by Clark Bolton
“Murac and I will take a closer look, go ahead make camp for now but be prepared to move quickly if need be.” Berdtom told them as he proceeded south.
Haspeth and Castor soon made themselves a spot with their saddles and packs and proceeded to take it easy while the guards set up a picket line for the horses. Autbek kept his attention to the south, eager to hear what the two men would find. He did not have to wait long before they walked back.
“We are staying here for now.” Berdtom announced. “Looks to be a temple of some type or perhaps an old family estate. Guessing by the smoke and the few people we saw already, I would think there are quite a lot more around.
“Doesn’t sound like a coincidence, I mean ‘red man’ bearded trees now a temple in the woods.” Autbek suggested as he looked around for support.
“You're the Dieknotkow expert, O’t.” Berdtom replied. “Far as I’m concerned it’s the best place to start.
“I agree, and their looks to be a number of older stone works about. Cemetery I’d guess.” Murac added.
“That’s it!” Haspeth interjected. “Don’t you see, where there is a cemetery there is crypts, and they will have been buried, some of them, with rings and such!”
“Yeah.” Autbek replied. “But I don’t think I want to steal from the dead. I mean we are not grave robbers are we?” He was a little disappointed when no one agreed with him.
“Haspeth, you going to be doing the digging?” Castor asked sarcastically.
“Yea, got some spells for it too!” Haspeth readily replied. “Can’t cast most of them yet but I think Autbek could maybe.”
All eyes turned to Autbek who refused to answer. The thought of casting spells on tombs of people they did not know sounded a lot like theft.
“Ok, so we sneak up at night, cast some spell, search some bones and then run.” Castor said to Haspeth.
Haspeth did not answer as he looked around the forest uneasily. “Maybe not at night.” He suggested.
“What I saw won’t have no treasure in them.” Murac told the group. “Been on a number of these treasure hunts in the past, usually happens by chance when a group of us is passing through some such place as this.”
“What you mean?” Haspeth asked.
“Somebody gets it in their head when they see a place like this that there is bound to be treasure, so why not do some digging since they are already here and ain’t no one around.”
“So you never found anything?” Autbek asked with interest now, hopeful now they were not going to try what Haspeth suggested.
“Never, least not in a place unguarded or not hidden. Like this one here is not. Trust me you will find that every place has already been looted.”
“What about in the temple, Murac?” Berdtom asked.
“Yea, that’s where I’d look. They will have catacombs maybe for the recently dead and sometimes they block off or forget about older ones. Got to be watched though or they too will have been plundered.”
“Out here, I mean there ain’t nothing here … maybe it has never been robbed.” Haspeth suggested.
Murac smiled and chuckled, “You go dig while I wait here, we'll see who is right.”
“Sounds like you have a lot of experience with this, Murac. Is that normally part of a being a bodyguard?” Autbek asked.
“Normal … kind of … bodyguards travel a lot with those who have the means to do such things as this. I’ve spent enough weeks breaking my back with picks and shovels to learn from it.”
“Weeks! Gods, don’t tell me we will be here for weeks.” Haspeth exclaimed.
“Hope not, but that’s a good point. How long should we search Tom?” Autbek asked.
Berdtom gave it some thought before replying. “Will take a good week to get back to Astrum, more likely unless we push hard. Cannot see us spending more than a week or so here. Though if need be we can send word back with one or two of the men to keep the court happy with us.”
“Fear not, Autbek, if this Dieknotkow can find a god-kissed man like me he’ll have brought us to the right place first time.” Murac put in with a little cheer to his voice.
With the discussion ended they all moved to complete the setup of the camp in anticipation of staying a while. The temple was far enough away they hoped where their campfire would not be too out of place, particularly since the road was nearby.
“Best to go talk with them before we make any plans.” Murac suggested. “Who’s up to going with me? Not all of us though, don’t want to leave the camp unguarded.
They decided Autbek, Berdtom, Murac and one guard would go while the rest remained. Figuring there was a road to the temple further north since they had not passed one on their journey here they headed off northeast on foot.
Their assumption turned out to be correct and so as they neared the large compound they eyed a road leading in from the north. It appeared to run through a gate like structure built into a large free standing wall some distance from the first recognizable building.
Turning onto the entrance road the four of them soon encounter a group of men hard at work on some timber they had felled. Many had no shirts on even in the chill air, and none appeared to be armed. A figure dressed in monk like robes smiled kindly at them as they approached.
“Greetings!” Berdtom said to the monk. “May we ask which gods are worshiped here and if we might pray?”
The monk bowed and replied, “Welcome, this is Atkusup Temple, place of Gitra, mother of us all.”
Autbek understood it to be the standard ritualized greeting a monk gives to visitors. He had heard of Gitra before, though she was not worshiped in Runeholden.
“Ah, then we ask to stop for a time and offer prayers.” Berdtom said to the monk as he gave a ritualistic nod with hands together in front of his face.
“Be welcome.” The monk replied as he motioned for them to proceed through the gate.
“Not too familiar with Gitra, Tom. Are we in for trouble?” Autbek had a deep distrust of priests as did most of the nobility.
“Not likely, they are not known for being aggressive.”
“Careful though, it’s been my experience the trouble makers are often sent to remote temples such as this.” Murac added as he took the lead.
The place turned out to be an undetermined number of small stone buildings organized around a central larger one. The center one contained a steeple roof and had a huge open doorway leading into a single chamber where half a dozen small shrines were arranged. The central shrine was the largest and was to Gitra they guessed, but the others represented other gods in the pantheon.
“That letter from the Toshcic, you remember it?” Berdtom asked Autbek as they surveyed the interior of the temple
“How can I forget?” He replied. The letter had come in the bundle of others meant for the Lord Mage-Councilor but had been held up by the Earls court until finally they turned them over to Berdtom. The letter apparently was a response to something Tenric had asked of them. Unfortunately, neither he nor Berdtom where privy to Tenric’s side of things so were unable to make sense of the response so far.
“This is one of the many gods they hold dear.” Berdtom said, motioning toward the central shrine.
“Hmm, is there a connection you think? I mean we are after a ring of some type, could it be something they keep in a place like this.”
“Best not wonder aloud, O’t.” Berdtom added as he knelt and prayed. “If you're not going to pray best wait outside.” He whispered.
Autbek decided to exit and so looking to Murac he found the man lighting some incense at one of the other shrines. It looked to be a male god portrayed by a nearly life size statue holding a spear or staff maybe. Not wishing to intrude he walked back out and took a few steps down the large stone stairs leading up to the temple, and then waited.
When the two emerged they walked about the compound slowly for a few minutes trying their best to look a part of the place. Though they were greeted by several monks they were ne
ver asked much nor urged to leave.
“Nice enough…suppose they don’t get many visitors though.” Autbek mused as they stopped to look at what appeared to be a low wall forming the edges of a large cemetery.
Many more half buried stone markers were to be seen outside the wall running into the forest of bearded trees. In a few places both within the low wall and without there were larger stone structures that they guessed could contain remains of the dead.
“Would take more time then we got to search all this clearly!” Berdtom said softly. “O’t you got a way to detect magic through stones and earth?”
“No, it would have to be powerful magic indeed to shine through stone.”
“Catacombs then?” Murac said as he turned to look back at the temple. “I see what looks like a crematorium there, and I would think the ashes would be placed near or below the temple.”
“Hmm, let’s go ask, my friends.” Berdtom said as he looked about for the nearest monk.
They found one soon and were told that deceased worshipers were indeed cremated and interred below the shine. They fabricated a story about seeking a final resting place for an ill patron they knew and were told that at the discretion of the head priest arrangements could be made.
“Must they be cremated?” Autbek thought to ask the monk as they began to leave.
“No, but such is not done here, for you see we believe in the purification of fire and besides space below the shrine is limited.”
Autbek thought the monks remarks a little more candid and irreverent then they should have been. “Nice fellow.” He remarked to Tom as they headed back toward the cemetery.
“I want a closer look at these graves.” Berdtom said as he walked out into the cemetery proper. There was a few that looked to have been recently attended to, but most he found to be long since overgrown with weeds and vines and even the moss that adorned the trees.
“What are we looking for, Tom?” Autbek asked as he passed one after another of the markers. Most had symbols or inscriptions on them but few meant anything to him.
“Hmm, not sure. Let’s go further.” With that said Berdtom hoped over the low wall to walk among those that were completely unattended too. “Ah, look here!”
Murac and Autbek walked quickly over to see what Berdtom had found. It was a large stone marker set into the ground unremarkable at first.
“This was Tesslodken, which means it’s far older than those inside the wall there. Looks like most of the symbols have been defaced and even some others added.”
“Are you sure Tom?” Autbek asked as he studied some of the other markers. “I think you're right now, everyone I see has been marked up in some way. And this one here had some cruder inscriptions added later I think.
All the markers looked greatly aged and they guessed were many centuries old. Most had obvious signs of harsh treatment, with gashes and holes clearly evident. After a while they came to be able to tell by the shape which were Tesslodken and which were not. Nearly everything outside the walls of the compound where Tesslodken and nothing inside it appeared to be.
“I would think your theory on grave robbing to be correct, Murac.” Berdtom announced.
“We prefer being called treasure seekers.” Murac chuckled.
“What does this knowledge buy us though, Tom?” Asked Autbek. “We still can’t search all of these!”
“No, but we have the justification now don’t we!”
Autbek furrowed his brow. “How so?” He asked skeptically.
“Well, were do your loyalties lay? To these Gitra monks or your Tesslodken ancestors?”
“Were you not just praying to Gitra?”
“Yes, but not for aid!”
“What then?” Autbek asked as he followed the two men back toward the temple.
“For forgiveness, after all we are about to walk among her dead!”
“Grave robbing!”
“No, liberation.”
“How so?” Autbek asked incredulously seeing where Berdtom was going with his justifications.
“We are retrieving Tesslodken artifacts from those who have usurped them!”
Autbek had to admit to himself that his friend had just found a way out of their moral dilemma. “That I suppose I can live with.” He said softly to himself, as he rushed to catch up with the two. Onward through the fog, he told himself.
“So we have to sneak in and search the cellar basically?” Haspeth asked of the three man upon their return from the temple.
“Well, yes that’s one way to look at it. Though we think Castor and Lit’ should go see if they can get into the cellar first.” Autbek replied as he made himself comfortable around the fire.
Berdtom was already explaining things to the two as they spoke. Castor was nodding his head and Lit’ was her usual quiet self.
“Don’t fool yourself Haspeth, this cellar is going to be no fun. It will be dark, smelly and guessing by the fact we are surrounded by marshes, wet!” Murac told him. “If you don’t slam your head on the ceiling it’s because you're crawling on your belly through piles of bones and rubbish.”
“Well, what about the monks? What if they see us go in, I mean we’re not going to get stuck down there are we?”
“Not with three and half mages we’re not.” Murac replied as he began pulling out various weapons and tools from his and other’s packs.
“Yea!” Haspeth said with a weak smile.
“We’ll need all the light you can produce once we’re down there out of sight of the priests. And get that sword enchantment spell ready … never know what’s left alive … or dead down there!”
“What! You mean like people down there!” Haspeth said with wide eyes.
“Or worse, huh?” Autbek asked, thinking now of all the stories he had heard as a kid.
“Yep, what was people most likely.”
The two quieted as they pondered the thought of what could be down there. Neither had wanted to bring up the subject of ghosts and the like.
“Have you ever fought anything like that … I mean things?” Haspeth asked, clearly upset now at the prospect.
Murac stared at the fire for a few seconds then smiled and went back to checking his arsenal. “Yea, I have.”
Autbek and Haspeth looked at each other grimly. Then they started digging out scrolls, looking to organize things so that important ones could be found quickly. Haspeth had trained more with Murac at mock battles then Autbek had, and so had some concept of what to do first in a battle.
“We need to cast a bunch, O’t, before we find any of these things I think.” Haspeth said seriously to his friend.
Autbek nodded his head as he took stock of the scrolls he had brought and rearranged the order of some. “I’ve got these protection ones, supposed to ward against creatures tied to the negative material plane. Might keep some things back.”
“The what?” Murac asked as he sharpened a short sword.
Glad the man seemed truly interested Autbek explained, “We live in a multiverse, or so it’s thought. Where some like us get our life force from a common source, while others like what might be down there, get theirs from a different source.”
“Hmm.” Murac grunted.
“It’s sort of like magnets, if you align them right they push each other away. But if you turn them wrong they pull together.” Haspeth put in.
“Well, just get it right then.” Murac said with a smile.
“Yea.” Autbek commented.
Castor came over then to discuss his plan with Autbek. Basically he wanted to go in now before dark disguised as common country folk who needed a place to stay for the night. Then when the place was quiet he and Lita would sneak into the catacombs just a short distance to see if there was another entrance then the one in the temple.
“Ok, just don’t get caught … and if you do just tell them you were just looking around.” Autbek told the kid.
“That should work, Castor,” added Berdtom. “And at the very least
it will take them some time to decide what to do with you. We’ll intervene if that happens. We can pull rank if we must, after all even here the office of Vis Mage-Councilor of Astrum may count for something.”
Autbek shuddered at the thought of revealing who they were. He just was not sure how the Earl would take it if he found out what his mages were up too. Mages, he thought. Is that what we are now?
“Ok, let’s head out now.” Murac announced. “You two remain here, you two come with us.” He said to the guards. “Each of you carries some bread and a water skin; don’t know how long we might have to spend under the temple.”
They let Murac lead the way through the forest again followed by Castor who had not yet used his illusion spells to alter his appearance. Lita followed closely behind Castor as usual and the two guards took up the rear.
The walk went quick and soon they found themselves at the road leading to the temple about an hour before dark. Castor then transformed smoothly into an old farm worker after closing his eyes for second and muttering softly.
Autbek watched Lita closely to gauge her skill at doing this as she was pretty shy about doing it around anyone but Castor. She closed her eyes also and cast the same minor illusion spell as Castor. This left her looking like the short wife of Castor’s farm worker.
“Great, now take your time and don’t talk much. Remember you’re simple farm folk passing by and needing a warm place to sleep.” Berdtom cautioned them.
“Got it.” Castor said as he met Berdtom’s gaze.
Autbek watched the two interact. He knew they were working together more and more, though he was never quite sure on what. The two always suggested that he did not want to know and for now he figured he did not. He had too many distractions as it was to care for another one.
“Now we wait!” Murac said as Castor and Lita walked toward the temple. “I’ll take first watch here, you all back up about thirty paces.”
“Murac, I’ll take watch as soon as night falls. I’ve got a night sight spell that should work well here; it will let me see as if there was bright moonlight.” Autbek said as he checked to confirm he had the scroll with him.
