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Chapter 26

The Tower of Celatus Part II

9:30 Dragon, 19th Day of Wintermarch

     Deep within the tower Our Heroes prowled the ancient stone passages, seeking the mystery that had led so many people to their doom! Our group was as follows:

• Eornan

• Bran

• Landon

• Mythrellen

• Alpheus

• Alistair

• Laney

     We had a brief discussion of tactics, ate our lunch, and proceeded through the remainder of the tower's dungeons. One cell held a spirit (hunger demon?), which demanded cake while rattling its chains and throwing tableware, most notably a fork that embedded itself past its tines in the door across the hall from its cell -- we decided to leave it alone.

     Above the dungeon level was the basement level, which originally held the infirmary, baths and laundry. A quarantine room held an arcane horror; we also encountered more of these terrors in the infirmary itself. They were all quickly defeated, mostly due to Our Heroes overwhelming them before they could fully "come up to power". The infirmary showed signs of having been quickly looted centuries ago; the only worthwhile treasure was a copy of a book:

• The Healer's Helpmate:  written in King's Tongue, 3 lbs., 240 cubic inches

     The baths and laundry were blessedly free of enemies; while the bath itself was ruined, magical water sources provided us with a chance to clean ourselves. The magical laundry Mythrellen knew how to operate and was used to clean Bran's boots as a test. A large number of mages' robes, clothing, and bath-towels were available; one of the robes was in fact notably magical: -- This laundry would later be returned to several more times as breaks permitted and required.

• Circle Mage robe, eggplant color with wide collar and pale pink lacy trim:  +2 armor (can be worn over leather), regenerate 1 Health per round in combat; Alpheus wore this as he was in the most desperate need of protection of some kind.

the basement level

     A bit refreshed, we proceeded up the stairs to the main (entry) level -- Alpheus (and Mythrellen?) could recognize the layout from their time in the Circle themselves.

     We emerged in the refectory, which showed no signs of combat since the Annulment. A magical cake (missing a few slices) stood on one table -- spectral cake? None of us wanted to eat it, and cutting off slices gave strange results. In the kitchen were two more whole, unsliced cakes, and an ever-burning hearth.

     Past the refectory and kitchen was a sturdy door, which Bran forced open with his crowbar. The door opened onto the entrance lobby; within were five fanged skeletons and three arcane horrors. This fight was hard-fought; some party members were briefly laid low by the magic and blades of the enemy! The fanged skeletons had short bows to fire strange magic-dispelling arrows. Eventually the monsters were destroyed; after a bit of rest and chirurgy, we stripped them of their gear and burned the bones in the kitchen hearth. Useful items found on them:

• five sets of rusty Templar armor and swords ... not actually useful (nobody wanted any of this)

• five short bows (nobody wanted these)

• five short bow arrows coated with a strange blue substance:  the "dispel magic" arrows

• they can be fired from long bows with a -2 attack roll penalty. Besides doing normal arrow damage (we presume), they have a potent ability to dispel magic (one time only for each)

• two dubious lyrium potions (each might add 2d6+3 mana if consumed by a mage )

• you probably don't want these; as the Ref, I exercise my right to revise this, as I need to. Regular Lyrium potions would contain Distillation Agent, which would have gone bad hundreds of years ago. You may still keep these, but they are not the normal blue, but rather a dark, syrupy grey-blue-green color. Feel free to use them if you wish. However, in exchange I will give you...
  

• 5 lesser lyrium potions which look mostly fine after you shake them a little. These are good for 1d6+6 Mana.
• added ex-post-facto by the Ref

• two unlocking tokens (like the one we used to enter the tower).

• one is coppery-colored, and "charged"

• one is pale-blue, and "not charged"

     One arrow was given to Bran for "manual application", and two each to Laney and Eornan. The unlocking tokens were given to Alistair.  Landon and Alpheus each took a "dubious" lyrium potion.

     On the notice board in the lobby were two sheets of legible paper. One read, "NOTICES IN CHASSIS DICES ABOLITIONEM", which Mythrellen thought was something posted to be not readable by Templars.

     The other notice was regarding a name-day celebration ...      (or birthday? -- Ref Edit: Yes, you are correct they call it "Name Day" in Thedas, I only noticed that yesterday.)

     Laney picked the lock of the door beyond the lobby (we decided not to meet the dragons prancing on the entrance bridge), and we found the wide hallway curving around the level's core. Three rooms, closed by Glyphs of Sealing, were probably part of the Templar areas of the tower (the guard rooms, or such). Passing those rooms we found a blockaded entrance to the 30 yard-diameter core area; peeking over the blockade we saw several skeletons of Templars lying about, and a stair leading up. Laney, Mythrellen, and Alpheus were left on a platform to fire over the barricade; Eornan and Landon proceeded further to wait at a door leading into the core; and of course Alistair and Bran entered the core.

     Several fanged skeletons began to arise from the floor, hideous remnants of Templar guards. On the stair leading up from the core, two arcane horrors began to coalesce. Bran immediately engaged the arcane horrors; arrows flew, blades flashed, and spells thundered across the chamber!

     The toll on Bran mounted quickly; one of his ears was torn off, and a fireball set his hair and garments on fire! As another arcane horror descended the stairs, Bran collapsed onto the steps, slashed repeatedly even after he fell! Landon rushed forward to stand between his friend and the noxious fiends! With a burst of magical energy (a well-timed incident of Fast Casting allowed two Heal spells to be cast in one turn), Bran was brought back to his feet and back into the battle!

Well, Landon is the scribe ...

     With a great effort the arcane horrors were dispatched; without their magics, our subsequent defeat of the fanged skeletons was assured. We dragged the evil corpses, and our wounded selves, back to the kitchen -- again, we threw the bones in the hearth, and spent an hour or so on medical treatments. The combined skills of Landon and Alpheus were sufficient to mend Bran's injured head (we sewed his ear back on), while Laney and Eornan looked over the debris for valuables. One of the arcane horrors had a useful item:

• Circle Mage robe, silver-green color with burgundy trim:  conveys Spirit Resistance 20%, and 4 points of armor

     The robe was handed to Mythrellen to use; there was also a great deal of old, rusted Templar arms and armor. We spent a while resting, to allow the mages to regain some mana; Bran cobbled together some old Templar gear to wear as armor.

     As we prepared to proceed, the time was 4 p.m.

the entry level

1200 Experience Points

onward to The Tower of Celatus Part III (Sleepless in Celatus)