Journal of Rollo Lavius 2

Entry #440 - The Evil King

(G440 06/02/2021 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF, KT) LR33

[While all sorts of interesting things were going on in Westgate, I (Rollo) was in the company of a young half-orc called Tabaldak (Dak for short) on the Island of Yacg'harr. ]

DAY 518 (Eleasis) (August) cont ...

As we walked back to where Silas was lying low, Dak kept on questioning me. He was rather surprised at the number of crocodiles that I could summon and my other magical powers. I decided to stay in my disguise as 'Pierre the Historian' for now and told him I was an adept.

'Is that like a shaman?' he asked. Yes, I replied, just like a shaman.
'And Rolanda is my spirit guide,' I decided on the spot.
Rolanda gave two ratty thumbs up from my shirt pocket.

Silas located, we handed the Emberblade to him, much to his delight. As he consulted his books we then went over to the islands General Store (or a fence for goods stolen by pirates more like) and sold all the loot we'd picked up in the dungeon. Dak bought better armour with his share.

We had lunch at the tavern (the food here is very low standard as you might expect in a pirate port) and then wandered back to see Silas. He knew what to do next. Hidden amongst the hills of the island was the barrow of the 'Evil King' whoever he was and it was here that we were to deploy the Emberblade.

On such a small island it did not take long to locate. There were seven standing stones on top of it and two openings lead down into the gloom. Rolanda refused to go in, and scampered away.
I summoned a crocodile and it too could not be persuaded to enter the barrow.

I shrugged and went down the left hand passage. Dak went down the right. There was a single chamber, with a curtained off raised dais with a sarcophagus on it to the left. To the right was an arch that portioned off the end of the chamber to the right.

There was a tapestry on the wall above the dais, that depicted an unjust looking king doing, battle and then meeting his come-uppence. There were two other small tunnels on the wall opposite the entrance and these led to a small workman's room and a room that was filled with water.

I returned to the sarcophagus and knocked on the lid. To no great surprise a spectral figure wearing a crown appeared and attacked us. It was difficult to fight this creature as it was incorporeal and I was denied the use of my summoning spells.
It's touch was draining and it was not long before we were both weak from it. I backed off, fearing death and Dak kept it at bay with the Emberblade.

I summoned a Flaming Sphere and harried the spectre with it, while Dak attacked it with the Blade. We missed it a lot, but eventually enough blows landed and one last swing destroyed it forever.

There were some coffers with treasure in them, so we helped ourselves to that, then I took a proper look around. Could this chamber contain the portal I had been looking for?

There were pillars running down its middle, there was discolouration on the floor between them and the back wall to the right of the entrance. There was also a socket in one of the pillars about the size of a fist.

I did not understand and eventually we left. Back at Silas's hide out we had a nice sit down and a cup of tea and discussed the events of the day.

The 'Evil King' he told us, was King Thamas Stone the Demented, a ruler that had been exiled from Sasserine centuries ago and who had died on the island.

It was getting on for afternoon when we returned to the barrow and I got Silas to look at the pillars. The barrow had lost a lot of its evil aura and Rolanda even came in to take a look. Silas said he would look through his notes in regards to portals and see what he could find out.

After that we returned to the tavern and got rooms for the night.

DAY 519 (Eleasis) (August)

I cast as many Lesser Restoration spells as it took to get me and Dak back up to full strength first thing in the morning and then went to the main room for breakfast.

We wandered over to see Silas and he said he would be a few days in his research. We left him to it.

I wandered around the settlement to get a feel for the place and gauged there to be about 200 people living here. The place is home mainly to ex-pirates I think, and those that like to be far away from civilisation and the law.

After the village I looked around the island. It did not take long as it is not very big, but there are other things hidden in and around the rugged areas of mountains and cliffs, of that I am sure.

Well, if I do decide to settle this island I will either make my own place or have this tavern renovated! I'm thankful for the Magic Bedroll I take everywhere with me as I think there are bugs in the one provided by the inn.

DAY 520 (Eleasis) (August)

I decided to fly back to Sasserine this morning to report back my findings to Lavinia and see how she was doing. Dak wanted to come with me, for his own reasons, so I offered to give him a lift on my back.

It was a ten hour flight, so I was a little tired when we landed. As is my custom we landed outside the city and walked in through the gates.

We then went to the Vanderboren Manor and over dinner I told my wife everything I had discovered about Yacg'harr Island. She did not seem overly concerned that I had dragged back a half-orc with me.