The Dauntless

Six looming, raised daises stretch from east to west in this chamber, each bearing a massive stone coffin with a carving of a fully armed and armored Hellknight lying in stately repose. Upon closer inspection, the details of the various weapons and minor variations in the armor of the figures distinguish these tombs. Two of the coffins loom ominously open. The east wall bears a complex series of inscriptions composed of faintly glowing pale blue runes.

As you enter, two figures rise from the open coffins, looming menacingly. They look decidedly unfriendly.

The group quickly gangs up on one corpse, tearing it apart, as Luna charges in and cuts deep into the other. The resulting clash is quick but brutal, Luna taking the brunt of the initial assault as the corpse she struck so hard hits back in kind, with Dorrak taking a second wave as they go down, but mere seconds later the group stands victorious over the re-dead corpses.

As combat ends Alak rubs the wound he received in the battle, which already shows minor signs of infection. "Disgusting claws on them," he comments as he walks along, observing the engravings on the coffins. "This hall seems to be dedicated to the Lictors, the leaders of the order. It seems to me that this," he waves at the wall with the glowing blue runes. "Is likely where the necromantic ward is anchored."

"Interessante," Antoinette says, after thoroughly spitting out everything she got in her mouth during the fight. "How would we shut it off?"

"Hell if I know," Alak shrugs. "I'm no signifier."

Examining the runes, Django frowns. "To deactivate this we'd either need much stronger magic than we have currently, or maybe a very talented thief. Probably best to leave it alone."

"Then assumedly all that's left is the section of citadel below those collapsed stairs," Antoinette states. "But we have no way of getting down there that I've seen. My only guess is that there may be a secret passage hidden among the tombs here. Otherwise, we'd have to clear the rubble to get down. With no sign of the portal anywhere else, I'd guess that's where it is."

Alak sighs. "If you feel you must search my comrades' tombs, all I ask is that you don't desecrate their bodies."

”They won’t be disturbed. All we’ll do is search for a hidden passage, Dorrak promises. ”You have my word.”

After examining the tombs as closely as possible without disturbing the remains of the dead Hellknights, Django turns back to the group with a frown. "Nothing," he calls. "No secret passages."

"Then we have to clear the rubble most likely," Antoinette states. "Unless there's some other route we haven't seen."

"I'm starting to agree with Django's earlier suggestion, maybe the bookstore will hold some more information," Luna says.

"I agree, Luna," Django says, "I really think we should revisit the bookstore. If any of us is opposed to breaking and entering, we can present our evidence to the council, have Calmont corroborate our testimony, and get in there legally. We left Voz as a loose end and too many things are leading back in her direction not to try and look deeper into it."

Looking over to Alak, he asks, "You feel like a trip into town, Stagram? We could use all the witnesses we can get for what we've seen down here, especially with regards to the necromantic ward being triggered, and you're the guy who'd know most about that tradition."

"Sure," Alak shrugs. "I'll need to resupply before my trip back to Korvosa, so I may as well accompany you. I'd certainly rather this necromancer be brought to justice than not."

"Seems reasonable enough. We shouldn't waste any more time then," Antoinette notes.

With that, the group heads to the temporary council chambers to seek permission to investigate Voz's residence.

The council is discussing guard schedules when you arrive, but they pause when you enter.

"Ah, the Dauntless," Greta greets you. "Welcome. How goes your exploration of the Citadel?"

"Mostly well. We still have some unanswered questions however," Dorrak explains. "We found a tunnel going from the citadel to Roxie's bar, which someone who was engaging in necromancy was using - paying her for her silence. We believe this person is Voz, and we were hoping to have your permission to search her home."

The council is silent for a few long moments. Then Jorsk Hinterclaw turns to Melma Ann Sendari. "Did ye know that Voz was a necromancer?"

"I'm as surprised as you," Melma shrugs. "I didn't think she was interested in magic at all but I would've pegged her for divination, or maybe abjuration."

"Exactly what sort of necromancy are we talking about here?" Trini Spizzlegig asks. "Certainly not white necromancy if you're this concerned about it, but was this necromancer raising things, communicating with the dead, or just drawing on positive and negative energy?"

"More to the point," Quentino Posandi interrupts. "Why exactly do you believe Ms. Lirayne is the necromancer in question, and why do you think such a matter would entitle you to enter her residence and place of business?"

"Calmont told us she was studying the possibility of some portal network that could lay beneath the citadel. I can't say I fully understand the magic behind it myself. The only way accessible to her to get beneath the citadel was the tunnel from Roxie's cellar, as the main staircase has caved in and we got in through a secret entrance known only to the Bumblebrashers," Dorrak explains calmly. "To corroborate the presence of those portals, we have seen several creatures down there that only come from far off lands, specifically Mwangi, if my memory is correct," he continues. "As for what kind of necromancy, we found clear evidence of communicating with the dead, which triggered a ward placed by the Hellknights that raised undead defenses. I believe this warrants a search because it could pose a threat to the entire town. Anything could come through those portals, including a destructive cult that we have already seen, and now there is a passage that leads directly to town through the bar. Moreover, we have thoroughly searched what we've already uncovered, and we've found no possible way to proceed further without uncovering more information, and so this is a last resort." Dorrak takes a deep breath when concluding his argument before adding, "If you're concerned about any possible impropriety in our search, I could offer you a magically-proven guarantee of our integrity."

The council looks to one another and begins conferring in hushed tones. After a short but severely heated discussion, they look back up.

"We have deliberated and taking a brief vote of 4-1 in favor of allowing your investigation," Gardania says solemnly. From the look on Posandi's face, it's very apparent who voted nay. "While necromancy, particularly communing with the dead, is hardly a crime-in fact, our own resident Pharasmin cleric performs just such a ritual on a regular basis-such reckless use of it is deeply concerning." Sprizzlegig nods solemnly. "The notion of portals to dangerous, unknown locales beneath the Citadel is equally so." Hinterclaw scratches his beard. "And if there's no other way for you to pursue this, then you have our blessing." Sendari looks less certain than the others. "But you'll do so with some restrictions. We'll take you up on your magic, and we'll also be sending a guard with you to ensure things remain on the up-and-up. Sadly, though we request heroes, it's often the more unscrupulous sort of adventurer who would take advantage of exactly this sort of event that answer our call. Is this acceptable to you?"

After looking back at his companions, Dorrak returns his gaze to the council. "It is, councilmembers, thank you." His eyes glow a brilliant gold for a moment as he speaks his next words. "I swear that while we search Voz's property, I will ensure that we conduct ourselves with integrity. We will only seek out information relevant to our task, and will only remove property that seems essential to proceed, with the intention of returning it upon the completion of our quest." After he finishes speaking, a scarlet and gold banded bracelet appears in his hand, which he offers to the council. "This will last for an hour. If my word is kept, it will disappear at the end of our investigation with a musical chime. If I break my word, it will harshly shatter. I don't believe the search is likely to take more than an hour, but if it does I am willing to come back and cast the spell again."

Hinterclaw, the closest to Dorrak, takes the bracelet and gestures to one of the guards, a young woman in plate armor with light brown hair and a smattering of freckles across her nose. She introduces herself as Ann, and leads you to the Reliant Book Company, though you've been there before. The building is tucked into an out-of-the-way corner of Breachill that gets little foot traffic, and the building is closed up as it was last time with its front door locked.

Antoinette examines the locked up door for any weak points or easy ways to gain entry. Seeing a spot where the construction is a bit weak, she lines up a kick. ”I cannot pick locks, but,” Antoinette begins as she slams her foot onto the weak spot. The frame cracks as the door falls inwards. ”I can certainly bring the door down. I sure hope our lead is correct.”

Ann winces as the door hits the floor. "Ooh, I hope you find what you're looking for here, that's more than a few coins in repairs." The front room of the small shop is a public display area with shelves upon shelves of old books written in old languages. At the back of the room is a counter with a binder lying closed on top of it, and behind the counter are two doors, one of which is marked with a sign in Taldane that reads "Staff Only."

Immediately locking onto the "Staff Only" sign, Luna approaches it. "If anything's being hidden, it's probably in there," She says, opening the door.

No sooner does the door open than a spike shoots out, striking Luna full-on in the chest. She is knocked unconscious instantly.