#77 - Going to Glyphstone

The PCs met with the hobgoblin woman Irakas, whom some of them had met in the company of Three once before, and her honor guard of three half-plate-clad hobgoblin warriors, Haluk, Saltuk, and Kurat.

Irakas was a Duur'kala, a "dirge singer" of Darguun, and are a musically trained order of storytellers in the Dhakaani culture. They are also spiritual leaders held in high esteem. It is said they even among the warring clans of Darguun, it is considered a treasonous crime to kill a dirge singer, for through them the ancient legacy of Dhakaan endures.

Since the PCs were intent upon venturing to Glyphstone Keep, Irakas wished to accompany them as allies, for she has reason to believe something bad was stirring there that could prove to be a threat to many, including Darguun. Like Three, hers was a premonition and little more.

And so she explained the history of Glyphstone Keep. Here is paraphrased her words.

“To understand Glyphstone Keep, you need to understand what it represents. In its original tongue, the keep is known as Lharg Shtaraaz, the 'Tower of Sigils' in Goblin, and it is named for the arcane archives curated by the clan who once ruled it. Like the nations of Galifar, Glyphstone once served as the seat of power in this part of the empire. It was a local center of authority and protection. Settlements throughout what is now Breland paid tribute to Glyphstone's rulers—a noble family of wizards among the ghaal’dar(hobgoblins) with strong ties to the Emperor himself—and in return they received protection.

“Now imagine if you can a time long before humans came to these shores. And imagine a conflict greater than the Last War, where numerous legions beset all of civilization on Khorvaire—the entirety of the Dhakaani Empire—on many fronts. More than nine thousand years ago, the plane of Xoriat, the Realm of Madness, became coterminous with Eberron. And when it did some of the daelkyr stepped into our world and sent their minions to seize our world and make it their workshop.

"The daelkyr are powerful beings that corrupt and warp anything in our world that they touch. Sages think of them as generals or kings of Xoriat, but they are more like great artists or scientists, less interested in dominating as studying and changing everything…in horrible ways. It was these daelkyr, and the servants they brought with them, and the new creatures they spawned, that attacked the Dhakaani Empire. It was not merely military might that the daelkyr sent against us, but also the seeds of madness, of doubt and rivalry. The aberrations wounded Dhakaan with brute force, but it was their infection that truly crippled our once great empire. We fell from infighting and civil strife.

"Although in time the daelkyr were defeated and driven underground into Khyber, and the connection between Xoriat and Eberron severed, there were many cities lost, many people slain, and the empire could not recover from the damage.

One depiction of a daelkyr.

“But before that end, in this part of Khorvaire, in what is now Breland, one great army was sent against Glyphstone Keep by the daelkyr known as Belashyrra, the Lord of Eyes. Belashyrra did not himself lead this army; instead, it was led by his mind flayers, who were as generals in their ranks…if any such comparison can be made to the military regimes of our world. The creatures of Xoriat are madness personified; they are alien, and do not think as the mortals of Eberron do.

"Thousands of their minions marched and slithered before them as soldiers of this great army. Dolgrims and dolgaunts were the most numerous, but larger, fouler monsters went with them, including some of the many-eyed beasts known as beholders. They overwhelmed the smaller towns and villages of the land. Refugees poured into Glyphstone Keep for miles around, hoping to survive the invasion there.

"And indeed, Glyphstone and its rulers held back the aberrations for a long time. And unlike many of the Dhakaani city-states, such as Paluur Draal, it did not wholly fall to the forces of Xoriat in the end. Instead the ruling family won a pyrrhic victory against the invaders, luring Belashyrra's entire army of monsters into its halls and through a gauntlet of magical wards and mechanical traps. Finally, the upper levels of the keep were collapsed to slay or at least trap any of the monsters who survived. The daelkyr's army had been destroyed but many of the dar (goblinkind) sacrificed themselves to achieve it.

"Yet some survived. They devised one method of escape, and they sent away their most valuable individuals and their youngest through a hidden tunnel that they used powerful magics to create and conceal during the siege. The secret entrance led from the upper level of the keep’s subterranean half and was cloaked by illusions. If it remains, it has not yet been found by any of us. Even the descendants of Glyphstone's inhabitants cannot recall it.

“For thousands of years, few have taken an interest in Glyphstone except for my people. But in recent times, two new legends have surfaced, though neither can be substantiated:

"The first legend is that during the Last War, a being of unknowable, celestial power—an angel or archon, some call it—came to Eberron and entered the ruin but never came out again. Never ascended back to the realm where it came from. Followers of the Silver Flame believe it was a servant of their nameless god, but even they do not know its purpose in going to Glyphstone, or why it never came out again.

"The second legend is of a human mage named Elidac. According to stories, he was a Brelish arcanist who was drafted into the Last War, and during his time in the Brelish Army became eccentric, strange, and powerful, and when he left active duty many years later grew he went into seclusion in Sharn, the City of Towers. Years later, older then, the stories say that he entered Glyphstone Keep with a company of like-minded companions—each one a wizard from a different nation. Aundair, Karrnath, Cyre, and Thrane. What became of him no one knows, but many theorize that they were conspiring against their former nations, that each had some grudge against his or her former government. Many remember Elidac—enough to verify that some measure but somehow no records exist."

Three, the King's Protector, confirmed this part of Irakas's story. Namely, that the Brelish wizard named Elidac, while he is remembered, does not appear to exist on any military roster. Some strange magic must have erased him from all documentation.

Irakas concluded, "He allegedly entered Glyphstone in 994 YK, two years before the Day of Mourning, and that is the last anyone knows."

At this point it was agreed that the party would venture to Glyphstone Keep as soon as they were ready. Leaving their horses (Torc and Whirlwind) stabled, handled by Three, and wrapping up a few curious errands—such as Aleae's commission for shiftweave garments—they were soon made ready.

Meanwhile, Cypher was grimly "noted" by officials of House Cannith for refusing to sell the strange schema in his possession. Once they had examined it, he was informed that the schema was considered property of House Cannith, and in fact was a necessary component for some machine or devise in Eston (formerly Cyre, now the Mournland). Kuven d’Cannith, the artificer assigned to oversee Cypher's work at the enclave, told him that if he relinquished the schema (for several hundred gold pieces), he would commend Cypher to Baron Merrix (head of Cannith South) himself! It was somewhat implied that if he refused to sell the schema, that, too, might come to the baron's notice.

Cypher chose not to sell.

Soon after the PCs started the day's walk with Irakas and her warriors to Glyphstone Keep, where at night fall they arrived and found an encampment of goblinoids. It was not a military encampment, but was nevertheless a gathering of at least a could hundred goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears—mostly Darguun migrants, but plenty from Breland as well. It was not clear why they were there, not even to Irakas, but strange rumors floated about the camp. Strange sightings, strange beasts, strange sounds. There was even the rumor that purple worms had been sighted! (Yet no actual tunnels revealed.)

The PCs made their own camp separate from the goblins, resolved to follow the map given to them by Sylvander the next morning.

As told by Magnus of the Island of Seren.

Cypher and Dar were able to read the map and get us from Glyphstone Keep down to the water's edge where the river splits. As we entered the clearing near the cliff's edge, things changed, as if some veil was lifted and we could suddenly see the real land, including a cave entrance surrounded by partially worked boulders.

Just as we walked into the clearing, approaching the cave, a few things happened at once. One of the large boulders rolled loose from the cairn-like arrangement smashed into Clarion. It had its own face and stumpy but powerful limbs! Then a beautiful feminine voice filled the air and I was completely overwhelmed with the music and the creature singing. I was so charmed by her that I more or less ignored the chimera that then emerged from the cave: a lion head, a goat head and somewhat perverted dragon head in the center. It had wings too...

The harpy flew away from the opening and I followed her to the gravelly cliff leading down to the river, Simel and a couple of the hobgoblin guards followed as well, likewise entranced. All at once, I shook off the harpy song and pulled back, seeing her intention to lure us into the fall. I tried to grab Simel as I ran back to fight the chimera but Simel was surprisingly fast and I could not get a hold of him.  I pivoted and yelled out to the flying three-headed beast, "Come and Fight ME!!"

Cypher, Rungo, Clarion, and Kard were battling more animate boulder-men near the cave entrance and they seemed to be holding their own, but getting really banged up in the process. Clarion used his thundering-wave spell to push the rocks around and Dar conjured lightening from the stormclouds above and then a lion and an eagle to help the fight (it seems that they are not real creatures but some spirit guardians from her druid magic—never mind, we need the help).

Aleae used her Wand of Wonder to blast the creature back with a massive gust of wind and she came close to me. The chimera flew close to Aleae blasted us both with fire. I flew into a rage and Aleae sprinted away. Seeing an opportunity, I ran and jumped up into the air delivering a couple of massive blows (infused with ice from the mace) and one of them flashed a flame blast as the mace connected with the goat head.  The smell of burned flesh let me know that it was not completely immune to fire.

I tried to land on the chimera's back, but slipped off. Simel shook off the harpy's song and joined the fight with a few arrows and Aleae threw down an ice storm giving the chimera a frosty blast. By the cave entrance, the rocks were depleting our warriors and both Clarion and Kard took turns getting knocked unconscious and reviving each other.

I was getting worn down, too. After one of the hobgoblin warriors stepped out over the edge, the harpy was taken down with quick blade work from Simel and a devastating blast from Cypher's acidic armbow. Then, quite suddenly, one of Simel's arrows slew the chimera—a well-placed shaft protruded from the eye socket of its dragon head and the whole beast tumbled to the ground. In a few more seconds, the boulder-men "died," too, crumbling into smaller pieces. The battle was over.

I could feel inside me that Storgrimm, the frost giant spirit of my mace, was not so impressed with my part of the battle. He he felt that I should have delivered the killing blow to such a foe. I try. In any case, I'm keenly aware that he lingers close inside the weapon, watching me, assessing me. He will be difficult to impress, but if I am to awaken greater power from the Defiler's Bane, I will need to.

I took a few minutes wandering around the battleground. Kard healed me up and I looked down into the cave opening, ready to descend. The hobgoblin woman commanded me to keep my light out of the entrance and that we should clean up a bit to hide the fact that we were here from prying eyes. She is worried we will be discovered.

It doesn't make sense to me, I think we should stand and fight all who come. The rest of the party took some time to rest and for some reason, I worked with the hobgoblins to move the carcasses of the harpy and the chimera into the cave mouth, out of sight.

I feel well enough, and ready to get underground and hunt down the Governor vampire.. or whatever else awaits, including the Blue Wraith.