not in the way they expected. From behind the display cases in the large chamber stepped children who walked like the dead.

“You leave me no choice.” Ulias said to Krueler. “Children, flay their flesh.”

The children charged and fearing them to be undead the group attacked. As the first child fell the group discovered they were wrong. From the first to fall came a wraith. Tragedy struck a second time as another of the children fell in the same moment. Realizing what was happening, Altherton and Glorving took up a defensive posture to keep the attacking children from killing themselves. To further the horror occurring, Ulias pulled a black crystal from the folds of his cloak and held it in the air. When he released it, the crystal suspended itself in the air, humming with malevolence. A chill wind began to blow, drawing inward toward the crystal. It was calling out, summoning wraith from beyond.

The battle was in full swing, and fighting the wraith seemed desperate and hopeless at best. Katria was struck several times, her skin had become pale, nearly translucent. Knowing she would not last much longer, Glorving shouted for Krueler to use the Xirisz Phasygn to absorb the dread spirits. Krueler hesitated, struggling with indecision. If he used the device, he was damning himself and everyone else. He couldn't use it, he wouldn't. The wraith struck at Katria again, its touch sapping her life-force further. She fell to her knees, her body slumping. With every ounce of remaining effort she prepared to slash at it. Glorving dropped his defense of the children and rushed in to assist the elf, pushing her out of the way before the creature could finish her off.

As more wraiths flooded in, attracted to the summoning crystal, Krueler steeled his resolve and drew the Xirisz Phasygn from his robes and began absorbing the spirits. With each one destroyed by the artifact everyone in the room began to feel stronger, healthier, and more alert. Krueler and Kaden attacked the crystal with their potent magics, but there appeared to be no effect. The next attack came from Anya-Star who charged the floating crystal with her rapier. As she neared, Ulias turned toward her and began to fall toward the floor. His body crumbled with a sickening crunch, replaced by a new figure; Corwin Degalli.

Anya-Star's blade struck true, chipping the crystal. Degalli unleashed a blast of spirit energy, throwing Anya-Star against the far wall. Katria lifted her self up and charged the crystal herself while Degalli was distracted. Her attack went awry, the arch of her blade glancing along the edge of the crystal. Degalli glanced in her direction and focused his power to drive the crystal into her arm. She screamed out in pain. Degalli danced forward, unleashing more dark energy about the room, the powerful arcs of eldritch energy exploded through the room harming everyone they touched. In moments Degalli stood before Krueler.

Before the dark crystal continued to draw additional wraiths into the area Kaden summoned healing energies to his command and poured its power into the crystal. As the positive energy combined with the negative it caused a powerful reaction; an explosion that took Katria's arm with it. Bleeding profusely and critically injured, Anya-Star and Kaden rushed to her aid. Kaden focused more healing power, but the magic was too weak to make any dent in the wound. Anya-Star crafted an impromptu tourniquet to stop her from bleeding to death.

Unable to react to everything else occurring behind him, Krueler seized the opportunity to slay Degalli once and for all. He swung the Xirisz Phasygn toward him, hoping that he had absorb enough energy to have the power to slay even Degalli. As his hand reached forward with the device slipped from his grasp, landing at Degalli's feet. He leaned down and snatched up the artifact with ease. Seemingly without reason, Degalli used the artifact to absorb the remaining wraiths before leaving the injured party behind.

I will not suffer an attack on my kingdom or my people. I must call my clerists, and the Council Magi to order so that we might assess this threat. Glorman and Worain have clued me in that there is much unrest in the council. Kingdoms and fighting between each other and I have no doubt that this was the first attack from one of my opponents, but who? Hambell? Bask? Pareed? One of these kingdoms is responsible and I must know who.

- Shal'tan Reinhald Brend

Those who had not been injured enough to slow them down (Anya-Star, Arden Krueler, Glorving, and Kaden) pressed onward, hoping to stop Degalli before he could slay the Shal'tan. Altherton remained behind after being repeatedly bit by the children attackers who remained possessed by wraiths even after Degalli had departed. Katria fell as well loosing an arm. She remaining behind to be treated by Anya-Star and the guards who arrived at the battles end.

As they rushed to the castle, they were unprepared for what they found. The bodies of those who had attempted a resistance were splattered about the floors and walls. Their visceral remains burst by energy from the inside out. The nightmare continued into the great ballroom where several more remains were visible spread across the glossy marble floor.

In a corner of the room were the surviving guests, numbering almost 500, all from noble families or royal blood. Keeping them herded were 10 greater wraiths, their departure from humanity having lasted so long that they looked like floating black tattered sheets on a windy day. They remained poised and ready, as though waiting for the silent command that would have them feasting on the essence of the living in seconds.

Across the hall in the dinning area the group found a scattered few who had taken refuge there when Degalli had entered, streaming wraiths from his being. After ushering these survivors to safety, they discovered that one had stayed behind. Decked out in the garb of a mage, the young man introduced himself as a Council magi, and offered his assistance.

They moved on quickly after failing to locate the Shal'tan in either chamber. The path Degalli had taken was not a difficult one to follow, and in the passageways where blood was not present, the cries of those fleeing or dying at his hand were easy to locate. As they rounded one of the halls they met resistance from several wraiths and dispatched them quickly. Beyond the final wraith was a passage descending, from which the sounds of magical combat could be heard.

Rushing down the stairs and ready for any resistance, they discovered Rankeet Lore and two other tower magi slaying a wraith. Several of their brethren lay dead around their feet, and a sealed door was at their rear. Lore quickly filled them in. Degalli had come down the stairs and headed for the castle vault. They had moved to engage but the abomination sent a host of wraiths at them. The angered spirits had driven them into a corner and they fought with every remaining spell. Lore bestowed a powerful magic upon the group that enabled them to hear the thoughts of each other.

Bolstered by magic, the group pressed on, following Lore's instructions for getting to the vault. Their passage was unmolested, and when they reached the vault they found what they were looking for. Corwin Degalli was already beyond the vault door, guarded by 3 more dread spirits. Their new companion sent a fireball into the chamber, consuming the room in flame. As the fires cleared all 3 spirits remained, and Degalli stood as well. He glared at the mage, paralyzing him with fear and images of what the King of Bone would do to him if he tried to intervene again.

Degalli finished grabbing what he was after, stuffing Ehring's Bridge and the Dreamsight Orb into separate magical bags.

“I am not looking for a fight with you.” He told them. “I am only taking what his lordship asked me to retrieve.” As he finished he absorbed the remaining spirits with the Xirisz Phasygn and casually rolled the artifact to the feet of the group. “You will need that I think.”

Krueler reached down and picked up the artifact. Glorving had his hammer at the ready, poised for the moment he could strike down his vile opponent.

“If you insist on fighting me, I will have the wraiths above slay the gathered nobility.” Degalli said casually, hardly caring what happened to the people above, or whether he had to slay his former companions. “But if you let me leave, I will let them live.”

Krueler, Glorving and Kaden went back and forth within their mindlink, trying to decide what to do. Degalli could not be trusted, but if they tried to fight then everyone above was sure to be sacrificed. Unable to allow that to happen, they decided to play into the gamble and allowed Corwin to depart. As he passed they made room for him to move by.

“If you it is your wish, you can hunt me down after I am gone. That is your call.” Degalli told Glorving as he walked by him. The dwarf tightened his grip on his warhammer.

“You can count on it.” he spat back, glaring at the undead monster as it left. In moments Degalli was gone, and all that was left was cold silence. They ventured back up to the ballroom, praying to the gods they had made the right choice.

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