The Mission Cardinal Andrastus Thorn send us, the Ninth Knot –  also known as the Nessian Knot – to Farholde, "a backwater of no real significance" as its Lord rode south to fight against the bugbear horde. We must succeed where Aiden Kael and his band of fire worshippers failed. The Ninth was tasked to locate the Horn of Abaddon, an ancient temple hidden deep within the Caer Bryr which once housed a particularly loathsome death cult called ‘The Sons of the Pale Horseman’ and recover the 'Tears of Achylis', Vetra-Kali's gift of pestilence. The cult was destroyed by the first Darian king – Markadian I, called the Victorious – nearly eighty years ago. The Victor defeated their god, the daemon prince Vetra-Kali Eats-the-Eyes, and with the help of Mitran priests, a Silver Seal was forged as an act of pure faith. The Victor fasted in prayer for seven days, empowering the seal which prevents Vetra-Kali from returning to the material plane. Andrastus Thorn also tasked the Seventh Knot – the Knot Hibernal led by Elise Zadaria – with supporting role as the Ninth get all the glory, a position Elise resents. Checklist Locate the Horn of Abbadon [✔] Break the Silver Seal [  ] Acquire the Tears of Achylis [  ] Get proof and deal with the Seventh [  ] Additional Info The Horn of Abaddon is comprised of 4 levels. The Horn has a cavern underneath it, levels 1-3 were the living areas that the cult used, and the final level is the Sanctum that holds the Seal. [So far only the lowest level, the cavern, has been 'fully' explored. The Eye of Vigilance hinted a secret passage can be found near the Boggard Tribe] Several 'chambers' were found which could be used to house and populate the cave [Against nosy adventurers] . A bone pit holding approximately 112 skeletons of human, half-elven, elven, and dwarves [A necromancer's wet dream] . A self-replenishing acid pool [You get a bomb, you get a bomb, you also get a bomb. Everybody gets a bomb!] . A bubbling (boiling?) mud pit with an empty treasure chest past it [It's a trap!] . A book called "The Dirges of Apollyon" was retrieved from a corpse within a hidden cave within the Horn alongside the Eye of Vigilance – an evil magical item which allows the user to scry within the Horn – and a second book called "Triumphus ex Eques Pallidus". The former details the steps necessary to break the Silver Seal: 666 prayers. Three per day will break the hated Seal. With each prayer bathe the seal in unholy water and intone the dirge. [Or 222 days – 31 weeks holidaying at a monster infested cave – Sounds luvly.] Three sacrifices are needed as thus: Upon the first midnight make the first sacrifice – one of our own blood – so that Vetra-Kali will know we are repentant. [Well...at the very least we have a corpse's bone, that's a start.] Upon the 111th Curse make the second sacrifice – a true believer of Mitra – so that the cursed god of the invaders will know that we fear him not and that his power to hold our master at bay is ending. [Too easy??] With the final Call (final prayer?) offer the third sacrifice – one of the Victor’s own blood. By the same blood that caged him so shall our master be freed. [Will we need to raid the castle for this one? :v] The last book seems to detail some sort of ritual. Millicent, upon reading it, could not make sense of the words – yet.