Freedom and Death

See Also: Bardic Knowledge

Brizanthimus tears the spell apart that is holding the demon chained to the summoning stone. The stone cracks with most of it sliding into the chamber below. The demon that was once chained tears its way out of the flesh prison changing into a large insect that scuttles towards the far wall. As it escapes through a small crack in the wall, the demons once trapped in the chamber below crawl towards the surface below the gate closes.

Hundreds of the demonic centipedes fall into the chamber from the surrounding cracks, many of them die in the ichor, but the survivors crawl atop the bodies towards Briz. Xarth summons up Ifrit fire and scorch any who draw near to Briz; unfortunately the demons in the pit grab unto Briz's legs and try to drag him under. Xarth surrounds Briz with a halo of fire, but it only serves to drive the demons into a frenzy.

In and act of desperation Briz opens himself up to the power of Corvis, which draws Llannoth into the chamber. The elven spell collapses under the magical onslaught building a very temporary bridge between Corvis and this chamber. Most of the demons are killed when the spell collapses, but some manage to escape over the bridge, along with Llannoth who fixes Brizanthimus with a baleful glare before he is forced to flee.

The spell can no longer maintain the oddity of this chamber as the cracks in the walls widen. As the earth quakes and heaves Xarth grabs up Briz and sprints for the door. In the dust and falling stone they become separated, with only Xarth making it to the safety of the far chamber.

Oswald returns to his familiar haunts, discussing what he learned about Lady Hapsteng with his closest companions. It yields no actionable information, but he knows there is something that he can use against her if only he can find it. He goes to speak with the elves about the assassination attempt on the Warden of the Light. He is stonewalled by half-answers until he notices an elf watching him intently.

He goes to speak with him and is instead “escorted” into a room where several elves he has never met waits. They tell him that the Temple of Light has been compromised by Charles, they are not to be trusted. He listens to the elves tell him that they have plans years in the making for destroying the demon once and for all; however, his interference is making their task nearly impossible.

Even if they cannot work together they are hoping to at least stay out of each other's way. Oswald goes one step further and offers to help them. They said they needed to safely secure the Lord Marshal. He will secure the Lord Marshal's safety for their help in getting Lady Hapstang out of the palace alive. Not one drop of her blood can be shed kidnapping her.

The deal struck, Oswald leaves the elves and visits Barlow to check on his explosive barrels. The dwarf is despondent as she has not been able to gather all of the materials necessary to make as many as Oswald wanted. She has already drained much of her sorrow by the end of the first keg. Noticing a rather dangerous situation Oswald assures he is happy about the progress and will redouble his efforts to find her the material by any means necessary. This leads to a short conversation about bringing the entire castle down into the bay - its theoretical, but Barlow assures him it can be done.

The conversation is more than just helpful, Barlow's sister blood-cousin's father sits on the Stonearm Clan Council of Thanes. She goes with Oswald to introduce him to Rlog Iceclaw, one of the most respected thanes in the clan. Some very intense negotiations occurs over a bottle of strong berry liqueur. Thane Rlog agrees to open the way beneath the mountain in exchange for a score of exquisite barrels of Ellendar wine, vineyards of his choosing. Oswald relays this information to the elves, who agree to the dwarf's terms.

Belenus squares off against Horenski as the snow storm gathers in intensity. Although he knows that she yearns for death, she will not go silently into the blackness. The two large ape-demons that stand watchful guard over her charges, heedless of their own safety. Although Bel is wounded and forced back, but then the jundari he freed come to his aid. With their help he manages to dispatch the demons and confront the witch. She raises only a meager hand in her own defense, allowing Belenus to kill her cleanly.

Immediately after he death lightning tears across the sky and slams into the stone alter reducing it to shards. From the steam caused by the boiling water steps Charles. He claims Horenski's soul as the price for her failure to uphold her contract. It is a tense stand-off between Belenus and the demon, but in the end both decide this is not the time to place for their confrontation. Charles disappears in a swirl of snow and blackness.

Xarth was partially buried under the collapsing roof, but Gia Sojourner digs at the rocks until he can free himself. Somewhere deeper in the chamber is where Briz lost his life - Xarth only hopes he found a pocket of safety in the collapse. With only one direction open to them they reenter the library of the spider. The demoness delights in speaking with Gia about the silly mortal concept of free will. Gia puts up a vigorous defense of her beliefs, but she is more than matched against a demon with thousands of years of learning.

While this is going on Xarth pulls out some of the oldest books he can find. Most of them are authored by Korlin, who was the first Master of the Tower. He knew “She who created” and convinced her to leave the tower and continue her travels. The books are far to esoteric for Xarth to understand, so Gia takes a break from conversing with the demon and reads through them as well.

They discover that Korlin either knew Charles or at least had deep knowledge of him before he arrived at Tminir Tower. He used some type of phylactery to free Charles from the prison, but still bind him to his will although it is not clear how that happened. Xarth and Gia negotiate with the demoness. They get to keep one book of their choice and the demoness is freed from this room. There is a condition, all of the books must be scattered from her reach for one-hundred years. The demoness agrees to their terms.

Brizanthimus awakes to find himself trapped in a small pocket inside the remains of the summoning chamber. He tries to shift a few rocks, but cannot open his connection to Corvis, something is interfering. Suddenly several rocks shift and dissolve into four pillars with a gnome and two guards wearing an unknown tabard. The gnome hands Brizanthimus a live chicken and introduces himself as Gul.

Gul has arrived with Hellstrom Darkmaster, a long-time companion, to investigate the tower. While his friend is dealing with some demonic problems in the tower itself Gul felt the shifting in the earth and came to investigate. Gul takes Briz to the surface after he asks politely. There is an large company of people, magicians it would appear, doing battle with men and demons trying to escape the tower.

Before Gul rejoins the men he tells Briz that the rest of his friends will be here within ten days and put a stop to this nonsense. Briz knows that ten days is far too long, the demon's plans is only a few days at most from completion. Still he thanks the strange gnome, who insists that Briz keeps the “special” chicken. This chicken still has a part to play on the stage Gul insists, so better safe than sorry. Briz begins the journey back to Bornheim.

Nigel and Dae leave the warehouse and head back to the barracks of the Guardians of Order. Before they can reach the safety they are attacked by Jiron and the Bloodletters under his command. Nigel squares off against the brutal giant, while Dae prevents the others from flanking her brother. During the desperate struggle several of Oswald's men hear the fighting and arrive to help, but it is too late. A hidden assassin on the roof puts an arrow into Nigel's leg dropping him immediately.

As blood pours from the wound Jiron knocks Dea unconscious and kidnaps her. Oswald finally arrives with more men just in time to see the back of Jiron has he leaves with his prize. Recognizes Nigel will die shortly his men carry Nigel to Irlo's shop while Oswald runs to the cathedral for a healer. While the priests are working on her they tear apart her pants, revealing a large scar in the symbol of Danshi has appeared over the wound. As they watch the wound quickly heals itself to a festering scar.

A priest immediately grabs her and jumps into the bay with her. As he calls upon the sanctity of Karash to heal this child the water boils up burning their skin. The steam coming from the bay smells of rotten flesh, driving most of the onlookers back. The Daughter of Karash hears the call of her father's name and arrives to watch. Oswald pleads with her to save Nigel. She saves Nigel; although she claims the life of the priest in return. She tells Oswald that as long as water is kept near the scar the power of Danshi is diminished.

Nigel dreams of fires and the screams of those tortured by them. She sees a priest, his skin blacking and curling from his body as he reaches into the flame that surround Nigel to touch him. The priest is slain by a fiery man who appears as Nigel's father. His father asks him to take the Bloodstaff and claim his birthright - he cannot move forward while he denies his past. The storm god is taking over his body and claiming it for his own, but the blood of Danshi is his birthright and should he turn aside he will lose everything. Julie (Dae) will suffer for his indecision - she will be chosen instead and she is not strong enough to stand as an equal.

Nigel awakes to find Oswald sitting in the room with him. He speaks with Oswald about his dream and fears that Julie will be forced to take up the Bloodstaff if he does not. Although it pains him to say it, he asks Oswald for his help. As the night passes both of them spend the time debating what to do when confronted between two gods.

Belenus returns to the village of Kernwerk and presents to the elemental the proof of his deed. With the help of Yswa he uses the bones of Horenski to break the curse that denied the ancient creature its connection with the land. Upon touching the land all motion in the area seems to stop. The passage of such a powerful spirit changes the land as spires of stone rise from the ground. Yswa is killed by the passage of the spirit and the village is destroyed - only Bel remains standing.

Xarth, astride One Eye, catches up to Briz. They see hundreds of small demons fleeing the forest in front of them. The demons are not attacking them, but instead fleeing towards Tminir Tower. The earth beneath their feet rises up and destroys the demons are they run. Even those soaring through the sky are not immune to hurled chunks of stone that tear apart their wings. Of the thousands that flee the forest only a few hundred reach the “safety” of the tower.

After Phoenix Force and the Knights Arcana drove off or killed the Bloodletters left behind to loot the tower, Gia found a small untouched room in which to read. She has no idea what was coming her way. She does learn that the phylactery is a small tube with a decorative whorl around it. It might be a type of flute or part of the wind chime. For some reason it reminds her of Tazeed. The phylactery was a gift from Sultan Abob and was said to contain the spirit of a powerful djinn. Such beings are said to grant three wishes.

The sound of the earth being rent apart causes her to look out the window. She sees the approaching horde of demons and flees up the tower. As the demons and ancient element slam into the tower it bends and warps under its assault. Liquid stone is rising through the tower, encasing the demons within it. Twelve large pillars of white stone rise up around the tower and begin pistoning into the ground - shaking everything. Gia barely manages to escape to the roof of the tower, where she is rescued by Xarth.

Briz manages to find a wandering horse and rides hard for the city. He brings news of the tower's destruction and the end of the demon threat to the city. He can feel the entrapping spell of the elves still alive, but no more demons themselves are no more.

Belenus reaches Bornheim and goes to see Lord Brandr. While he is telling the lord the story of what happened in the mountains and at Kernwerk something about his mannerisms change. Suddenly he rises from his chair and attacks Bel with a knife. Lord Brandr starts yelling for his men that Belenus has attempted to kill him. Bel is confused, but reacts quickly, rather than drawing his sword he assumes a purely defensive position. When the men break in they only see Lord Brandr attacking Belenus. The men subdue their lord. Belenus questions the lord and discovers that he has been tricked by Charles. He sent Roza on ahead and Ælfric Reiner following behind. Belenus tells the men to hold on to their lord and leaves in search of Ælfric.

Oswald sends word to the Guardians about the kidnapping of Dae. He then has his men help Nigel to the Elven Quarter. Oswald asks for the elves assistance and two elves help Nigel into a small room. Oswald recognizes one of the elves, but the other is unknown to him. Oswald and the elf exchange pleasantries and then get down to business. A mutually agreeable trade is reached after only a hour. Oswald and the elf exchange information about what is transpiring inside the castle, each holding secrets the other does not know.

Inside the room is a very young elven woman with burnished copper skin, clear silvery eyes, and deep obsidian hair. She appears as if carved from living stone. While Oswald waits outside she speaks with Nigel. She cannot help the young man and within a few days at most the warring gods inside will drive him mad. She will help him start a journey along a path to his own salvation, but she is simply a sign post for the start - she cannot offer more than that. A fog-shrouded door simply appears at the back of the house and Nigel walks through and into the fog.

Gia and Xarth both reach the city after a harrowing flight from the tower. Gia heads towards old town to speak to some people that she knows there, while Xarth goes in search of the Bornheim Fight Club. Charles' plans have suffered a significant setback, but the war is far from over.