Chapter 4 : Mystery
Four adventurers, Captain Brantus of the Mermaids Tear, Ursula the Nature Witch, Archer the Elf, and Li a civilised Barbarian,
have followed the Necromancers instruction and made their way to the barrow of Yog Durn to find the necromancers body, which is supposedly still living.
They have left Trident the baby sea dragon to guard the ship because he is a bit more trained but still hectic.
They enter a long passageway and make their way up it. Li is stabbed by a spear which comes out of the wall. Ursula helpfully points out a tripwire inches from her feet.
The tunnel turns to the right into a large room guarded by three skeletons!
From the corner of her eye, Archer sees a body walk past but when she looks closely it has gone!
Li rushes into attack the nearest skeleton with her greatsword. She smashes its spine in two. It crumbles with the clattering of bones to the floor.
Archer shoots an arrow at the furthest skeleton who happens to be in front of her in a straight line. The arrow lodge into its eye socket and it falls to the ground.
Ursula stays back.
Brantus slowly catches up, considering losing some weight might help him it also grateful his henchwomen are making things safer up ahead, he sips from his hip flask of brandy from the tavern as he hears them beating the skeletons.
The last remaining skeleton moves over to attack Li. Li literally grabs the handle of the skeletons sword, rips its arm off and beats it to death with its own bony arm.
Brantus catches up with Li to admire her handiwork.
Ursula walks into the middle of the room and sees an entrance at the far end. Archer moves up beside her.
Li notices a skeleton none of them had seen before, in the corner of the room. It has a little journal next to it. She goes to investigate.
“I have just come to this Barrow, after discovering that it houses some secrets of the ancient times. There are runes on the walls here. I have deciphered some of them. I did not have enough time to decipher more as I had to flee once I saw It. It haunts me. I fear don’t have long left here.”
“The runes read something about a ‘blade of hope’ and that it is the only thing which can inflict damage upon It, although I fear if I do not find this ‘blade of hope’ I will perish here.”
“This is the final time I will write in this journal. I am going to try to find the ‘blade of hope’ to put an end to this once and for all.”
Li reads it out loud.
They discuss the ‘it’ and they will need the Blade of Hope to defeat it.
“Let’s do this thing!” Says Ursula.
The tunnel leads to a turn to the left beyond which a small room. Li searches it and discovers the hilt of a broken sword. I suspect it might be something to do with the blade of hope.
There is another tunnel entrance opposite the one they entered. They follow it into another large room. The room cobrains:
A goblin jockey riding a massive spider!
Two goblins and one Ogre.
Archer shoots an arrow at the ogre. The arrow shoots through its brain and pins it to the wall, her party-trick-shot. Her bow is very powerful!
Li runs at the goblin jockey and attacks the spider! Her blade slices through the goblin split it in half through the spider split it in half. Lots of goop sloshes out onto the floor. Li steps back to avoid it. She also notices a trapdoor beneath it!
Brantus waddles into the room.
Ursula enters and casts a flash of bright light spell to temporarily blind the goblins.
The goblins must miss a turn because they’re dazzled! They both drop their weapons. One of the goblins is using the blade of a sword for a dagger.
Li pushes Brantus out the way as she rushes to chop the nearest goblin. The goblin is dead.
Archer enters the room.
The remaining goblin who has dropped the sword blade begins to see again. He dizzily makes his way toward Li to attack her, forgetting he has dropped his weapon.
Archer shoots at the goblin. Goblin is dead.
The party examine the hole in the floor.
The party have the hilt and half a blade of a sword. They believe the rest of the sword is probably down the trapdoor.
They play Rock Paper Scissors to decide who goes down there first. That doesn’t work because they have an argument until Li decides to go first.
In the room through the trapdoor is a person, his back facing Li.
Li says, “Hallo.”
“I’ve been been awaiting your arrival.” Says the person. “If I am correct I have sent you here to find me.”
Li says, “Do you know there’s a bunch of monsters I’m out there?”
“They are my bodyguards but that does not matter because there are significantly less of them left now:”
“I am the necromancer. I have sent you here to find my body and bring it back to me. But the only way you will take my body is if you kill me. Because I’m not letting f that happen.”
“Why not?”
“Because my having my body will leave me without my body. I am more powerful with my body.”
Li says, “whut?”
“Which is why I need my body. I can’t have my body. I am the past tense of my body. If I have my body I won’t live and the necromancer will die.”
Li says, “Dude I can happily kill you right now.”
“Don’t you see, I am the past tense. If he takes my body back from his own past, he will be dead.”
Li says, “This confuses the crap out of me to be quite honest.”
“The only way to defeat me and bring my body back to the present tense of myself a safely is to kill me using the blade of hope.”
Li says, “oh we have a few bits of that. Do you know where the last bit is?”
“Yes, here you go.”
Li takes the blade part.
“I will use my magic to fix it. Now it is more powerful than ever. Now stab me through the hertz so my body can be bound with my soul.”
Li holds the blade and says, “What’s in it for me?”
“If I’m not mistaken the present version of myself has offered you training in using not only the t to deny but the ring as well. You’re on the good side of the person who will know how to summon the kraken. I think that’s enough.”
Li says, “Well I’ll think about it.” Then she climbs back into the room with Brantus Archer and Ursula.
“There’s a dead dude down there who wants us to kill him because some confusing story about being two people at the same time. Or something like that.”
Ursula says, “Give me the damn sword dum-skull.”
Li gives Ursula the sword: Ursula climbs down the hole and says, “Hallo.”
“Well are you going to do it?”
“I might.” Says Ursula.
The necromancers body turns around, walks up to Ursula and s reaches; “Do it!”
Ursula says, “ what happen if I don’t?”
“I can tell you or give you a little preview.”
“Tell me?”
“I will enchant this knife and hold it to your throat. If that doesn’t convince you I might actually have to kill you.”
Li says, “So if I don’t kill you, you’ll kill me?”
“I’m not going to explain all that again.”
Li stabs the guy through the chest.
“Thank you!” Says the person. His body disappears.
Li says, “I think I shouldn’t have done that.”
She climbs back into the room with the others and says “I stabbed him and he disappeared. Also, I’m keeping this blade of hope.”
The party make their way back to the necromancers hide-out on another island.
“Thank you. You have done as I asked. Now is time for me to do my part of the deal. Are you ready for very intense training?”
“Yes.” Says everyone.
“Very well. I will teach Brantus how to use the trident which controls the sea, Ursula how to use the ring which summons the kraken, Li how to use the blade of hope. And yes, I know about that.”
“What about me?” Asks Archer.
“I will train you to be the most skilful archer this realm has ever seen.”
“Okay.”
“We are now the necromancers students!” Says Brantus.
End of Chapter 4 Mystery.
