The Rune Stone

Dungeon

As the company traversed the narrow and dark stone passage way they couldn't help but feel paranoid. Kralich was the only one holding a small magical flame in his hand as he lead them forth into the blackness. The tunnel seems to have gone unused for many years, cobwebs and a thick layer of dust covering almost every inch of it. Eventually, after descending for about twenty minutes Kralich reckoned they would be right beneath the lake, and his suspicions were proven true when he saw many drops of water falling from the celling stones, echoing in the deep. " Mate, I don't know about you, but I sure as seven hells would NOT like to stay here and linger. This place looks like it could collapse at a moment's notice. " muttered Nicholas as he glanced above him, some of the water drops hitting his face gently. " Neither do I, Mister Hook. Neither do I ... " answered Kralich as he quickned his pace ever so slightly. Eventually, the downwards slope began to climb, first gently and surely, then turning into a ladder carved into the stonework. They must have climbed for five minutes without stopping until they reached a small trapdoor than lead them into a cellar of sorts, just as unused as the tunel. However, here a few solitary torches were lit and set in supports against the far wall, allowing light to flow into the room a bit better and reveal jail cells on either side of the room, six in total.

After stepping not even five feet fowards the men heard a cry from one of the cells. " Hello ? Is there anyone alive out there ? " said a weak voice. "Wait... you don't look like the castle guards. Are you from outside ? " it continued, stepping towards the bars of his cell to have a better look at the group. He was a young man clad in college mage robes but his dark hair was unkempt and his beard unshaven. "Possibly ? I take it you are the mage then." answered Kralich. " I am Jowan. Lady Isolde hired me to tutor her son, Connor. Until they, ahhh, threw me in here. " he said. " The lady said you where here to cure the lord. " retorted Kralich. " I... I know it looks suspicious, but I'm not responsible for those creatures, and the killings in the castle. I was already imprisoned when that began. " he'd say shaking the bars. " At first Lady Isolde came here with her men, demanding I reverse what I had done. But that's the first time I had heard about the walking corpses. She thought I'd summoned a demon to torment her family and destroy Redcliff." he then took another brief pause. " She... had her men torture me. There was nothing that I could say that would appease her. So they... left me to rot in here. " Jowan ended.

The mage outside the bars furrowed his brows yet again. " Why did the lady hire you to tutor her son ? Why did she say you where here to cure the lord ? " he asked. " I... I am a blood mage. A maleficarum. I dabbled in the forbidden arts and the folks of the College condemned me to death for it. I managed to destoy my phylactery and escape. I thought... I thought trying to cure the lord here would give me a chance at redemption. But whatever is making the lord sick in no ordinary disease. It's magical in origin that much I could gather." he paused yet again, looking for any sign of distaste or fear in the eyes of the company, but he was only met by Kralich's stoic glance, waiting for him to continue. " That was also when Connor had started to show ... signs. The lady was terrified the College of Magi would take him away for training. So she chose me, an apostate, a mage outside the circle, to teach her son, in secret, how to control his talent so he could hide it. Her husband had no idea. " he said. " Then, perhaps, it's her son that is responsible for whatever is hapenning up there. " commented Torstein. " I thought of that too. Connor has little understanding of magic, but he might have done something to tear open the Veil and allow something in. Spirits or demons. A paricularly powerful one could have killed and reanimated those corpses. " said the mage behind the bars.

" I never meant for any of this. I swear. Please, Let me help you fix this. I am tired of running from the College of Magi. I need to account for what I've done. " he'd end with genuine conviction in his eyes.

Kralich nodded in the end. " That is commendable, if it's true. Very well. I'll let you out of your cell. Torstein, will you do the honors ? " The barbarian then got out his axe as he approached the cell, then with one swift and fluid motion he brought down the pommel of the weapon on the lock, breaking it instantly. As it clanked on the stone floor, the barred door opened with a loud creak. Everyone in the room tensed up slightly, fully expecting an attack; the blood mage from the company and the company from the blood mage. But no attack came. " What now ? " said Jowan. "I want to help but I am afraid I would be more of a liability in combat. The days of torture and the lack of food have weakend me and my magical capabilities... " Kralich allowed himself an exhasperated sigh " Then here." he'd say handing the mage one of his rations of cheese and dry mean with bread. " Eat and then help out however you can. We plan to go to the courtyard and allow a few of the lord's knights back into the caste. See what you can do, just don't make things worse. " ended Kralich. " I won't. I promise. I will try to do whatever I can. " said Jowan as he began to stuff his face like a starved wolf praying upon a sheep he had just caught. " Be careful. I head a commotion in the guard room above. I think they might be dead... And alive again. " he'd warn as the party began to make their way further into the dungeon.

As Nicholas took point and slowly creaked open the wooden door the guard room he was greets by two of the undead banging their bodies mindlessly against a pantry door. They must have been at it awhile too; the wood on the door being caked in rotten flesh and black blood, more of it being added on with each bang of the creatures, coming off of them. The rogue had to pinch his nose as he backed away informed the other two of the contents of the room. Both Kralich and Nicholas then agreed to move as one to take them out. The rogue then drew a long dagger from his belt while the mage simply advanced with his hands extended forwards, raw arcane energy already pulsing from them. Nicholas took the one closest, sinking his dagger right thought the back of the skull of the creature, all the way though, instantly making it fall motionless on the cobblestone flood. Kralich moved in tandem with the rogue, pressing his hands against the ears of his target as purple lightning flowed in and out of it until the smell of burning flesh filled his nostrils, prompting him to release the creature who now layed quietly on the flood, smoke pouring out of its charred face. Torstein entered the room afterwards, commenting; " Impressive work you two. What do you think they were after in that room ? They seem to have been at it for a while now. " he'd say approaching.

" Let us find out then, shall we ? " proposed Nicholas as he already pressed down on the handle of the door, after removing a bit of rotten flesh stuck to it. And to his surprise it opened without much resistance. " Damn. These dumbasses are are stupid as they l--- " commented Nicholas as he began pushing the door, which seemed to have had things stacked against it, only to be interrupted by a terrified scream. When peering inside he was met by the terrified gaze of a woman, dressed in servant's clothing.

" I-I'm so sorry. I- I did not mean to. " she began once she saw them as being human. " I-I'm just so frightened. These monsters are everywhere. My name is Valena, maid to the lady of the castle. Is she alright ? What hapenned to everybody ? " she asked after getting to her senses a bit. Torstein would move up, opening the door to its fullest, so he could get a proper look at the girl. She was young, blonde of hair and fair of face. " Valena ? The smith's daughter ? He sent us to look for you. " said the barbarian allowing the woman to step out. " You know my father ? Please... I just want to go home to the town. Is there a way out through here ? " she'd ask tears starting to well up in her eyes again. " There's a tunnel, beneath a trap door, at the end of the dungeon, where the cells are. Hidden behind some crates and barells." answered Nicholas. " B-but the monsters... " retorted the woman as she looked down at the two motionless corpses by the door. " Don't worry. We have dealth with the ones here. They won't be getting back up. " answered Torstein. " How did you get stuck in there, Valena ? " asked Kralich. " I - I was sent to deliver food for the prisoner. Then... Then the mosters appeared. They chased me. So I ran as fast as I could and hid here, in the pantry. It must have been days... I just want to go home ..." she'd answer a moment's away from exploding into tears yet again. "It's alright, Valena. It is safe now. Just take a torch from the wall, it's dark in the tunnel, and follow it all the way through. It will bring up to the windmill on the hill. From there you can find your own way home, I trust. " said Kralich, stepping out of the way. " T-thank you. I run fast, and I know my way around the castle. I think... I think I can make it. " she'd answer moving fowards shaking ever so slightly.

Torstein wanted to escord the woman home safely himself, but that was opposed by Kralich; who reminded him of the urgency of their task at hand, to which, surprisingly, the barbarian agreed. And so, they pressed forwards yet again, finding nothing else of interest in the deserted guard room. As the company went through the rooms one by one they found nothing to indicated the source of this event, all while narrowly avoiding the shambling corpses who seemed to wander in search of more people through the empty halls. It took them a few minutes, but eventually the group had managed to make it out of the dungeon without being detected.