nowbound

Part Six - The Cult Of Immortality - A Draining Experience

Ako and Darkhawk led the way down the corridor with Jodotha and Trimus following behind. Cain took up a position towards the rear - spending as much time looking behind as he did ahead. Jodotha checked the door and listened and silently indicated that all was clear. Stepping back he allowed Ako to open the door revealing a bleak chamber containing several old bunks and footlockers. Swirling out of the shadows floated two wraiths moving silently towards the door. Ako pulled his symbol of Normanus from within his armour and shouted. "Begone! Foul spawn, go back to the darkness and trouble us no more!" His faith shredded the undead spirits like mist on a sunny morning leaving the chamber feeling lighter and fairer than before.
The companions searched the room finding nothing in the lockers apart from an assortment of old clothes including clerical robes of grey wool with white trim.
"They could be almost any order." Said Ako turning a robe over in his hands. "No symbol, no markings nothing."
"This is more interesting" said Darkhawk who had pushed aside a bunk to find a small cache of treasure; a pile of silver coins, a chunk of amber and two cut topaz gems. Darkhawk placed them in his bag of holding and they followed Jodotha back to the corridor where the rogue was already listening at the door on the south side of the corridor.
"Nothing again." He said. "But if it is more of those wraiths then I wouldn't expect to hear anything anyway."

He stood back letting Ako through, he already had his holy symbol in his right hand as he opened the door with his left. As Jodotha had expected there were more wraiths in this room, a larger version of the bunkroom on the north side of the corridor.
"Begone!" began Ako but he fumbled his symbol and only one of the wraiths vanished, the others moved hungrily towards the door. Ako stepped sideways drawing his mace and Cain stepped into the gap that was left. The fates decided to smile elsewhere as Ako's mace missed the nearest wraith while Cain's flurry of blows did little damage. Soundlessly mouthing words in an unknown tongue two of the wraiths plucked at Cain draining him of energy and will.
"Catch this." Shouted Ako tossing a ring towards Darkhawk who slipped it onto his finger before joining the battle as Cain stumbled backwards. Ako angry now, swung his mace forcefully and in two blows dispatched one of the wraiths before him. Trimus crouched and launched a trio of magic missiles, splitting them between two of the undead creatures. One was instantly dispelled, the other weakened enough for Darkhawk to dispatch it with a single blow. The other lasted but a few moments longer as the cleric and the fighter converged on it.
"Are you all right?" asked Trimus of the dazed Cain.
"No." he replied. "It felt as though they were sucking my spirit from my body. I am not the man I was five minutes ago."
"Your life energy has been drained." Ako knelt beside the mystic. "The only way to get it back is to find a cleric, a highly skilled one at that. We won't find one around here."
"What is this ring you gave me?" asked Darkhawk.
"A ring of life protection. It isn't permanent but it might just save you going through what Cain has. I would have given it to him but I know he doesn't trust magical devices."
Cain nodded.
"Same as before." Jodotha had returned from his investigation of the room. "Old grey robes and personal effects." Along with these, he tipped a golden stream of coins into Darkhawk's bag and followed them with a pearl and a ruby. "Your restoration won't be cheap, but these will go someway towards paying for it."

They returned to the corridor and continued east. The passage turned north and ended in another stone door.
"I'm going to wear my ear out at this rate." Joked Jodotha quietly as he knelt by the door.
After getting the all clear from the rogue Ako opened the door which revealed another bedroom, though of a higher quality than before. Cain stood back as Ako stepped in brandishing his holy symbol, but this time there was nothing in the room to challenge them. It seemed to have been used by a single occupant, a bed, a locker, a desk and a chair were the only furnishings. Trimus rifled through the desk and pocketed a nice crystal inkpot. The mage then checked the room for secret doors and found not a door but a hidden sliding panel in the south wall beside the door. He pressed his palms against it and it swivelled on a pivot revealing a hidden cache. Trimus took out a small pouch. Inside was a potion bottle inscribed with the alchemical symbol for healing, one hundred platinum pieces, a sapphire, four amethysts and a ring. Trimus turned the silver ring over in his hand. Inscribed upon it was a lightning bolt.
"That might be a ring of quickness." Ako said leaning over to take a closer look.
"Can I have that?" asked Jodotha. "It sounds useful for someone of my, err, persuasion."
Trimus nodded and tossed the ring to the rogue who caught it and slipped it onto his left hand.

They returned to the octagonal room with the stone basin and Jodotha carried out his normal checks, this time on the west door. He then stepped back and let Darkhawk open the door.

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