Conjunction of Planes

Previously, the heroes managed to lay the lingering spirits of three crownsguards to rest at the Blackheath graveyard and were rewarded by the Raven Queen with her favour. Now they needed to retrieve the Chain of Forgotten Names, whom the Raven Queen had used to bind and anchor the gravekeeper to his service. They would use the chain in their binding circle to trap Epidemius.

Ninth Day, Second Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

(Silvermoon is waning, Bloodmoon is waxing, Darkmoon is waning)

After stillness had fallen over the mausoleum with the passing of the three crownsguard, and all that was left of them were bleached bones and corroded armour, the heroes could hear the bells strike four times in the distance. Their reverie broken, they went down to the crypt of the gravekeeper. Quentin, aided by the magic of the gauntlets he found in the Sunken Vault, removed the lid of the sarcophagus of the gravekeeper one last time. The gravekeeper reappeared without any ominous voices. “I name you; bound no more,” Quentin said, and the gravekeeper laid down in the open sarcophagus and faded away. Quentin was able to remove the Chain of Forgotten Names from around the bones of the gravekeeper and closed the lid. He decided to wear the chain around his waist.

Before departure, Chakuq raised his concern that the remains of the three crownsguard should be interred properly among the other dead in the mausoleum. He performed a search and identified several alcoves, niches, and spaces that were dignified places to leave them. Quentin supported his idea and suggested to seal the mausoleum to ensure their rest. With great solemnity they moved the bones and armour to three alcoves above one another, placing Valerie in the top, Dirk in the middle, and Jon in the bottom alcove. Quentin took a strip of leather from each of their armours and fastened it to the inside of his shield, next to Hejduk, Hamish, and the fourty-one notches he made earlier. Luca and Emrys, taking inspiration from some of the epitaths they had seen around the mausoleum, wrote some words on each one of the three crownsguard. When the heroes left, the closed the ironbound door of the Garamond mausoleum behind them.

Even though Luca was eager to return to the Circle of Magi with the chain, it was decided to first get rest at the Careless Wanderer. Emrys used his sorcery to make their passage through the city unseen, and they made their way out of the woods at Blackheath. Once back on the empty streets, they quickly made their way past several patrols of crownsguard and custodians to arrive at the inn. Ramsey, hard at work in the kitchen, opened the door for them and gruffly asked them to taste a clotted cream he was working on. It was sweet and delicious. Around fifth bell, the heroes were back in their beds and cots.

The heroes were awoken around noon to the sound of a snow storm. A gale was howling around the inn, carrying heavy flurries of snow. They found Falka downstairs doing some research at the hearth. She had prepared a travelling pack but was not going to go out in that weather. She was disappointed, mentioning something about being able to do better research while at the vault, as well as her finally being able to gain access to the Library of Ioun. A burly older gentleman with a white beard was sitting at a table by himself eating a hearty meal, and there were a scarce few other travellers stuck inside.

Everyone ate. Chakuq, who was ravenously hungry, reverted back to his mercenary days and put an arm around his plate protectively. Falka shared some of her discoveries with the others; the Newport vault was connected to five other vaults scattered around Lyria. Transportation between vaults was possible by way of miraculous devices sometimes referred to as “beacons”, which were described as “columnar, topped with crystals”. Emrys, who recalled reading something about these beacons in Atilesceon’s journal, recalled that the rising tide of magic would activate them so that the vaults could once again be found.

When the great waning set in, I observed with great interest as the last remnants of the Senhadrim slowly dwindled out of existence. I watched them blow out the lanterns, lock the doors and close up shop. But we all knew that the Seal would not last forever and there would come a time where the shop would be opened back up and the lanterns would be relit. They understood that when that time came, the Senhadrim Vaults would be valuable source of information. And so they left magical beacons whose signal, with the coming flow of magic, would start to shine more brightly until the vaults were once again unlocked and rediscovered. Their light is very faint, right now, almost imperceptible. But the former Senhadrim, like myself, will soon be sensitive enough to start picking up their signal again. Then the race to recover what’s locked away will be on.

Chakuq suggested that the heroes focussed on the here and now, dealing with the coming of Epidemius rather than spend time speculating on the vaults. He asked what was the next step for the binding circle, and suggested that Falka focus her research on Epidemius, and in particular on something about the fiend that could be used against him; his name, a personality flaw, anything that was practical rather than mythological. Falka said that when she did not have access to the Library of Ioun when she wrote her dissertation on Epidemius, so she hoped she might find more information there.

When the heroes decided to return to the Circle of Magi, the weather had not abated. Neamhan transfigured into the shape of an ermine, and spent her time en route alternating between darting through the thick cover of snow, and snuggling inside the folds of the heroes’ clothes. When the heroes plowed through the blizzard and arrived at the Circle the door was opened by the Olafur, who was surprised to see them. He ushered them in and dusted the snow from their clothes. The heroes asked for Esmeralda and said that they would be at work in the laboratory. Once there, they found that Esmeralda had continued work on the design of the circle, and as the heroes were inspecting the changes, both Luca and Quentin felt a sense of familiarity with how the circle was shaping up. The heroes spent a bit of time debating what each of the lines meant, and speculated about some of the lines that connected the places of power that they each represented.

The conversation continued when Esmeralda arrived. When Luca suggested powering the circle with the ghost orchid, Esmeralda was shocked; not just because the heroes were in possession of a ghost orchid, but also because she felt that using the orchid to fuel the circle was dangerous. Sacrifices, she reasoned, fuel great magic, but a ghost orchid would be more than just a sacrifice, it would be like letting a forest fire heat your home instead of a modest hearth. She also cautioned that bringing the ghost orchid to the Circle of Magi was dangerous, as there were too many unscrupulous people at the Circle that would murder for that kind of power.

The conversation continued on the circle, about different places of power that had not been identified. The heroes tried to identify more sources of power, and Bláthnaid and Geolgothis were mentioned as potential sources. All the while, Esmeralda seemed lost in thought, and was using a piece of coal to sketch some ideas out on a piece of parchment. The heroes started to discuss practical elements of the circle, like where to place it or what material to use, and Esmeralda, who was still distracted by her sketching, said that materials were dependent on the target of the circle; copper for fiendish creatures, iron for fey creatures, and silver for undead creatures.

Suddenly, Esmeralda fell silent mid-sentence. She dropped her sketch on the table and rushed out of the door and up the winding staircase. The heroes were surprised at her departure and watched her ascend the steps through the archways above them. Quentin was the only one that followed. Once upstairs he walked out into that unnaturally long corridor, only to see Esmeralda make her way through one of the many doors. When he followed through the door, Quentin found himself backstage of a dark, empty theatre. Esmeralda walked across the stage and disappeared on the other end. Once again, Quentin followed and found himself surrounded by props, furniture, costumes, practice swords, and blunted spears, and saw another door close. He darted through the door and found himself in a beautiful winter garden, watching Esmeralda walk up towards  cottage. He followed her through the front door and caught up with her, and found himself inside the top of a bastion. The bastion looked out over Kingsport. Esmeralda was counting out the number of gates and other bastions, revealing that the number of gates coincided with the number of leylines, and the number of bastions with the number of lesser sources of power. Quentin was still a bit confused, but slowly the revelation was starting to dawn on him. It hit home when Esmeralda opened a trapdoor in the floor and revealed a winding staircase along the inside of the bastion, down to the ground. There she removed the sand and hay that was spread along the ground to reveal a thick band of copper, inlaid into the ground, running from one end of the bastion to the other, following the direction of the ramparts that surrounded Kingsport. That’s when it clicked for Quentin; the ramparts formed an enormous binding circle around the city.

Previously, the heroes arrived at the graveyard in Blackheath to find the Gravekeeper and learn whether his reappearance might aid them in creating a binding circle strong enough to use on Epidemius. After defeating the Gravekeeper once more, as well as half a dozen necrophages, discovering a mass grave of fresh corpses collected by the Gravekeeper, and descending down a mausoleum dedicated to the Garamond family, they found the Gravekeeper’s sarcophagus and discovered that his bones were wrapped in a dark chain. Virulencia, who had followed the heroes down into the mausoleum, taught the heroes that this was the Chain of Forgotten Names.

Ninth Day, Second Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

(Silvermoon is waning, Bloodmoon is waxing, Darkmoon is waning)

The heroes were still deliberating on what to do with the chain that was wrapped around the bones of the Gravekeeper. As they had uncovered the lid of the sarcophagus again the ominous voice started booming through the crypt’s partially flooded floor. They knew from before that this would preceed the Gravekeeper’s next appearance, and so the sands of time were quickly running out before the next confrontation.

Quentin, driven either by a hunch, or by a sense of duty, decided to ascend the steps up to the surface. As he did so he was followed by the treachery of ravens that have came to witness the heroes down in the crypt. He passed by the three guardsmen who were still resting and continue to ascend until he smelled the cold, winter air again. The wind had picked up over the bay, bringing with it a softer, less biting cold.

Quentin found the mass grave on the eastern end of the graveyard, surrounded by walls. The treachery took place all around the graveyard to observe what he was doing. He grabbed one of the bodies, which appeared to be a recently deceased man in his middle years, and he laid him out on the frozen, snow covered grass. He expected there to be twenty-seven bodies, one for each of the ravens in the treachery, and each of the links on the Chains of Forgotten Names, but he was surprised to find there were fourty-one. That surprise did not diminish Quentin’s resolve on what he felt honourbound to do; lay them to rest, observe the rites, and remember them; “No life goes unsung,” he said, determined, and continued to lay them down next to one another.

Taking some of the soil from around the graveyard Quentin blackened his eyes, and continued to draw a glyph of a raven on the forehead of each of the dead. Those who had their eyes open got them closed. Those who had them closed got the same gesture across closed lids, like a last caress.

Someone needs to say farewell. I do not know your names.
You are fathers, daughters, mothers, and sons.
I do not know your names, but I know you all.
I name you millstone.
I name you plow.
I name you steel.
I name you lovers.
I name you joyfull.
I name you grievers.
I know who you are.

Quentin drew Róisín and heard a gleeful voice as he stuck the blade in the ground and let her spawn tangling vines all around the bodies. The vines grew quickly and wrapped around the bodies like a chrysalis, like a coffin. Once the bodies were covered, Quentin walked around the site, twelve times diesel, twelve times withershins.

Hear my voice, o Majesty, hear your servant’s plea.
I ask for deliverance; release these souls from earthly thralls.
O Mother of Mercy, and grant them access to Thine eternal halls.
I annoit them with soil and let the earth have their remains.
I beseech Thee and ask for Thine favour.
Thine servant’s hard toil is soon to be over and his burden ready to be passed.
I relieve them from their chains and consign them to Thee, o Faceless Guise: I bid them farewell.

Once Quentin was done with the ritual, the vines whithered away and the ground had swallowed up the bodies, using them for nourishment. He took off his Ser Fulton’s shield and carved fourty-one tacks next to the names of Hejduk and Hamish to remember the bodies he buried.

In the distance, the bells rang three times.

Despite feeling a sense of satisfaction by what he did for the dead, Quentin did not get the sense that his attempt had resulted in a material change to the predicament of the Chain of Forgotten Names. The ravens were still looking down on the heroes from their perches, occasionally cawing their approval. And so the heroes decided to go back down into the crypt underneath the mausoleum. On their way the found the three guardsmen who had slipped into a tired torpor by the pale light of a small campfire. Both Luca and Neamhan were worried that their lingering spirits would grown vengeful if they realised their situation without being guided by a benevolent shepherd.

Some of the heroes engaged the lethargic guards in conversation, while others went down to check on the Chain of Forgotten Names. As Luca touched the chain and heard the murmurs coming from the links he nearly forgot Hamish’s name. Chakuq, who had joined Luca, quickly surmised that nothing had changed from before the ritual Quentin had performed, and suggested to Luca to join the others.

“You speak as if the world kept moving.” She paused, frowning, as if the thought slipped away. “Of course it did. That’s foolish. We just…” she exhaled, a sound like wind through old cloth. “We just lost track of the days.”
– Valerie of Eastminster, Crownsguard

Quentin and Neamhan were engaging Valerie, and during the conversation their lethargie seemed to fade somewhat. The ravens had followed Quentin down into the crypt again and had found ledges, alcoves, wall sconces, and statues to sit atop of. Chakuq and Astrid were singing and humming a melody which sounded like a lullaby, aided by Emrys. As the conversation progressed, they slowly changed the song from a lullaby to that of a mourning song.

The heroes found it difficult to navigate the conversation with the guards, and quickly found that each of them was motivated by and mournful of different things. What worked for one, did not work on another, and several times they said the wrong thing to one, leading them to get agitated, and their appearnce to start growing distorted.

“How long did you say it’s been?” the young man, asked. “No, don’t answer that. Everytime you do, my head feels… thinner.” He pressed a hand to his temple, the tops of his fingers passing faintly through. “Sergeant, I can’t remember my sister’s face anymore…!”
– Jon of Belstone Corner, Crownsguard

Quentin tried to get the guards to accept that they could rest and let go, but this did not appear to be what they were after. Neamhan, had an equally hard time getting them to understand the situation. Different ideas were discussed among the heroes. When it was suggested to trick the guards, Quentin resolutely said; “Death is no home to lies,” and with that the matter was settled. When Astrid was asked how to treat an old warrior, she said that she would not know, since there were no such things as old warriors in Helmark.

“I remember the march down here. Cold stone. The smell of damp,” the old guard chuckled softly. “I remember thinking we’d be home by Midwinter.” He looked around the crypt, as if finally really seeing it. “Midwinter must have come and gone quite a few times, hasn’t it?”
– Dirk Cooper, Crownsguard

Eventually the heroes managed to navigate their way through the labyrinth of each guard’s motivation, and found that Valerie was in need of cold proof, while Jon needed reassurance of what happened after death, while Dirk only cared that what they had done had mattered. Each of them, however, took pride in their watch.

“If we’re dead,” Valerie swallowed hard,”say it plain, if that’s what you believe.”
“So that’s it, then,” Jon said, “we died down here.” The young guard laughed a hollow laugh. “I thought death would feel louder.”
“No,” Dirk said quietly, “this feels right.” He paused before concluding, “That’s what frightens me.”
“There’s a choice, isn’t there?” Valerie said, addressing the heroes. “We feel it. Like a door we’ve been leaning against without knowing.”
“If we step through… what happens,” Jon asked. “Is there anything after this farewell,” his voice barely a whisper.
“What I want to know is far simpler,” Dirk said as his eyes met that of the heroes. “Did we matter?”

Eventually, each of the guards accepted their death. Quentin assured them that he would honour their memory; “I’m a grave knight of the Raven Queen; whatever is your burden, so shall it be mine.”

“That’s good enough for me,” Valerie said, removing her helm. “I was afraid we’d be leaving our post. Turns out, we held it longer than anyone could.”
Jon, breaking out in tears, asked “Will you say our names again? Just once?”
“Thank you for bringing us this far,” Dirk said, standing a little straighter.

He would not forget them; Valerie the Steadfast, Dirk the Unshakable, Jon the Jovial. Later, Neamhan suggested that Valerie should be called “Valerie the Loyal”, which none could deny.

As the guards accepted their death, the slowly faded, each leaving behind bleached bones and corroded armour. The last thing they saw from Jon was a bright smile as he looked out beyond the veil; “I think I remember her now. My sister.” Valerie stood up and saluted the heroes with a sign of the aquila and said; “The watch is yours now.” When they were gone, a weight was lifted from the crypt, and the heroes felt steadier and more assured.

Previously, the heroes had made their way down into the mausoleum at the Blackheath graveyard after defeating the Gravekeeper and several necrophages. On their way down they met three crownsguard that appeared caught between the present and the past. At the bottom of the mausoleum they found a partially flooded crypt that held the sarcophagus of the Gravekeeper, whose skeletal remains was bound in a chain made of black iron.

Ninth Day, Second Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

(Silvermoon is waning, Bloodmoon is waxing, Darkmoon is waning)

The heroes still found themselves down in the mausoleum at Blackheath, surrounded by submerged sarcophagi. They had removed the lid of the largest and only sarcophagus that emerged from the flood water, which revealed the bones of the enormous Gravekeeper, wrapped in heavy chains of black iron. Listening closely a soft murmur could be heard coming off the chains, like syllables of incomplete words being carried on the wind. Hearing these murmurs left each hero that observed them temporarily forgetting an important name from their past.

Chakuq had attempted to attune to the resonance of the chains, but found it hard, but Neamhan managed to channel a plant growth spell which she connected to the chains, redirected through the water and connected to one of the walls; the plants that sprouted there grew to resemble the head of a corvid, which to all appeared to be a sign of the Raven Queen.

An ominous voice had been echoing cryptic messages through the mausoleum. Quentin, unsure on how to proceed, decided to try and close the sarcophagus. Before doing so, he performed a step from the Farewell to the Dead ritual he had been studying under the tutelage of Cardinal Roark; running to fingers across the sockets of the skull to indicating the closing of eyes. A symbol etched on one of the links in the chain briefly lit up, and the heroes discovered symbols on each of the links.

It was at that point that the Gravekeeper rose from the water like a thought the mausoleum had tried, and failed, to forget. Quentin stepped forward, putting himself between his companions and the danger of the monstrosity, and appealed the Gravekeeper to depart. His words, though powerful, did not seem to have any effect on the Gravekeeper.

When the fight ensued, Neamhan wisely warned everyone that defeating the Gravekeeper would just make it come back. After that warning, water rose up all around her until it seemed to swallow her whole, and Neamhan transfigured into a being of pure liquid. Those that saw it happening and had lived through the horrors of Old Llygad were reminded of the elemental by the name of Lady Lyn, guarding the Crimson Tower.

Calling upon his patron, Luca pleaded for aid and it was answered with the appearance of a celestial warrior in the likeness of Aurion who stood sentinel. It was the first time Luca had received such help and he reckoned that the celestial warrior was but an aspect of Aurion’s full divinity.

Chakuq, Emrys, and eventually Luca all made their way onto a balcony overlooking the flooded crypt, trying to circumnavigate the fight with the Gravekeeper. Chakuq, who was at the front of the manoeuvre, spotted Virulencia in the doorway leading down to the flooded crypt, holding her child, who was spitting on the two statues of celestial figures standing on either side of the door. Soon, the others had defeated the Gravekeeper again.

Virulencia shared that the chain wrapped around the bones of the Gravekeeper was called the Chain of Forgotten Names. “During a great plague, entire villages were erased, names lost, rites skipped, histories burned. The Gravekeeper carried bodies, but never their stories,” she explained. It touched a nerve with Quentin, who claimed Virulencia was in no position to judge what he considered a divine act. Virulencia and Quentin continued to argue about why she was there and she claimed, like she had before, that she was there to prevent her brother from acquiring the Book of Woe, which she wanted for herself.

The argument was dissatisfying to both Quentin and Virulencia, and she decided to depart as she realised that the heroes were still not willing to negotiate with her. “Count the links on the chain, grave knight,” she said to Quentin before departure, “you might get somewhere.”

Taking Virulencia’s advice, the heroes counted twenty-seven links in the heavy chain, each etched with a symbol. Luca quickly realised that there were nine unique symbols, repeating three times along the length of the chain. He was reminded of the ritual of farewell for his friend Hamish, which had nine distinct steps. He recalled the nine steps, and what they represented;

The Breath, the soul leaving the body.
The Name, the soul’s identity.
The Body, the physical remains.
The Grave, the earth claiming the remains.
The Vigil, the watching over the dead.
The Rite, the farewell.
The Memory, the dead’s place among the living.
The Passage, the crossing of the soul to the afterlife.
The Silence, the soul’s final rest.

Before the heroes could form a plan, a treachery of ravens came flying down the staircase and spread out around the flooded crypt, cawing nervously. There were twenty-seven ravens in total.

Previously, the heroes spent time at the campus of the Circle of Magi to further develop a magic circle intended to trap and anchor Epidemius. They were aided by Esmeralda, headmistress of the Circle of Abjuration. Each of the heroes discovered what their source of power was, and which school of magic resonated with it. Ultimately, they acted on Quentin’s hunch that the Gravekeeper, a mysterious figure that was stalking the streets of Kingsport to collect the dead, may be a way in which they could anchor Epidemius in their trap.

Ninth Day, Second Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

(Silvermoon is waning, Bloodmoon is waxing, Darkmoon is waning)

The heroes made their way through a nighttime Kingsport blanketed in snow. Their destination were the botanical gardens in the Ravensbourne district, a large park that was as close to wilderness as the city could muster, complete with dense growth, a selection of game, as well as several easy to stroll pathways for the citizenry to enjoy. At its centre stood a house of worship surrounded by a graveyard, where the heroes had heard rumour the Gravekeeper brought its collections.

Upon arrival at the graveyard it was clear that there were several necrophages that were roaming among the headstones. Quentin, undeterred, entered the graveyard and saw that the house of worship was empty and desolate. A strong odour of decay came from a small area in the eastern part of the graveyard enclosed by a decorative wall, and the necrophages seemed to emerge from there. In the south-east of the graveyard stood a large mausoleum whose entrance had been broken open.

Soon, all the heroes had made their way inside in search for the Gravekeeper, and it did not take long for the necrophages to start prowling closer, trying to encircle them. As the necrophages postured, preparing to attack, the Gravekeeper emerged from the mausoleum, shovel in hand, and wordlessly advanced on the heroes. What followed was a spectacular, nail-biting fight in which the heroes dealt with a relentlessly advancing Gravekeeper, completely indifferent to the suffering of the heroes, or its own, while the necrophages took advantage of the situation.

In the end, the heroes managed to defeat the Gravekeeper again, and watched it quickly whither away, though not without cost. Chakuq discovered that the enclosed area in the east part of the graveyard was filled with unburried dead, including what looked like several custodians and a crownsguard.

The heroes found that the mausoleum that the Gravekeeper exited from was open and accessible, a name was enscribed upon the keystone above the door; Garamond, the family name of Lyria’s first king. Ser William of Garamond was crowned king at the founding of Lyria in the 620th Year of the Crusade, some three millenia ago, during the Age of Fear.

Inside, the mausoleum had two sarcophagi on either side of a staircase that lead down to an underground crypt. The first level held alcoves in the walls where people were laid to rest. At either end of the corridor there were stairs that lead down to another another corridor, similarly adorned with alcoves where people were laid to rest, and to a single staircase which lead further down. Upon entering, Emrys had wondered whether it was a Garamond family crypt, but it soon became apparent that many people from all walks of life were interred there. Luca used Blackstar to illuminate the darkness, but rather than emit a light, the strange crystal atop the staff absorbed the darkness, allowing the heroes to better see their surroundings.

Maury Briscoe, baker; “And when the soil finally claims your limbs, then you will truly dance.”

Chakuq, who had taken the lead, overheard people ascending the staircase and called for the heroes to halt their advance. After a moment he bade them to halt and identify themselves. A trio emerged, identifying themselves as Valerie of Eastminster, Jon of Belstone Corner, and Dirk Cooper, each a member of the crownsguard who were there on orders of the queen to rid the graveyard of necrophages. There was something off about the three, and it was clear to all but the least observant. Neamhan, who had come into the mausoleum in the form of an enormous raven, decided to shift back to her trueshape in order to accuse the three of deception, as she had a funny feeling. In the meantime, some of the others had noticed that the crownsguard uniform was outdated, had missing insignia, and looked off.

Neamhan grilled the three, who had been terrified at her transfiguration, asking them why an “undead queen” would order the three to clear the necrophages from the graveyard. This seemed to steel the trio, and Valerie could barely contain her rage at her queen being so offended. After a heated back and forth the truth came out; the three served Queen Marianne, the current queen’s grandmother who was long dead. Neamhan asked what year Valerie thought it was, but she could not remember. Valerie said that the trio found that the mausoleum had been broken into and they went in to investigate. They found something down below, but she could not remember exactly what. She said she was very tired.

Neamhan wondered whether necrophages came from the likes of the three crownsguard, but was told by Emrys that they were born from people succumbing to eating the flesh of other people. Quentin also felt that the crownsguard were restless spirits being stuck and unable to move on to the afterlife. And Luca was reminded of the time the heroes stumbled upon Ser Florianus Ironwood on their way to Pinefall; that the present and the past were being mixed together somehow. The heroes decided to leave the three as they were unsure what to do with them.

The heroes descended further down and came to the a large crypt whose stone door had recently been broken from the inside out. There was an inscription on the side of the door, written in archaic Lyrian:

Beneath the bloodmoon’s crimson glare,
The keeper stands with sightless stare;
Black wings circle above his head,
The queen looks down where graves are spread.

When plague bells tolled through choking skies,
Her curse was sworn as thousands died;
She bound his soul beyond his breath,
To serve her will past living death.

Through rotting streets he walks alone,
He works by sign, by skin, by bone;
He lifts the lost from door and floor,
And grants them earth to ache no more.

No fever dares to claim his skin,
Her magic seals the work he’s in;
Unlife sustains his digging hands,
As years erode his mortal sands.

When last black wings have left the sky,
He is released as chains untie;
‘Til then he toils at silent graves,
So others live while he still slaves.

Beyond the door lay a large crypt which was partially flooded by what was likely water from the ancient waterways. Quentin, Chakuq, and Luca moved forward, while Astrid, Emrys, and Neamhan stayed further back. Chakuq took a moment to expand his instincts and gain an understanding of the water, and the crypt ahead of him. He felt the unmistakable presence of the undead, and took off his boots and rolled up his trousers before wading forth into the water. The water hid several smaller sacrophagi, while at the back there was a large sarcophagus that stuck out of the water, in a place of prominence.

Neamhan kept an eye on the stairs leading up and noticed that Virulencia had made an appearance. She immediately went to confront her while Emrys followed her. Emrys, curiously, initially could only hear, but not see Virulencia, but she revealed herself when it became clear Emrys knew she was there. Virulencia complimented him on his powers of abjuration. Neamhan demanded to know what Virulencia was doing there, and the Lady of Plagues said she was there for “her children.” This infuriated Neamhan who had felt tortured by the thought of children from the moment Virulencia suggested she might be a mother. Neamhan wanted to know who Virulencia’s children were, and she said it were the plaguemaidens. Then she demanded to know whether she was, or had ever been a mother. Virulencia, taking a perverse pleasure out of Neamhan’s anger said that if she were to return home, maybe, just maybe, she would be. When Neamhan lashed out that it was not the answer to her question Virulencia said that “when you deal with a devil, you learn to be precise.”

Quentin, Chakuq, Luca, Emrys, and Astrid had advanced to the large sacrophagus. Emrys had used his sorcery to allow some of the heroes to fly so they would not have to get their feet wet. The heroes had noticed the statues of celestial warriors nearby, and were shocked to find that the face of the central one was the spitting image of Réonan.  At the base of the statue was an inscription just below the water which they found, with some sorcery, to read:

Here rest those watched over by Zerachiel, Angel of Dawn,
Guide of souls to final judgement.
Bearer of light, keeper of balance.
His watch is ended, his radiance remains.

This prompted the heroes to investigate the sarcophagus and they quickly found there were inscriptions on all four sides along the base. They read:

He kept the dead
So the living could endure.

Bound by ravens, sworn by choice,
He gave the dead their final voice.

Gravekeeper.
Cursed, yet willing.

He bore the plague,
And laid it gently to rest.

The heroes mused that the Gravekeeper might be benign and whether it would be best to not disturb him. Luca suggested that the Gravekeeper was neutral, but that which cursed him may have been benign. A choice was made to open the sarcophagus. Quentin asked the Raven Queen for forgiveness as the lid was pushed open, revealing a large skeleton wrapped in dark, black chains with sharp edges. A voice could be heard echoing through the crypt;

Though the earth and waters fade,
I will keep the watch I made.

When the soil and oceans fail,
Still my watch will not grow frail.

Though the world itself may bend,
I will stand until the end.

Though all ground and seas grow still,
I will keep my silent will.

He chose the curse when death ran free,
To stand where none would stay or go;
A keeper sworn to eternity,
Who buried fear so life could grow.

While the heroes listened to the ominous voice the water bubbled and roiled violently. Chakuq investigated the chains around the skeleton and tried to discern its nature, only to find that the chains were dark, though not evil, and were the focus of the curse. The curse itself felt dissonant to Chakuq; again, not evil, but not resonating with the symphony of life, of creation, of his people.