#82 - The Glyphstone Throne

The elf-vampire-witch was a frozen paste on the wall. There were desiccated corpses loping our way and I moved over to smash one, and Rungo joined me. And then another. 

The fight was moving quickly and, I thought, nearly over. We were all retching and gagging from the smell of rot coming from the ghouls. Suddenly, behind us, Dar was attacked by the regenerating corpse of the elf thing. Pasting her wasn't enough, it seemed, and so the druid had blood sucked out of her shoulder. I moved over and mauled it once again, freezing it to the giant black curtain that hung on one side of this wide corridor. Seeing the ghouls were being dealt with, I tore her pasted-again corpse and headed back into the rug room. If mashing and freezing wouldn't kill her, maybe a big fire would. I know fire stops trolls from regenerating.

I walked into the room and threw her corpse on a pile of rugs. I splashed some oil on the body and then got ready to leave by pulling Aleae’s silver arrow and grabbing a useful everburning torch from the wall (not hot, just light). As I crouched down to strike some sparks into the oil, Clarion entered and interrupted me. He advised that he thought beheading would stop her visible re-growth. This was fine by me. He chopped off her head and doused the thing with holy water. The flesh and hair melted from the skull completely, and the ruin of her body stopped regenerating. He offered the elf-vampire skull to me and I accepted. He and I thought that this must me some kind of servant vampire since she seemed to lack all the vampiric powers we have seen at least once before. I hope that she is a servant of the hobgoblin vampire from Palurr Draal and that he will be sad when I stuff the skull up his nose.

Back in the hallway, we decided that we should go beneath the curtain to the throne room with ideas about using the Emperor’s Key to help with the big metal statue that Aleae had told us about. And maybe could access a place to hide. When we went under, we found ourselves in the largest chamber I have ever been in. Well, perhaps only the second largest. There was one that might have been greater that Cypher and I have been to.

A ziggurat and its throne dominated the far side of the room, which must have spanned three hundred feet from side to side. Dim purple lights in the corners gave us just enough to see our way around. The statue standing at the base of the steps at the throne was tall, bronze, and dangerous-looking if it really did move. Big stands on both sides of the chamber suggested this room could have also been an arena once.

We were thinking of seeking shelter behind one of the large stands, in hopes of resting undiscovered, but Irakas was once again worried about the messes we were leaving behind (we do often do that) and how it would make our enemies seek us out all the more. However, the she-hobgoblin did have one idea we found intriguing: According to her lore, whoever commands the throne of a goblin fortress also commands knowledge of the fortress itself. She believed that if one of us were to ascend the stairs and sit upon the throne, using the Emperor's Key. (We casually refer to it as such, but to newcomers like Simel and Dar, they see us discussing a bronze medallion.)

Immediately, Cypher volunteered. 

Irakas said he needed to go with confidence to convince the magic that he was the rightful ruler of this place and had the right to command the power of the Key. Irakas offered to do it, but Clarion also offered to be the one. Won’t the magic know that they are constructs?  They are not hobgoblins, as the rulers of Glyphstone once were. We have used it in the past, though. Cypher would do that now.

Cypher walked up the statue, which moved into a defensive position.  He commanded it to “Stand down.”  It made no move.  Cypher made his past it, climbed the steps, and sat upon the Dhakaani throne. Nothing seemed to happen and he returned shortly afterwards. If nothing else, the Emperor's Key protects the wearer from the golem, but it does not seem to allow us to command it.

In the meantime, we have gotten too close to the statue and it had advanced upon us with its massive glaive held up to strike. We backed up. Seeing Cypher return, Irakas once again suggested that she would be the one to use the Emperor's Key.  We had second thoughts. But somehow, to me, she seemed in earnest. She has been very clear that she believes that she should return the Key to the “rightful” owners (hobgoblins).

This may be her quest just as the rescue of Seren is mine. The Key came to us seemingly accidentally and we have kept it from dark forces. It may be time to let it go. Irakas may be a more rightful keeper than we are, she has the most legitimate claim (she is a hobgoblin given the task).

Maybe she will restore order to this abandoned keep, overrun with dark beings. Maybe she is the rightful one. I am not planning to spend my life restoring this keep, but certainly the world would benefit if it was. I let the party know that I think she should have it.  It seemed that others have similar thoughts and, for the first time since we rescued the Key, we turned it over to another. Irakas accepted it slowly and thanked Cypher for the trust. Her two remaining guards were immediately more content to see it in her possession. 

The Emperor's Key

The dirge singer placed it around her shoulders and walked past the bronze golem, up to the throne, and sat down. I didn't know what happened up there but she appeared to look around the chamber as if we weren't there, as if she was looking at a different place or time. While we were standing dumbly at the golem's feet, some of us heard noises of marching and troops. Clarion messages the information about the party with his magic. We were in no condition to fight anything like soldiers.

Clarion then messages Irakas and she seemed to notice us again. She pointed to a corner at the base of the ziggurat itself and we all met there. As she arrived, she pushed on an unseen panel in the wall and a secret door is revealed. We entered, closed the door and Irakas lead us to a hall and a chamber situated directly beneath the throne.

“We are safe here," she said. "We can rest.” There are no beds, but I am ready to sleep anywhere. The floor welcomed me as I hear Cypher digging into his pack, looking for paper and ink to write down and sketch whatever it is that the hobgoblin woman learned.