The Cost of Tminir Tower

See Also: Bardic Knowledge

Rakul Shaleem, Amer Terrante, and a small group of thugs row out towards the hashan ship anchored in the bay. Rakul keeps his boat out of site of the hashan, while Amer rows closer. He hails the ship and after a brief negotiation the captain agrees to wake their passenger. Wulf, the passenger who has an invitation, was the First Mate on the Talarakian ship the Red Sea. During his younger days he was called The Blood Head because he cut his head before battle. Amer attempts to negotiate with him, but is left unmanned by the encounter.

Rakul, who was trained by The Blood Head – as he was called in his prime decides to speak with his “uncle” in person, across swords. Amer and his thugs board the ship as well – but the hashan sailors pushed his men back into the sea. Rakul was holding his own but then Wulf offered him his life's desires. He said that with the dagger he could not only get a ship for himself – but would take him to the Gorgon and see that he gets the ship once more under his feet, this time as Captain. Rakul decided it was an offer far too tempting so he joined with his uncle to see that Amer left the ship without his invitation, which Wulf burned. Unknown to Rakul, Amer had already acquired another invitation – so he still had his original one.

The next afternoon Brizanthimus and Xarth meet up with Amer for lunch. They tell him they found two priests of Karash who have an invitation as well as someone inside of a stonemason town called Kernwerk northeast of the city. Time is short so Amer purchases some good horses and they ride hard to catch them on the road – maybe his luck will change. He knows that Wulf and Rakul will more than likely travel by sea, so he has no chance to eliminate them from competition.

The first group they encounter actually encounters them. Briz notices a large storm cloud overhead that is moving against the prevailing winds. As the cloud passes over head the air becomes misty and noticeably colder. Briz can vaguely make out the shapes of two riders on horseback moving through the mist. When he reaches out with his innate magical connection he can suddenly clearly see the two priests riding on horseback – but the rest of the world looks as if through a rainstorm.

The priests are shocked to see him, but attribute it all to the unknowable will of the Stormfather. They cannot release him from the effect as it will not dissipate until they reach the tower. Briz sees no problem with that as his new traveling companions are full of good cheer, wine, and love his song and stories. He finds out that the priests have been sent a vision that the dagger offered for the auction is so dangerous that it will destroy the city of Bornheim. They have brought a special box that will seal off the dagger so that it can reached the Grand Temple of the Rathians who will destroy it.

Amer and Xarth try and keep up with the storm, but they are traveling far to quickly over the uneven road. they are forced to pull up as they spot a column of dwarves armed as if for war marching along the road, guarding a carriage. They get close enough to see that the carriage has the standard of the Stonemasons of Bornheim on its side and there appear to be two figures inside of it. The dwarves note their presence, but do not hinder them in any way from following them.

When the dwarves stop for the evening, fashioning a small fortified encampment, Amer and Xarth make camp nearby. During the evening they are invited to join the passengers in the wagon around their fire. The passengers are Mistress Eva LaGrange, widow of the previous Master of Kernwerk, and a young man who appears to be her paramour. She does have an invitation and plans to use the power of the artifact to restore Kernwerk to what her husband wanted. Amer does note that while the dwarven soldiers are ever watchful they do not like being around their two charges.

By the following evening each of the participants have arrived at the tower. The priests and Briz arrive first, having no need to stop for the night. Rakul and Wulf arrive next, having traveled up the poisoned river the runs out of the lake that surrounds the tower. Finally the dwarves arrive with Mistress Eva trailed by Amer and Xarth.

Tminir Tower is actually two towers that seem to have been smashed together and then forged into one by a great heat. The tower rises up from a rocky island barely large enough for the tower itself in the middle of a large lake. The lake is festooned with hundreds of black iron spears rising up from the bottom. Many of the spears have mummified bodies impaled on them. The priests remind everyone that drinking the water will cause a dreadful death and even touching the water can cause a painful sickness.

At the appointed hour a wide stone causeway rises up out of the lake – the waters of the lake dripping from it unnaturally fast leaving the bleached stones dry within seconds. Large iron lanterns spaced along the bridge flare to life causing the mummified bodies nearby to wail and writhe away from the light. The dwarves mission accomplished they leave this evil area without a word to anyone. The rest of the people gathered walk across the bridge to the island. A oily fog rises up from the lake as begins to flow over the bridge behind them – pushing them on faster. Once they reach the island the causeway sinks back into the lake and the fog pushed right up to the shore of the island.

They are met by two men and a woman, all of them completely naked except for a half-mask decorated as an animal. They are told the fog is deadly to any who touch it and that the bodies are those who failed to follow the law of the tower. Each visitor to the tower will be provided with a robe to wear and are allowed to carry no armaments outside of their own rooms.

As they are shown to their spacious rooms (in the smaller tower) they are told that two servants will be assigned for each room, that nobody is allowed to leave their room unless they are escorted by a servant, and finally no guest is allowed to harm or hinder any of the servants. Any violation of these rules will result in a new body on the spears in the lake – no exceptions. All of the servants of the tower are dressed the same – only wearing a decorative animal mask – and all appearing as young humans.

It is less than an hour before Ephesus summons his guests to dinner. Like the other servants he is completely nude; except he is a 50-year old man weighing in at over 400 pounds. He is already eating when they arrive and continuously eats throughout dinner. He is attended by the only servant that looks old – the man Ephesus calls the Tower’s Steward. The steward holds a heavy metal staff topped with what appears to be a ball of liquid gold blazing like a lantern. The steward neither eats nor engages in conversation during the meal.

After the desserts are taken away and everyone’s drinks are refilled a servant carrying a wooden box locked by leather straps etched with runes and a silver ring. Ephesus mutters a quick spell and opens the box to reveal a large dagger. The hilt seems mundane enough, but the blade seems to be fashioned from glass, which Ephesus warns is very sharp, and filled with a oily smoke with small barely visible lights. Once everyone that wants to view the weapon has done so, Ephesus demonstrates the weapon by plunging it into his body.

The servants react calmly to clean off the small amount of blood that drains from the wound, while everyone else is mesmerized by Ephesus' shadow detaching from his body. Ephesus, through his shadow, speaks to everyone and goes about showing what he can do as a shadow. He explains his body now no longer needs food, water, or even air as he flows around the room – hiding in other shadows. The final demonstration is when he takes over Xarth's body and makes him do all manner of things – even things that are physically impossible with is body (like clinging to the shadows on the walls and ceiling. Xarth confirms there was nothing that he could do to stop Ephesus' shadow from controlling him as Ephesus returns to his body.

The look around the tables says that everyone is interested in this dagger. It offers the ability to kill or disgrace your enemies, live forever in other bodies, amass power and wealth as you wish. Truly it is an artifact that can make any wish within reach, but only one person can win the auction. Ephesus dismisses them to their rooms, reminding each of them of the laws of the tower. The auction will take place immediately following breakfast.

Rakul sees the simple fact that the less people at the table the better his chances are to win the dagger for himself. Wulf has made a good argument for working together, but the Code of The Seas is simple and stark – strength conquers the weak. He has the servants brings several decanters of their strongest spirits and while Wulf drinks he goes and speaks to Amer. Rakul tells Amer his plans to acquire the dagger and has no problems with handing it over to Amer after he gets the Gorgon back from his brother. In reality, Rakul is not sure he wants to give up the dagger, but it buys time to get Wulf drunk. When Rakul gets back to his rooms he strangles his uncle to death – not only does this eliminate a competitor, but he plans to offer Wulf's soul as his bid in the auction.

Briz stops in briefly to talk with the Fathers Jana and Ernst. They implore him to help them recover the dagger so that it may be destroyed or the words of Karash will surely come true and all of Bornheim will be drowned in blood until a great storm washes it away. Briz asks for advise about the ancient magic of the dwarves – the priests scoff at such a fantasy, the dwarves have never had magic and never will it is simply their own god will not allow such a blasphemy. This makes Briz very nervous about the Incar as anyone with knowledge of such a thing could find themselves killed to hide the knowledge.

Briz returns to his room more troubled that when he left, but Amer gives him no time for contemplation as he drags him off to talk with Mistress Eva. When they reach her room the servants tell them that she is sleeping, but her companion is in the room’s library. The companion, who gives his name as Charles, speaks with them amiable enough until Briz uncovers his secret – he is a demonic creature. Charles is not overly surprised he has been discovered, but he is amused when Amer attempts to bargain with him for his help in securing the dagger. Amer and the demon nearly reach an agreement when Briz manages to talk Amer out of it and drags him out of the room.

In the hallways they are stopped by a servant and told to return immediately to their rooms. Each guest is confined to their rooms until summoned – servants of the tower have been killed and judgement will be passed upon the murderers.

While Amer and Briz are talking to Charles, Xarth is sleeping in his room. He is wracked by vivid dreams to blood and violence. He sees his ancestors standing over him while he gorges himself on human flesh as a great city crumbles behind him. He remembers how wonderful the flesh and entrails of humans taste. He awakes suddenly, sweating profusely, to find both room servants dead in his room and the wooden box with the knife on his bed. Xarth hides the knife beneath his bed before Amer and Briz returned, but there is nothing he can do about the bodies.

When Amer and Briz return to the rooms Xarth swears he did not kill the servants – he found them that way when he awoke. He does not tell them about the knife, fearing they will not believe him. Before they can dispose of the bodies all of the guests are summoned to the dining hall to receive the judgement of the tower.

In a strange macabre scene they find that Ephesus still sitting in his chair; although it is quite clear that his throat has been slit – the steward stands beside his corpse offering instruction. Each guest is told to sit in their assigned seat and the servants bring food and drink – as it nothing is wrong. The steward says that the judgement of the tower is absolute and any who break its rules will be condemned to the lake until time itself no longer exists. Every guest is expected to stay in the tower, where their needs will be met, until a new master arrives as they tower’s defenses can only be controlled by the master of the tower – this is expected to take almost one year.

Amer finds a note tucked into his napkin. He does his best to cover reading the note, then passes it around to his trustworthy companions. It tells them that the knife has been given to their sleeping companion and that a secret exit exists in the deepest recesses of the tower. This exit will allow them to safely pass under the lake. To distract the steward Briz makes an illusion of the sound of the tower gong ringing. The steward is perplexed and goes to investigate.

Rather than wait for judgement, for the servants are searching the rooms for clues, Amer leads the charge against the four servants guarding the door. Rakul and Xarth fight the servants with the cutlery at the table, but even with their iron quarterstaves the servants are defeated. The priests, seeing the treachery of those who would attack the tower’s servants, summon a large storm and rain hail and lightning down on the fleeing group.

Soaking wet, Xarth finally manages to break through the door and everyone rushes out of the dining hall – leaving only the priests and Charles left behind. Father Ernst throws a large bolt of lightning at Xarth as he flees, but it does not stop him. Xarth, Briz, Amer, and Rakul rush down the stairs as water surges after them.