Murder Squad - Ends Beginning

The Myste-Hass Calender

07/03/24

Tom's Code - 290010

Three days earlier, Corym and Reinholt returned to the Tower of Dariss to find the building returned to its original glory.

A stonesmith tries to claim that he completed the work with his team.

The room with the pentagram is still sealed up. The crenellations are back. The staircase outside is restored as well.

Nia has been left in charge of the Tower of Dariss in Lorey's absence.

The priests seek out Tyloot, the site manager who is doing the structural checks. Reinholt informs the man that they are aware that God did the work, and there are a great number of materials left in the courtyard.

Reinholt gets out Ankhelos's middle finger then casts zone of truth on Tyloot. Reinholt threatens that the man is taking money from the lord of war. Tyloot admits he's been putting aside a little stone from every cart he gets from the quarry and building a house near the eastern cliffs for retirement.

In exchange for forgiveness, [{Reinholt]] wants ten-thousand gold and the materials refunded. But, Corym asks for a quotation on a small settlement to be built at the base of the tower.

The Genai stone cave below is just dead stones.

That night, Corym uses remove curse in an attempt to remove the Scorpion armour that Corym had adorned.

The armour still hurt Corym deeply removing it and he uses legend lore to discover the curses afflicting it. If a creature dies whilst wearing it, they become like the skull creature the murder squad fought. Corym returns the armour sealed in a chest in the basement of the Tower of Dariss.

Back in the present, Corym looks out the window of his room and watches the setting sun. The light suddenly winks out, night arriving instantly, seeing a black circle has moved over the sun. A full eclipse darkens the land, accept for an unsusual glow that simmers in the distance - lightening shoots out. A huge rock flies across the sky and hits the Tower of Dariss knocking it over.

He wakes in his bed. The light winks out. A black disc slides across the sun. He casts death ward on himself and dashes to the top of the tower. Lightening splatters across the sky.

In the distance, light beams down directly over Myste-Hass.

Meanwhile, a priest of Fate comes out into the centre of Wolfspine, Natgarth, Equil, Helvettia, Dalcimeer - in every major city of the world.

But, only in Myste-Hass, where one priest has been silenced, that Fate directly intervenes.

Now, I have watched. I ahve prepared you all. Plans upon plans, manouevouring towards inevitable conclusions.

Some run, but Fate stops them and speaks out -

"Understand, I am grateful, for my allies here, that have so manoeuvred me into this position, especially my Harbinger, Gartok, Dramos, Rasvyn, Maolmhuire, Corym and Reinholt you have all seen these heroes that represent my will.

You are now saved. I have levelled the playing field. No longer will you bow to distant gods, you will be nurtured by disciples and heroes. I am here to save you. When you look to the heavens and ask for other gods, you will find no one but me. I wear the face of all gods. Every wish you have flows through me. Now, my disciples deserve your praise."

The priest drops back to the gallows.

Harbinger hears in her head - "Harbinger too long have you wandered aimlessly. I give you this last chance."

Reinholt threatens the priests of Fate, and they bow to him and head back to the Temple of Fate.

The Council of Myste-Hass are on the top steps of the Halls.

Reinholt sends a message out to Dramos, who is still with Vexia. "Dramos shits going down. Harbinger is on the war path. Run, run there now." His return message is - "Noted".

Harbinger heads into the Temple of Fate, followed by most of the Murder Squad. She makes her way through the Temple of Fate, moving back into the deep layers. There is an open courtyard, then a large chamber with doors to the side and a main prayer room with the symbol of Fate on the ground. Beyond the next set of doors is a bridge spanning over a chasm. A man asks us to stop, because the high priest, the Harbinger of Fate, is speaking with Fate. Gartok tells the man to back off, and when he doesn't Gartok charges and shouts Fate is no god.

The drop either side of the chasm is seventy - eighty foot deep, revealing the excavated remains of catacombs beneath.

The warriors hands are shaking. He claims he wishes us no harm. His name is Rathem.

Harbinger hears Fate's voice beyond, she opens the door. There is a comfortable space with a large mirror with an oval disk. There is a figure, Olive, looking into the oval. She puts aside a small woven basket.

She refers to me as

She says that we could kill her, but she would definitely kill Moalmhuire before she goes.

There are always thing which are lsot and needed, but I hae found my way. You look lost Moalmhuire.

Olive indicates that everything the murder squad has done - releasing the avatars, killing enemies - has all been to raise Fate.

Dramos runs across town, arriving at the Temple of Fate where the guards stand aside. The priests and patrons bow. Ratham stands on the bridge, claiming his failure is already complete. He does not understand why he would be set up so.

There is not enough time, the end is coming. He falls off the bridge, killing himself.

Dramos looks to the back of the bridge room where there are some drapes that have been hung over a table. Dramos blows open the curtains to reveal a sarcophagus.

The mirror in Olives room is magical, Reinholt cuts it down. One door is to her bedroom. One door heads down.

Harbinger looks into the oval. A familiar voice creeps into Harbinger's mind, but then Dariss keeps it away.

"Who on the council aids you?"

Corym has packed his bags in the Temple of Dariss. But, as he is heading down the steps, he is stopped by Flay and Nia claim an intruder was trying to get into the altar. Covan, one of the tower warriors, comes with him.

The intruder is extremely large. He is humanoid, with a hard face and icy blue eyes. He has long greyish hair and a cape. He's nine feet tall. He says - "I am your lord Dariss, kneel."

Corym refuses. "Good, take out your sword and face me." Corym casts sunbeam on him. Covan attacks, drawing blood twice. Then, Dariss summons his sword. He smashes Dariss into a wall. He reaches out and Covan just drops unconscious. He walks up to Corym, attacking him again, then healing him to full when the priest believes his true nature.

Dariss says, "I cannot hear the others. It is him - Fate. I will leave this place."

He tries to extend his hand.

Olive speaks about Til.

Rasvyn sees visions of Yanif, Geoffrey Howell, Goraz, along with many others are seen when she speaks of support.

She challenges Moalmhuire about using undead bodies as puppets.

Dramos is investigating the sarcophagus, with owls wisdom and comprehend language. It is just a box of stone though. It was once in the centre of the room and has been pushed back. He places a hand on it. No magic emanates from the coffin. Dramos easily removes the coffin lid.

There is an armoured woman inside, cape draped beneath it. Harbinger lies within.

Rasvyn asks, "Dramos were through the doors, just waiting for you, just go past the guards."

Dramos asks, Where is she? Elise.

Hootie sees nothing in the sarcophagus.

Gartok goes to find Dramos and looks into the sarcophagus. He sees a goliath, himself within.

Gartok turns Dramos away and then there is instant relief. A pressure is relieved on their chests.

Back in the Tower of Dariss, the god extends his hand to the window and identifies the problem as Fate's intervention.

Dariss asks Corym to extend his will to Moalmhuire and get him to speak with Garr.

A voice comes across to Moalmhuire - "Moalmhuire, it is Nia at the Temple of Dariss. Can you reach out to Garr?"

Maolmhuire responds - "I am busy at the moment."

Dariss could not reach out to Maolmhuire, nor his brothers and sisters. He can't leave the temple in the Tower of Dariss.

Reinholt finishes his identification and determines that its a magical mirror. Gartok stacks stuff on the mirror and the group descend into the catacombs to stop Olive moving it, then Rasvyn leaves Hootie in then.

The slippy stairs twist and turn. In the catacombs, the group talk, gathering their wits.

Through Rasvyn's eyes, Hootie sees Olive ripping off all the furiture from the mirror then operate the mirror. Hootie sees her change back and begin with a word "Tam".

The gates are closed when Corym arrives at the gates to Myste-Hass. They open the gate for Corym, claiming orders indicate they should keep them closed.

Corym heads to the nearest temple, the Temple of Imogen. Engaro enters from the back room. He says that he feels her permeating his soul at all times. He informs Corym of the incident in the centre of town. Engaro attempts to speak with Imogen, claiming he feels her.

Engaro claims that if a god was forced to walk the land, they will be laid low. Only mortals walk here.

Dramos ransacks Olive's bedroom. He takes Olive's hairbrush. Moalmhuire identifies a magical stone beside her bed, with a spiral painted on one side.

The door down to the catacomb has an aura, but that may be Moalmhuire has set an alarm over here.

Dramos goes to look for someone. He finds no one. He opens a door to a bedroom, a study stocked with scrolls and books. There is wear on the floor in the left-handside of the main space.

Corym arrives at the Market Square. There are lots of people staring up at The Halls. The gallows are busy, a number of fresh corpses piled at the base of the gallows. Sten lectures the crowd, as four more are brought up to be hung. He claims that the town will be cleansed.

Corym heads into the Temple of Fate, meeting with Dramos.

Harbinger argues with Sten about killing Fate worshippers.

Corym says Dariss is in the tower. The group pray and feel the presence of Dariss like normal.

Reinholt asks, "My lord are you trapped in a tower. Is it true what Corym says?" There is no response.

Reinholt runs to The Arena and finds Lorey, then word of recalls to the Tower of Dariss. On seeing Dariss, Lorey immediately pulls his fists.

Dramos attunes to his X-ray ring and looks beyond the wall to see a space with columns and a pool of blood. The wall has been reinforced, but eventually Gartok knocks down bricks to the room. There is a plunge pool with empty barrels nearby.

In Wolfspine and Nantgard the words of Fate are taken less violently.