5.02 - Apparitions of Old

“Just southwest of here, our thrust into Lord’s Hall has been blunted by unexpectedly heavy resistance.”  Marshal Kain said, “ Sir Piotr Siennicki has been tasked with several critical objectives.  Why don’t you head down there and see if you can lend him your unique skillset.”

As he spoke a young woman approached their circle, trailed by another soldier who was taking notes.  “That report makes it sound like the fool ran into an abomination.”  She said to the soldier, who nodded and left the group.”  The young woman sighed and focused on Kain.  “We’re here after artifacts from the Mathsian War and to restore the protective shrines, not for some snot-nosed recruit to be scaring people with imagined stories from the last war.”

Kain cleared his throat loudly.  “Levitia, this is Anneleigh, an Ascended sent to us from Sanctum.  Anneleigh, this is Dame Levitia Volya.” 

Dame Volya looked ashamed and dropped her focus from Kain to Anneleigh.  “I didn’t realize someone without clearance had been given access to this tent.  You will forget what you heard.”

To Anneleigh’s surprise, Kain actually chuckled.  “She has proven herself countless times over.   In fact,” he paused for a moment, “Anneleigh may be just the person to investigate this claim.”  Kain turned to Anneleigh.  “Why don’t you check around the camp, see what you can find and then head off to Lord’s Hall to deal with it.  I’ll see you when you get back.”

He turned and followed Levitia out of the tent without another word of instructions.

Anneleigh turned to Fedor, who was still standing at her side.  “Why didn’t they shoo you away?  Do you have clearance for this tent?” Anneleigh asked, tracing quotation marks around the last four words.

“Hardly,” Fedor said, “But we are often overlooked.”

Anneleigh assumed “we” to mean the dwarven people, and chose not to ask for further explanation.  Instead she left the tent and went to speak with Captian Ledisko, who was, thankfully, finished with her earlier meeting.

“The kid is punch drunk.  Go talk to him if you like.  There’s no such thing as this two-headed monster.  He’s seeing double from that knock to the head he took.”  Ledisko laughed, “He probably got jumped by one of the Hall’s undead while searching for artifacts.”

Anneleigh forced a smile.  “If this is how they treat their soldiers, it is a wonder anyone chooses to stay with this camp”, she thought to herself, resigning to go and speak with the young man herself.

“Where can I find him?” Anneleigh asked her.  “Kain tasked me with,” she paused for a moment, “with proving his story true or false.”

Ledisko pointed towards a tent.  “By all means, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Anneleigh turned and approached the medic tent.  A soldier lies on a cot staring at the cloth roof of the tent while he is patched up by an elf dressed in white – a healer, Anneleigh realizes.

“I’m here to ask you what you saw.” Anneleigh said to the man.

“I still can’t believe what happened to me.” The man said, shaking his head in disbelief, then stopping suddenly and placing a hand to his head a moment later. “I was scouting some rooms under Lord’s Hall and ran into some sort of giant with two heads!  I don’t remember much after that, but it was something I’d never seen before.  No one believes me, but I swear I’m not lying!”

“Kain told me to go find the monster.” Anneleigh said, deciding to leave the task open to interpretation for this wounded soldier.  He had suffered greatly and the thought that someone was on his side may speed his recovery.

The soldier smiled.  “Go find Lawless.  He’s probably recovering at Heroes’ Stand.  We were in the same room, but I haven’t seen him here at Kain’s Command.  He can vouch for my story.”

Anneleigh left the soldier and Fedor at Kain’s Command and started alone towards Heroes’ Stand.  It was not hard to find Lawless, he was sitting in a similar medic tent.

“I’m not sure about this two-headed monster tale, but I do believe the soldier ran into something big we haven’t seen yet.  There have been a series of unusual sightings reported lately, and we shouldn’t ignore what this could mean.”

“Kain agrees, and I’m going to investigate.  Is there anything else you can tell me?” Anneleigh asked calmly.

The soldier shook his head.  “Only that I hope getting this shrine restored will illuminate the situation.”  He said, “But for that, you’ll need to talk to Siennicki.”

At the name, a Mathosia guard came to the tent entrance. “Miss, if you’ll follow me.  There are no unauthorized visitors permitted in this camp.”

Anneleigh smiled and followed the guard to a large tent at the far end of the camp.  “Siennicki, I found her nosing around.  Doesn’t look like a defiant, but could be a cultist in disguise.”

The other man, short and aging, beckoned her into the room. “Sit down,” He commanded her.  Anneleigh sat, but before she could explain herself she was cut off.  “There is something different about you.  We have seen ascended before, to be sure, but so few and far between that our soldiers sometimes forget the signs.  What can we do for you here at Heroes’ Stand?”

“Kain sent me to investigate the claim of the unknown monster.”

“Ah yes.”  Siennicki said, “I’m not completely surprised.  You see, one of Marshal Kain’s prime objectives in this area is to restore Scarwood’s ancient protective shrines.  Before the Mathosian War, the holy power of the Shrine of Bahralt spread its protection across Scarwood Reach.  When the Ward fractured, however, the gates to Lord’s Hall were sealed.  They say unspeakable evil prowls there now, corrupting the ancient shrine.  Kain will, I have no doubt, linked these two rumors. “

Anneleigh nodded and tired to remember the battle Siennicki spoke of, but her time during the shade was spent in Mathosia, and little news reached them at her command center.

Siennicki lead her out of the tent and out of the camp.  Her eye was drawn up, following a great stare carved and laid into the edge of the mountain side.   In the foreground her eyes fell on a bronzed, though weather beaten, statue of a soldier in battle.   Anneleigh left Siennicki’s side and approached the base of the statue.  Like the monument to Carwin Mathos, this statue had a plaque with its dedication.

“Memorial: Battle of Lord’s Hall” Anneleigh read, “In the dark days of the Mathosian Civil War, our numbered forces led by the noble Duke Carwin Mathos, defeated the evil horde of Aedraxis’s Endless Court.  This heroic victory prevented the fall of the dwarves of Lord’s Hall and was a rare beacon of hope in the early days of the conflict.  We dedicate this site as a reminder that with faith in the Vigil, and each other, we can overcome any evil.”

Anneleigh’s thoughts returned once again to Carwin Mathos.  She knelt before the monument, not a shrine that has seen many prayers, and offered her thanks to Carwin, before standing and marching towards the steps that climbed towards the Lord’s Hall.