Thay It Ain't So

Siegfried deftly leapt up the crypt’s wall, his feet gaining purchase on the uneven brickwork, and launched himself over the heads of the creatures, landing smartly behind them as Sabine and Alphonse held the line.   A mummy growled and lumbered out of the shadows of the next chamber’s corner towards him.   The mummy’s facemask, carved from Umber Hulk carapace, began to glow in an enticing kaleidoscope of unnatural colours. Too late, Siegfried attempted to avert his gaze, and found his darkvision overwhelmed by the confusing loops and whorls. His inner ear began to protest vigourously. Alphonse bashed the mummy before him with his battleaxe, which struck a glancing blow against the undead creature’s armored hide. The soldier’s follow-up swing bit deeper, but didn’t seem to slow the mummy’s advance. He pulled the battle-axe free and swung again, but failed to connect.   “I’m flummoxed!” he growled.   Sabine stabbed and slashed at the mummy facing her, but her sword failed to dent the undead’s armor.   The mummy retaliated by attempting to blind her using its confusing gaze ability, but the General was able to withstand the creature’s magical attack. The mummy beat its fists against her shield ineffectually.   Alphonse grunted as the mummy before him punched him in the stomach. A curious cold sensation began to emanate from beneath his ring mail armor, as though the creature’s touch had gotten through. Alphonse grit his teeth and managed to fight off the mummy rot .   “Son of a Kirkwallian whore!” Siegfried shouted as he stumbled away from the mummy, fumbling for his scarf as he wound it over his eyes. At the last instant he felt the incoming slam of a mummy’s rotting fist and managed to cast shield , putting up a magical barrier of force that stymied the creature’s attack.   Alphone drew himself up to his full height, towering over the Thayan mummies, and angrily threw down his axe and shield. Flexing his biceps, he shouted “Welcome to Fort Knox!” and grabbed the nearest mummy in a headlock.   Sabine sighed.     Back under the Swamped Docks of Neverwinter, Bob glared fiercely at the approaching pirates, who scampered over the broken crates and piles of rubble, their blades glinting in the glow of the cinders from his last fireball .   They were on him in an instant, cackling cruelly as they slashed at him.   “Little Priest has lost his way, hasn’t he?” One of them laughed as Bob ducked two hard cuts from his scimitar.   “Let’s show him the quickest way to salvation, then!” another shouted, stabbing Bob with a forceful blow that doubled the cleric over.   “Our blades ring true!” a third shouted as he slashed Bob across the back, staggering him.   The first Halfling laughed again as he grabbed the assassin’s body and commence to drag him back towards the tangle of refuse at the base of the cliff.   Across the jetty, the floppy-hatted pirate slashed at Varien with a skilled flourish, and his burly (for a Halfling) partner followed up with an overhand swing that got past the paladin’s defences and opened a savage wound across his middle.   Before Varien could respond in kind, the burly Halfling threw an arm around his partner’s waist, and the first pirate grabbed a rope, cutting it deftly. There was a whizzing sound of rope being drawn through a pulley as a hidden counterweight reeled the rope, and the two Halflings with it, into the air above the dock. The pair of pirates swung halfway across the swamped dockside to land near their companions.   I’d rather fight necrotic demons than be embarrassed by pirate Halflings, Varien thought to himself. He took to the air. “Come on, Bob, we’ve got bigger fish to fry!”   Bob pocketed the pendant and the Hathran mask as Varien scooped him up and flew towards the Sleeping Dragon Bridge.   “That’s right, run!” one of the pirates shouted as the gleeful cackles of his compatriots echoed off the underside of Neverwinter’s docks.     “Just because I can’t see you doesn’t mean I can’t hit you,” Siegfried snarled at the nearest mummy. His improvised blindfold in place, the bard manifested Talon in his free hand and spun about, slashing at the mummy and inflicting considerable damage.   Siegfried could feel some strength as well as clarity returning.   “Let’s unravel this mystery!” Knox shouted as he dug his hands into the mummy’s flesh, dragging the creature to the ground. “Let it rip!” he growled as he pulled on the creature’s wrappings. Inky black ichor poured, sludgelike, from the mummy’s body. The creature wheezed in agony.   Another mummy swung at Alphonse in an attempt to dislodge his fellow undead from the soldier’s grip, but was unsuccessful.   The mummy in Alphonse’s burly arms attempted to wriggle free, but failed.   The last mummy swung at Siegfried and missed.     Sabine took advantage of the situation, slashing the nearest mummy until it fell apart, black blood oozing out in thick ropes from the dismembered corpse.   “Finally!” she shouted in triumph.   Siegfried slashed again at the mummy before him as more of his strength returned. “Son of a Loreleian whore!” he shouted as he ran the creature through.   The mummy turned to Alphonse and struck at him with his rotting fists. “Not so fast!” Sabine said, executing a warding maneuver that focused the mummy’s attack on her instead of her subordinate. The mummy’s fists clanged off her shield.   The stumbling mummy flailed at the half-orc but couldn’t connect.   Alphonse strained as his fingertips slid beneath the mummy’s chest plate. He began to pull with all his strength.   Sabine pressed the attack, landing three solid hits on the nearest mummy, sending it reeling back into Siegfried’s reach.   Siegfried launched a sweeping attack at the mummy. Talon lopped off both the creature’s legs, and the mummy crashed to the floor, shuddering and twitching in a second, final death.   “Let’s Knox this one out of the park,” Alphonse said as he pried the armor plate off the chest of the mummy. Blood and ancient dust poured out as the wrappings strained and tore.   The mummy moaned.   “Death comes a Knoxing!” Knox shouted as he hauled off and struck the creature, tearing into its innards further.   The mummy screamed, its voice like torn parchment.   “Knox knox, who’s there?” Alphonse bellowed as he scooped up his axe to land a killing blow.   The mummy rolled out of the way and the axe bit into the stone floor of the crypt.     Varien flew over Neverwinter’s midnight streets. Few Waukeentide revelers had the presence of mind to look up as the paladin bore his companion over the rooftops at breakneck speed.   Drowning out the sounds of revelry below was the sudden bonging of Neverwinter’s many public clocktowers, marking the end of 10 Tarsakh and the beginning of a new day.   “Thought this day would never end,” Varien muttered to himself. He leaned in and shouted into Bob’s ear. “If I recall correctly, the Sleeping Dragon bridge is the one closest to the docks!”   “How convenient!” the sorcerer shot back as he held on for dear life.”   Sure enough, the form of the dilapidated Sleeping Dragon bridge came into view. From his altitude, Varien could see a knot of Mintarn mercenaries standing around the fallen body of some sort of humanoid creature.   He landed with a skid, causing the mercenaries to go for their swords.   “Who goes there?” one shouted.   “A Friend of Neverwinter,” Varien said with gravitas. “Now, where did they go?” He indicated the fine horses tied up to a nearby stanchion.   “There’s an open sewer beneath the bridge,” one of the Mercenaries said. “The General-”   “Thank you,” Varien said as he shot back into the air and looped down beneath the bridge.   Varien and Bob landed before the sewer opening and crawled inside.   Varien saw a guard standing watch beside a rent in the sewer’s curved wall.   “Did Sabine go in there?” he called out.   The guard’s head jerked up. “Uh, yes?” he said to the paladin and sorcerer.   “Neverwinter thanks you,” Varien said as he brushed past the guard. Bob shrugged at the sentry.   “Uh, you’re welcome?” the guard said in a faltering voice after them.   Varien and Bob picked their way through the southern passageway and found another Mintarn guard standing before yet another hole in the wall. “State your business!” the guard said.   “I’mVarienAFriendOfNeverwinterTheCityThanksYouForYourService-” Varien said as he zipped past the guard.   “We’re investigating an assassination attempt!” Bob called out as Varien pulled him into the passageway. Another guard stood an uneasy watch before a sarcophagus.   “Which way?” Varien shouted.   The guard, wide-eyed, pointed westward.   “Thanks!” Varien and Bob took to the air and blasted through the double doors. The sound of a melee welcomed them.   Varien let go of Bob, who skidded to a stop amid a pool of blood, and landed before the mummy nearest Siegfried. Unsheathing Fiendsbane, he slashed at the undead creature menacing Alphonse and sliced its armour plating clean off.   “Well, that’s obnoxious,” Alphonse said in surprise.   Varien wasn’t done. He used his shield as a lever as he shoved the creature back and then thrust viciously upward with Fiendsbane, going airborne as he drove the blade through the creature’s face and pinned its head to a high point on the crypt wall.   The body hung there for a moment until gravity did its work. There was a ripping sound as the creature’s neck pulled apart like taffy, its body landing heavily on the ground as black, bloody dust leaked from the creature’s disembodied head. Varien pulled Fiendsbane back and the head fell to the crypt’s stone floor, making a wet, pulpy sound as it bounced and rolled away.   “Did somebody say ‘unholy circles of necromantic and demonic runes’?” Varien said, standing with his fists on his hips.   “And that,” Siegfried said as he pulled off his blindfold, “was the backup I was waiting for.”   Alphonse pointed to the mummies. “Three bodies, on the Knox.”   Sabine sighed. “Control yourself, Sergeant.” She turned to Varien. “Hello, Aether,” she said through gritted teeth.   “Oh, hi Sabine,” Varien said brightly. “Didn’t see you there.”   Bob elbowed his way into the southern chamber. “Did somebody say ‘unholy circles of necromantic-”   “Too late, Trevelyan,” Varien cut him off. “I already said it.”   “Dammit,” Bob muttered.

Varien turned to the rest of the party. “Now then, what’s the situation?”   “We’ve dispelled two unholy circles infused with necromantic and demonic runes,” Siegfried said. “Evidence of the work of the Red Wizards of Thay, I daresay.  Mummies and ghasts wearing armor crafted from the hides of Umber Hulks – they can confuse the daylights out of the unwary.”   “You did the right thing in calling for my aid,” Varien said, placing his gauntlet on Siegfried’s shoulder. He turned to the mummies’ corpses with an appraising eye. “So, what’s this about Umber Husks or what have you?”   “Better yet, why don’t you tell us what you have been up to exactly?” Siegfried asked Varien. “There’s some sort of game afoot,” Varien said. “We went to retrieve the assassin’s body after it…fell into the harbor from the Moonstone Mask, and we discovered that it wasn’t Danan Starling at all!”   “Le gasp!” Siegfried said in mock surprise.   Varien leaned in and whispered into Siegfried’s ear. “It was one of your new Harper buddies that we met at your motivational meeting this morning.”   Siegfried stood stock-still, cognizant of the fact that the Lord Protector’s head of security was a scant distance away from the beans that Varien was spilling.   “What do you mean, it wasn’t Danan Starling?” Sabine asked, her eyes narrowing at Varien.   “Exhibit A!” Varien said, motioning to Bob, who obligingly produced the Hathran mask. “A mask of disguise! This fellow wore a mask to make himself look like Danan Starling.”   “Excellent work,” Sabine said. “So where is this mystery assassin’s body at the moment?”   “Now, about that,” Varien said, shifting uncomfortably. “There was this scrag, and it was working with a band of underdock pirates. Little People, you see? They ambushed us and took the body.”   “Varien…” Siegfried said, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.   “We would have fought back, but I received your call for help and thought this-” he motioned to the undead corpses- “a better use of my time.”   “So what you’re saying,” Sabine said slowly. “Is that you lost the assassin’s body, and his true identity with it?”   “Well, no, but actually, yes,” Varien admitted. “In my defence, I’m not in charge of the investigation – that’s Bob’s job!”   Bob’s expression was that of a man who had just been thrown under the docks.   “Also,” Varien said confidently, “I’ve got a pretty good idea of where we can go to track that body down if need be.”   Sabine sighed in resignation. “Did the man bear any identifying marks? Had you seen him before?”   Varien motioned to Bob, who pulled out the bone pendant.   Siegfried activated his  eldritch sight  and gathered a faint aura of divination was infusing the item, which was carved from bone and etched with magical runes.   Though she tried to conceal it, judging by the expression on General Sabine’s face, she had seen that pendant before.   “You’ve seen this before, then?” Varien asked Sabine quizzically.   “Yes,” Sabine said after a moment’s hesitation. “See that octopus symbol? That’s the mark of the Kraken Society.”   “The Kraken Society?” Varien repeated. He’d heard of the organization – a network of spies and cutthroats active up and down the northern Sword Coast.   “Looks more like a Knoxtopus to me,” Alphonse said under his breath.   “Do you think they’re making another play for power on the Sword Coast?” Varien asked Sabine.   The General shrugged. “It’s a strong possibility,” she said.   Siegfried frowned at this.   “Seems far-fetched to me,” Varien said. “Downright fishy, not to put too fine a point on it.”   “Knox Knox!” Alphonse shouted as he kicked down the door to the south and lunged through it. The soldier was rewarded with an assault on his senses – the potent smell of powerful spices that couldn’t quite cover the smell of rot within the corridor.   Varien followed the soldier, his interest piqued.   Alphonse sniffed. “Noxious gas,” he grumbled.   The corridor made an eastern turn and led several yards to northern bend. Varien’s keen eyes picked out a section of wall to the south that had been bricked up and inexpertly sealed with mortar. The section of brickwork matched the dimensions of the other doors in the crypt.   Alphonse turned and called for his boss. “Tick tock, Sherlock.”   Varien stared at the soldier. “Isn’t Sabine your superior officer?” He asked.   “Enough talk, we’re on the clock,” Alphonse said, brandishing his battleaxe. He attacked the brick barrier. “Time to manhandle this padlock.”   The bricks withstood his assault. Alphonse rubbed his chin. “Gridlock,” he stated.   Varien bashed the wall with his shield to no effect.   “Laughingstock,” Alphonse said. He rushed at the bricks and bashed into the wall with his shoulder. There was a clattering of masonry as the weakened wall crumbled, revealing a set of stairs leading down into darkness.   “Cakewalk,” Alphonse said, dusting himself off.       “General Sabine, I’d like to thank you for your valour and your service to the City of Neverwinter this evening,” Siegfried said. “It has been an honour to fight alongside you.”   The General nodded curtly and turned from the half-orc. “Sergeant Knox!” Sabine called down the corridor in a clipped tone. “I believe we’ve seen enough here. It’s time to withdraw.”   “Leaving already?” Siegfried asked the General.   Sabine smiled thinly. “We’ve taken care of the Thayan threat in this crypt, and I see no reason to tarry while there’s more pressing matters to deal with this night.” She stepped forward and lowered her voice. “However, if you uncover anything interesting in your investigation, perhaps you’d consider sharing it with me, and I will do likewise. How does an information exchange sound to you?”   Siegfried inclined his head. “As I said, it’s been an honour to fight by your side, General. Please call on us for aid, as I shall call upon you, should the need arise.”   With another curt nod, Sabine stepped back, gave Siegfried an appraising look, and departed.   “Oh, General Sabine?” Varien called out as he exited the southern corridor. “Those underdock pirates are prowling beneath the Moonstone Mask – you can go under the docks to find them fairly easily, I’d wager. They’re Halflings, the lot of them.”   Alphonse strode past, then turned to the party. “I’m sorry, I don't know what got into me,” he said. There was a metal clanking sound as he began to back up.   “Moonwalk,” he said, walking backwards out of the chamber.    “There’s another tunnel leading to the south,” Varien told his companions. “Somebody tried to conceal it, but didn’t do a good job.”   “I’m more interested in this tomb’s current occupant,” Siegfried said. He walked back through the bloodbath, stepping carefully over the bodies and blood.   Evidently, the Mintarn sentries had been recalled as the General and Sergeant Knox withdrew from the crypt, as the main chamber was now empty. Siegfried mounted the dais and pulled out what to Varien looked like a woman’s parasol.   “What’s that, then?” Varien asked.   “A gift from my sister,” Siegfried said over his shoulder. “ Miss Pinafore’s Petalescent Parasol and Prybar, for the Practical Sort of Proper Lady Who Prefers Leverage to Levity, if you must know.”   “What’s it, you know, for?” Varien asked.   “For leverage,” Siegfried said, placing the prybar’s pointy end into the seam of the sarcophagus. “Said so in the name, didn’t it?”   “What’re you doing, robbing tombs now?” Varien asked. “I thought you had deep pockets.”   Siegfried sighed and applied pressure to the prybar. “This tomb belongs to a Hero of Neverwinter, who was likely buried with the tools of her trade, granted to her by Neverwinter’s rightful king, that she used to defend the City in times of trouble. I firmly believe that we should pay our respects and provide this Hero with the opportunity to have her arsenal continue to defend the City of Neverwinter.”   “Isn’t that still stealing?” Varien asked.   There was a grinding sound as the lid of the sarcophagus began to shift. “Honestly Varien, I don't think the city’s current administration cares all that much for the relics of the Alagondar kings,” Siegfried said. “Besides, we should be more concerned by the fact that General Sabine didn’t tell us everything she knew about that pendant a few minutes ago.”   “Wait, what?” Varien asked.     General Sabine and Sergeant Knox left the crypt and sewer tunnel, gathering the guards as they went. As they mounted their horses, Knox turned to the General. “We cleared out of there in a hurry, General, just when things were getting interesting,” Knox said. “Did we actually learn anything of value down there?”   “Indeed we did, Sergeant,” Sabine said. “We learned that the Nashers were responsible for the attempt on the Lord Protector’s life. And as those intrepid investigators get lost chasing down the ghosts of the Kraken Society, we will have the time we need to bring the true culprits of this assassination attempt to justice.”   She spurred on her horse and rode off towards the Protector’s Enclave.