Keruna had 2 types of guard with her; her own Elite, and the others who purport to be Igorian City Guards (but are doubtless spies, secret police, special forces and other irregulars). 1 of the irregulars disappeared, as did Kiri the Gnome (I checked). Doubtless these are coordinating with Keruna and trying to find the Dagger somewher in the city.
Soro and Darianne investigated the harbour, but without success.
29/5 Kiri (and, I think, the Guard-who-is-more-than-he-seems) didn't come back.
Soro sent Eldonn (who, unknown to us, had been lurking in Igor), to check out the harbour. Mayflower is the next ship bound for Long Isle (but this information was not communicated to us in time, nor that Kiri was observing the ship).
A little later in the morning, heralds and trumpeters invited us to Ravens Bluff Castle, on behalf of Tormin Othmar, who is the ruler of Ravens Bluff / Ravens Coast.
We accepted. Keruna and her troops were not invited (nor snubbed, as Keruna had not returned either).
The castle is huge, and the Knights seemed impressed. There seemed to be some sort of event, possibly in our (our Knights') honour.
Sir Zacharias saw, expressed an interest in, and was given Reldan Berundt's excessive hat.
Tormin's wife, Lady Iona seems to know her own mind (there is gossip that she breast fed her own child for years). I suspect that we have been separated from Keruna by design, but I'm not sure why. The local nobility seem neutral (rather than under Keruna's or Kiellevain's influence).
There is a thinnish man who is probably some sort of practicioner of the Dark Arts.
It being morning, the castle staff served watered wine. I added brandy to mine... then thought that this could be a great opportunity. I openly added more brandy, but actually drank sparingly. I'm also more fluent in Meriandorian (and it's local dialects) than I let on, and I can lip read.
Unfortunately, all that I picked up was Fetch buckets from behind the altar room, (with directions of how to find the broom cupboard indicating the servant didn't know where the buckets were) which conjours images of bloody heathen sacrifices, but may be completely innocent.
Sir Zacharias took a liking to Lady Carmine, who appears as a pretty airhead. He took her to enjoy the view from the tallest tower, serenaded her, serenaded her in the courtyard, later he took her to enjoy the view over the moat, serenaded her, and so on.
A joust was called (no doubt Sir Zacharias' idea, between enjoying the view of Lady Carmine and serenading her).
Sir Zacharias defeated Sir Jean-Marc / Erenion.
He was then (only just) bested by Tormin Othmar.
J-M / Erenion took a liking to a drunken woman mercenary. The real J-M would never have done so. Sara is one of Sir Artim Argonside's troops.
A few years ago, at about the time that he ritually killed his family and gained IMMORTALITY (UNAGING) from Keillevain, his family guards left / were dismissed / disappeared. Since then he has employed mercenaries, and has been travelling a lot and imposing on various nobles. No doubt a lot more besides. Artim was based at the castle, but in town for this event. Artim's coat of arms is lance argent crossed with mace d'or on red sinister / blue dexter (not really my thing; white and yellow lance on red and blue). Keruna's is mace, spiked, argent on sable (silver bludgeon on black). I don't think that there is a connection.
The woman was removed by the other guards.
After bathing, Sir Zacharias ordered new finery of blue and white to be modified. He cut quite a figure. Lady Carmine was most impressed, and Sir Z sought my spiritual advice:
The Lady Mercedes owns my heart, but my loins...
I pointed out that cuckolding a man is a sin, but knowing an unmarried woman, should she be willing, is a lesser sin. He should resist temptation, but should he fail, I would absolve him.
He rushed to surrender to her voluptuousness.
This is not all bad, as the Church knows what Lady Mercedes might want to know.
In the night, I became aware of a feeling of great evil. The Knife of Sirdalle was in the castle, somewhere in the kitchens.
I took my staff and some holy wine and incense, but not my crossbow nor brigandine.
Sir Zacharias armed himself, but only donned light armour.
Sir J-M appeared fully armed and armoured (in the middle of the night).
Soro appeared out of nowhere, and appeared prepared.
We met Keruna, she or her agents were following its trail, so she arrived at about the same time.
I PRAYED, and felt that the GOD regarded the Dagger as supremely evil. It is a Demon bound into a knife that can continue to exist in the world. It has to be destroyed.
Keruna is a far lesser evil, and also seeks to destroy the Dagger. We seem to be allies of the moment, but her time will come.
I BLESSED Sir Zacharias, Sir J-M (which did not work, as his faith is mis-directed) and myself. I sought to SEE SPIRITS, and could see the Dagger.
Keruna PRAYED to the being called Set (a major Fallen Angel / Death Godling).
We ran to the Kitchen.
Sir J-M was to the front, in his armour, but moving just that little bit slower than everyone else.
The door was closed, and took several blows before it split asunder.
This revealed:
Sir Artim Argonside.
5 of his mercenaries (not Sara).
The thin Magician.
Someone who appeared to be a servant, actually Salagon Von Slappe (once Nicodemus the Necromancer's apprentice).
2 of the mercenaries had crossbows, which they discharged. Sir Z heroically flung himself in front of me, and took a bolt (I consider him washed free of his minor sin).
Sir Z could not force immediately himself past Sir J-M, who was blocking the door.
The thin Magician cast some diabolical spell at us, but Keruna defended us all against it. We were then subject to local DARKNESS (I'm not sure who cast that).
Keruna vanished (I think that it was a blind TELEPORT)
Soro ran to another door.
Eventually I ran past the Knights (and a flagon of wine, on the table) and most of the guards.
The Knights chopped at guards, with what I assume was a degree of success (they are very doughty Knights, after all). The guards took several wounds, but proved to be of the elite.
The Magician, Salagon, Artim and at least 1 mercenary escaped through yet another door into a courtyard.
Soro threw daggers (I suspect that they were poisoned; I discuss this with him) at the Magician.
Keruna, in the courtyard, cast some sort of FIRE, which burned Artim and Melted the wooden door.
She made it fairly clear that she did not require our help. The thin Magician sent a spell at her and collapsed immediately afterwards.
She cast another dire spell; something like RIDER WITHIN, but with some sort of Spirit / fragment of Set possessing Salagon's Soul (black smoky snakes appeared to writhe out of his eyes). And still he resisted.
I concentrated everything into smashing my staff, bearing the Holy Spiral, into the Dagger, even as Salagon drew it. The GOD aided me, and I delivered the greatest blow of my life.
This appeared to stun the Dagger / Demon, but did not destroy it. Bummer! Salagon stopped drawing the dagger though and seemed to fall deeply under Kerunas spell.
Keruna said that I cannot destroy the Dagger in this way. She is correct.
It is a Demon in material form.
A Demon cannot normally survive for long in the world, unless it hides within something of this world.
This Demon protects the physical form of the Dagger, I surmise.
In other words, unmaking it will require special measures:
I could Evoke (theologians and magicians note; Evocation calls upon the GOD, Invocation calls upon whatever is within us) the GOD, as I know his Name, but only in the direst necessity. Keruna should not hear.
A Ritual in a great cathedral (or temple of Set) might succeed.
Forges of Dwarves would probably not suffice. The Demon, might be Icy (so it would resist any lesser furnace).
Dragonfire (or possibly volcanic heat) is the most likely to succeed. Volcanic heat would certainly destroy the dagger, but might free the demon. Dragonfire if strong enough ought to destroy the demon as well. The nearest dragon big enough is the one that lives on Black Dragon Rock in the sea to the North west.
As Keruna and I do not trust one another, I think that we may have a quest, with the added advantage of flushing out Kiellevain.
We need to make an Iron and Lead box for it at once.
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