[Meanwhile, just west of Cedarsproke things were going to take a bit of a turn for Fenrir, Reinward and the gang!]
DAY 498(13th Flamerule)(july) ...
It was decided it was time to leave. There were other doors that had not been checked, but it seemed wiser to get out of their as quickly as possible.
Raz, who is incredibly strong even without all the magic that was currently layered on top of him, carried the unconscious Blackthorn out with ease.
Once outside Fenrir cast Painless Slumber of the Ages on Blackthorn to make sure he was totally out of it.
Ren was a little bit confused as to why they had not just killed Blackthorn and Fenrir explained patiently;
'We can't do that, they just come back. We need to do something else.'
'What then?' asked Ren innocently.
'Ahh, well, it's simple, now we just Windwalk out of here!'
But that did not work. Veddic tried the spell, but it turns out that an unconscious person cannot be moved once in gaseous form. They have to move themselves, just as if they were walking. They can not be carried either as the spell targeted each person as a separate entity.
Once this became apparent, Veddic turned to Fenrir and shrugged.
'OK, change of plan,' announced Fenrir. Tulip the Pixie guided them back to a safe spot on the edge of the city, was paid another 10 gold and let go.
'Righto, wait here lads,' said Fenrir as if he wasn't just making it up as he went along. 'I'll go into town alone and sort it all out.'
None of them realised though, that the clock was ticking on an impending Night Mask counter attack.
Fenrir first went to a cooper and arranged to buy a barrel big enough to stuff an unconscious druid into. He then went to find a wizard capable of teleporting him and his friends. He found the house of Pweela, a young female elf that had been living in Cedarsproke for the last five years.
She offered to do it for 600 gold.
Fenrir then nipped back to the cooper and ordered the barrel to be lined with lead.
The cooper shrugged and got his hammer out.
Once that was all arranged, Fenrir, lugging the barrel, and in the company of Pweela headed back to where he had left his friends.
They had spent too long doing nothing though, which had allowed the Night Masks to gather a sort of quick reaction force and send them out. Just as Fenrir was coming along the path, a group of villains teleported in.
There was a wizard, a sorceress, a rogue and two heavily armoured fighters.
In the confusion, Veddic and Raz concentrated on the fighters, but while this was going on the sorceress charmed Ren and he wandered over to her.
Then the female wizard teleported them all out (promising Ren 'beer and wenches' at the other end) leaving the fighters stranded.
The two heavys backed off and shrugged at each other, there was no point in fighting any more. As they started to wander off Fenrir asked,
'What's going on? Who are you?'
They were mercenaries and had not expected to be abandoned so they were happy enough to say;
''
We were hired from the Cockatrice Inn of Westgate. Some sort of emergency snatch job they told us. That's all you'll get out of us without a fight chief. We were well paid. Town over that way you say? Fancy a pint, Bert?'
''
And off they went. Fenrir was puzzled though, in the fight they had been protecting the sleeping Blackthorn. They had not expected it to be Ren that they Night Masks were after.
Veddic scryed Ren, and saw him with the three others that had snatched him.
They left a dungeon room and walked along a strange looking corridor. After that the spell faded, blocked by something.
'Can you teleport us to a dungeon room if Veddic describes it to you?' asked Fenrir.
'If it's an unknown dungeon then that's double the price,' replied Pweela nervously who had watched the whole incident from behind a tree.
Fenrir had a cleric, a barbarian, a druid in a barrel, a teleport. He could get there. What he did not have, which was so often the way, was any kind of plan for what happened when he did.
Meanwhile, his knees trembling and his eyes covered, Ren was taken by some sinister looking guards to the Court of the Night King. Ren did not know where he was, but he felt like he was underground somewhere.
His blindfold was removed and he was presented to Orlak II, the Night King himself. If he recognised Ren from the party they had recently met at, he gave no sign. but then Ren was in a sort of disguise.
There were other vampires too, his captains and chief advisors:
Darklady Dahlia Vhammos - a vampire Blackguard of Shar
Phultan Hammerwand - a vampire Wizard
Tebryn "Shadowstalker" Dalael - a vampire Half-elf Wizard/Thief
The Twilight Knight - a vampire knight
Ren heard a voice through the communication stone he wore, it was that of
Veddic who was listening in to what was going on.
'Stall them,' said the voice.
Ren gulped.
'So this is the one that bares the Stigmata of Ilmater and is linked to some kind of prophecy?' asked Orlak, in a voice that sounded like the grinding of a stone coffin lid.
'It is,' confirmed Phultan.
'And those marks on his wrists, most strange,' mused Orlak. 'You are blessed by a god.
I wonder what his blood tastes like?'
'If you want to drink my blood,' squeaked Ren. 'Pass me a cup!'
As it happened there was a goblet on the table next to the Night King's throne, along with a two bladed dagger.
(Ren didn't know, but these were the infamous Argraal dragon bone cup and the Flying Fangs dagger)
'Hold your wrist over the goblet,' demanded the Night King.
Ren put out his wrist but then pulled it back.
'If you are not going to do it willingly...' warned the vampire.
Ren leapt back and took his knife from his belt and with a deep breath slit his own throat. What his plan was, if he had one, I have no idea of, but next he ran around the chamber, spraying blood everywhere.
At the sight of all the blood the vampires became aroused and all appeared willing to take a chance on whatever was flowing through Ren's veins.
The Twilight Knight got to him first, dominated Ren, then drank deep from Ren's wound. Ren's blood seemed to have some of the properties of holy water though, as the Knight suddenly hunched over and vomited it all back up again.
The Dominate spell lifted and Ren had free will again. Not knowing what to do, he started doing things that made little sense, such as attempting to steal the Twilight Knight's coin purse.
Darklady Dahlia attempted to Dominate Ren and failed. It looked like the vampires had had enough of Ren's antics.
'The last time I died, I exploded!' shout Ren in warning. They probably did not believe this lie. Ren was dying, his wound was still pulsing out blood, all down his armour.
'Shut up,' said the Darklady, as she touched him on the hand.
Suddenly he felt a lot better, still drained, but no longer bleeding, from the Cure Serious Wounds spell she had just cast on him.
The Twilight Knight left to get cleaned up.
'Stand still,' growled the King. 'And tell me about this prophecy.'
'I am the chosen one, and you should let me go, others I will bring my wrath down on you!' yelled Ren.
The Night King winced, already having had more than enough of Ren's company.
'Let's try something else then,' went on the vampire. 'Who is Barry Shit-knees?'
Ren shrugged.
'Is he a warlock?'
Ren remained mute.
'Do you want to die?' asked the Night King. 'If you answer my questions, you are free to go.'
Ren appeared dumbstruck.
'Enough of this nonsense, I am retiring to my rooms,' said the Night King. 'Take him away and clean him up. I'll decide what to do with him later.'
Heavily armoured guards came and took Ren to another room, with a bed, a wash stand and a jug of water. A female vampire spawn attended to him.
Reinward was having quiet a day.
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