Castle Amber: A D&D Adventure

"Well, she isn't hostile right off the bat. That's a good start in my book." Lynda says. "Shall we enter?"

Lynda, Rachelle, and Tammytharn all reluctantly entered the tower as Voulton and Kalar hung back in a defensive position. They climbed the stone stair case up the tower. One hundred and forty seven steps later they were met with a door. The door opened before them to reveal the room Tammytharn saw before. A bare room with only a coal brazier, a throne, a woman and two men.
"Hello again Tammytharn. Hello to you as well, Lynda, and you Rachelle. I see Voulton and Kalar decided to stay behind. What a pity." The woman looked overly disappointed but quickly switched back to cheerfully reserved as she said, "I am Lady Sephora. I have been watching you for a while now. You have come for the sword, yes?" Sephora draws a magnificent sword from behind her throne. "How shall you get it? Will you plead your case? Will you try to buy it? Perhaps you will try to take it by force?" She points the sword towards the three. "These ways will fail."

Lynda holds her hands up.

"Let's just slow things down first, Lady Sephora. Glad to see you already know my name, and my companions names. It saves the trouble of introductions." She gives a slight bow. "First, before we go in to anything about that sword, please, tell us more about yourself. Conversation is a rare commodity to us."

Tammytharn decides to be open. She appreciates that this woman is being direct.

"Gaspard Du Nord sent us. We wish to borrow your sword in order to defeat the graveyard colossus that is threatening to destroy the city of Vyones... And you must know that the sword is supposed to be needed in order to break the curse of Castle Amber... and that others have attempted to use it for that purpose before and failed. We would like to try it ourselves."

"A lady needs to keep her secrets, Lynda," says Sephora. "Did you really come all the way here to learn more about me? Let's dispense with the formalities shall we?" Sephora lowers the sword and turns her attention to Tammytharn. "If you would like this sword, you will need to kill someone for me."

Lynda laughs.

"Very well then, Sephora. We didn't come to learn about you, but it's a bonus if we do. If you insist, we can get down to business." Lynda says. "Who do you want dead...and why?"

"Very good. Ok!" Sephora waves her hand over the brazier. A image of the archway near the tower appears. "First, you'll need to enter through the gateway nearby. It will activate once you get close enough. The gateway will take you into the past. There, you will hunt down the first werewolf in Averoigne." The image of the archway changes then to a massive white werewolf. "The power of the gateway will limit the effect you have on the past, but it's not all powerful. Do not leave this forest once you enter the past."
Sephora waves her hand again and the image is gone. "Take this compass. It will direct you straight towards the original werewolf." Sephora hands a silver compass to Tammytharn. "Make haste, I believe the werewolves know my plans."
The door leading back down stairs opens behind the three girl girls.

Meanwhile, A few werewolves had rushed in, getting past Kalar's spell. Voulton was able to cut them down without them getting a chance to strike. The werewolves unaffected by Kalar's spell were growing though.

"I see." Lynda says. "I don't see a problem with this...I am willing, but I cannot speak for Tammytharn or Rachelle."

Sephora turned towards Lynda. She approached Lynda and laid her hand on Lynda's shoulder, "Your friends respect your opinion more than you think, Lynda. Be confident in yourself. Someday, you will speak for more than just them."
Sephora than addresses all three of the girls, "If there are no more questions, I suggest you help your friends downstairs."

"I appreciate your sentiments, Sephora." Lynda says. It felt strange to see she was actually being friendly. "I don't have any more questions. I'm ready to head on out."

Lynda pauses for a moment.

"Wait, I do have one question. You've met Moriamis, haven't you? What are your thoughts about her?"

Sephora shook her head. She laid on her throne and swung the sword in the air above herself. "That's a vague question. If you would like to gossip we can." Sephora waved her hands in an arcane manner while chanting. A comfortable chair appeared. "I think the real question is, what do YOU think of Moriamis?" A huge grin crossed Sephora's face as she asked.

Lynda cautiously walks over to the chair. She does not sit in it, but simply stands, with both hands on the back of the chair.

"Well." Lynda says "We met up with Moriamis, and she mentioned you. She said she had wanted to study the sword, but you wouldn't allow it. Why?"

"Oh, is that what she said. How long would she have kept it I wonder." Sephora rolled her eyes. "What about her and all those robed men? And they call me a seductress," laughed Sephora. "Jordan, Hans, bring us some drink, I believe our guests wish to stay a while?" said Sephora questioningly. Then, the two men next to Sephora exited through a hidden door behind the throne.

Tammytharn and Rachelle felt odd. They had meant to leave but found themselves watching Lynda converse with Sephora instead. Now drinks were going to be served? The two wondered if their minds had simply drifted or if they were being magically pacified.

Downstairs, Voulton noticed his silversheen had worn off. Then, two werewolves with runes painted all over them walked out of the forest line. They howled and Kalars spell ended. Werewolves began to rush in.

"Oh my." Lynda says, hearing the howling outside. "Sounds like the werewolves are getting restless. I think it would be best that we get to our mission now, before we get entirely overrun with them."

Lynda turns to Tammy and Rachelle.

"We should head out."

"Bottleneck them in the doorway! We need to give the women more time!"

Kalar focuses energy into his holy symbol. He says a few words before unleashing the power gathered there, summoning up an undead creature to fight for him.

Before the werewolves get close enough, he focuses more power into his holy symbol, positive energy this time. He then releases it into a wave of power, blessing everyone in the area.

Kalar turns to one of the ghosts and says, "See if you can possess one of those tattooed werewolves. As for the rest of the ghosts, go crazy on any that get close enough."

Kalar then commands his skeletons to flank Voulton, making it so that no werewolves can attack from the sides and the only ones the half-giant will have to worry about are those coming head-on.

Summon Undead III - Ogre Zombie
Bless

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Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.

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