I gave him a big toothy grin from my seat on the floor and pulled back my hood to show off my new horns and crest. “Remember that statue I found in the bandits’ lair?”
They all looked at me, confusion on their faces. Leilani was the first to speak. “Yes? What about it?”
“It ended up being a racial quest item that I could use to evolve my race,” I said between breaths, still recovering from the aftereffects of the racial skill. “Now I’ve got the sub-race of Drahkling. Came with a bunch of new racial bonuses, one of them being that breath weapon. I can use it once an hour at this point, but it really takes its toll, basically zeroing out my endurance for five minutes.”
The paladin and dwarf were just staring at me, but Leilani was nodding along. “I’ve heard about those types of items and quests before. Not sure what there is for humans, but I know elves and dwarves have some.”
I nodded. “Yeah. So, if you guys ever find any small dragon statues like the one in the bandits’ lair, please hold on to it for me. Or buy it and I’ll pay you back.”
“Sure thing,” said Cedric as he searched through the remains of the Accursed horde. “So, I don’t see any loot for any of these skeletons. Lame.”
I climbed over a pile of broken glass and looked into one of the sarcophagi, seeing nothing within either. “I’m sure there will be something as we go along. There would be too many complaints if there was nothing at all. Maybe the bosses will have something good.”
The remains of the Accursed didn’t even register as bodies, so I couldn’t dissect anything. While the others continued their fruitless search, I reclaimed Chevy’s equipment and then raised, bound, and blessed another of my human skeletons to take his place.
We continued through the hall, counting exactly fifty sarcophagi bereft of their contents spread throughout the large rectangular room.
In the center of the room was a large, dark altar with the floor carved into a giant sun with six rays radiating from the center.
The surface of the altar held yet another sun, but it was missing something. There were four deep indentations where the rays met the sun disk, lining up with four of the larger rays engraved onto the floor.
I looked over the indentation. Each of the rays with the missing bits were pointing directly towards doorways leading out of the room. The other two, complete rays pointed towards the door we had entered from, and a solid, unmarked wall on the far side of the altar.
“Check it out,” Kelikk said, gesturing to the altar. “There are missing pieces up here, and these sun rays are pointing towards those doors. How much do you want to bet each of those doors leads to a piece of this thing?”
He chuckled. “Classic dungeon puzzle. Once we get all those pieces, it’ll probably spawn the boss or open the way deeper or something,” he said, and with a smile took out a potion from his pouch and offered it to Cedric. “Take this, it’s dangerous to go alone.”
Cedric looked confused. “What? I’ve got a bunch of potions,” he said. “And I’m not alone…”
Leilani laughed as Kelikk grumbled. “Uncultured savage. I see your education is still lacking.”
I chuckled. “Hopefully there is no water temple.”
Kelikk gave me a giant grin. “Now there’s an educated man!”
Cedric sighed and gestured towards the doors. “Okay, Boomer. Which door first?”
The dwarf sputtered as Leilani and I burst out laughing, eventually calming down enough to formulate a plan. We gathered around the altar to see if there were any other clues, but in the end, we had to choose blindly.
“Let’s start with the left door back the way we came and then go clockwise around the room.” Leilani said.
The rest of us agreed, there was really no reason to try one door over the others when there was no other information to go on. We renewed our buffs and then headed over.
***
52
The door was one of simple wood, carved with another sunburst. Unlike the normal sun symbol we’d seen throughout the rest of the dungeon, this one was only half of the solar disk, rising above, or sinking past a horizon. It was impossible to tell with the color of the door long faded.
We opened the door slowly, revealing a small, dust covered chamber.
At the far end of the room was a large sarcophagus, its cover crafted like all the rest out of some form of glass or crystal, its transparency obscured by centuries of dust. Looking upwards I could see that the walls ended well before the natural stone began.
“Hey guys,” I said. “I think this entire place was once open to the sky. If they were sun worshipers, it makes a little sense. Glass topped sarcophagi, open roof. The dead would always be exposed to the sunlight. It’s sort of poetic if you think about it.”
Cedric nodded. “That’s kinda cool. But why build it underground? And if it wasn’t built here, how did it get here?”
I saw Kelikk open his mouth to answer as we approached the sarcophagus, but his answer was cut short when a spectral form appeared in the air above it. The spirit resolved into that of an armed and armored figure, his vestments adorned with the sun insignia seen all over the temple.
A hollow voice spoke into my mind, vibrating through me, and from the looks on my companions’ faces they were sharing the same experience.
“As the sun arose in the eastern sky, the Lady of the Dawn came to the temple and warned of an evil within. Full of pride and weakness, the clergy failed to see what was laid before them, ignored her warning, and drove her away. Before long it was too late.”
“In the end, the Dawnrunners stood together and were able to contain that which was our downfall, but the cost was… everything.”
“Do you have the strength to do what we could not? The keystone of dawn lies within my crypt. Prove your strength, and it, and all contained within shall be yours.”
The spirit sank towards the sarcophagus and knelt atop it, radiating an invisible force that pushed us back towards the door.
Quest Update – The Forgotten Tomb
You have initiated the Trial of Strength! Reach the Knight of the Dawn’s sarcophagus to obtain the Keystone of the Dawn.
Criteria: Reach the Sarcophagus. (0/1)
Reward: Keystone of the Dawn, contents of the Sarcophagus
My feet slid against the floor as the force wave reached me, sending me sliding all the way back to the wall furthest from the sarcophagus. Leilani soon joined me.
I commanded Chief and Chevy to approach, but they couldn’t make it more than fifteen feet towards the goal.
Cedric and Kelikk were much closer, struggling and pushing against the spirit’s aura. They made it to ten feet, and then seven.
The paladin seemed to hit a wall when he reached the five-foot mark, unable to move forward no matter how hard he pressed forward.
Kelikk was two steps beyond that, his muscles bulging and veins popping out with the strain. I silently rooted him on as he pressed forward, his feet slipping slightly as he took another step.
Cedric tried to push forward again but fell with a crash when his legs gave out. He slid back across the floor until he collided with Chief, tripping the zombie who fell on top of him and joined him on his roll.
They came to a rest at my feet and I gave Cedric a smile as I helped him up. “Next time I’m going to insist you buy my minion dinner before having a tumble.”
The look on his face was priceless, but I didn’t have time to savor it as things with Kelikk were progressing well. I heard a grunt from the dwarven warrior as he took another step forward, approaching to within a single step of the sarcophagus.
A glance at the party window showed his endurance was almost spent, but he might have enough for one final push.
With a roar, fur sprouted over the dwarf’s body and tusks sprouted from his mouth. His muscles rippled and flexed as he took a final step and reached out to touch the sarcophagus.
As soon as his flesh touched the glass, the pressure in the room disappeared, an
d the spirit rose again into the air as his voice once again rang inside our minds.
“You, Kelikk Ironside, have proven that you possess the strength and determination necessary for the task at hand. The Keystone of Dawn and all contained within my sarcophagus are yours, as well as a single boon that is within my power to grant. Choose now and may the Light of the Sun be your guide.”
The dwarf stood there for a minute, his eyes focusing on something only he could see. A smile slowly formed on his face as he looked up at the spirit.
“You are sure of your choice master dwarf? Choosing that will forever bar you from many other paths that would now be available to you.”
Kelikk nodded. “Oh yeah. That’s the one I want.”
“So be it.”
The spirit clapped and a golden light wrapped around Kelikk and soaked into his cloak, turning it from a drab leather to a shimmering curtain of energy that then was absorbed by the dwarf himself. His flesh rippled and his features blurred for a second before settling.
The spirit nodded to us all and then faded.
Quest Update: Pass the Trial of Strength (1/1)
Kelikk stepped up to the sarcophagus and pushed the lid to the side, revealing the Keystone of Dawn, a small stone sunray that looked like it would fit into one of the depressions on the altar. Along with the keystone was a full set of steel scale armor, with a matching shield and longsword, all marked with the sun motif of the temple.
He claimed the armor for himself but gave the sword and shield to Cedric since they were much better suited to his fighting style.
Cedric offered up his old gear to equip one of my minions, so I traded out Chief’s shield and mace for the much better quality shield and enforcer’s sword.
“Well, there’s the loot you were looking for, Ced,” Leilani said before turning to Kelikk and giving him a teasing look. “Now Darling, what was it that the nice ghost gave you?”
The dwarf turned towards his wife and chuckled. “You’re looking at a grade A were-boar, baby!” he said with a giant smile. “The spirit took the enchantment from my cloak and made it a permanent part of my character.”
“Nice, bro!” Cedrick said and gave him a crisp high-five.
Kelikk grinned and continued, “I got a new skill called Lycanthropy that upped my Strength and Agility by two and gave me a nifty new shifting skill. It’s close to the lupin racial ability, but instead of a wolf I can turn into a boar-man. Stronger, faster, and made of bacon, what could be better?”
Her almond-shaped eyes wide, Leilani just looked at the dwarf and shook her head. “Leave it to you to find a way to make yourself into a breakfast meat. At least I won’t have to carry you as much going forward.”
He snorted and said, “As if,” and headed towards the door. “What are you waiting for? We’ve got three more stones to find.”
Cedric shrugged at his sister and followed. “Onwards. To glory!”
***
53
Before heading to the next door, we paid a visit to the altar, making sure the keystone did, in fact, fit. As soon as the stone slid into place, it fused with the altar and refused to move.
“Guess we know that works,” I said, and gestured towards the next door.
On the surface of the door was another carving showing the midday sun in all of its glory. We opened the door and headed in, finding another sarcophagus surrounded on all sides by carvings of the sun in its various states and pictures of staff bearing priests healing the sick.
We approached the sarcophagus and another spirit arose from its lid, resolving into the form of a human woman clad in robes adorned with a golden sun who, like the other spirit spoke directly into our minds.
“When the Lady of the Dawn sought to warn us, we looked at her with scorn and drove her away. How dare she question the motives of our holy order? How dare she imply that we were compromised? Our own arrogance, our own hubris, and yes, our own foolishness was the beginning of our downfall.”
“When the cancer was finally revealed and our blinders removed, all we could do was salvage what was left and fight for what we once represented. But it was almost not enough.”
“Our minds were clouded, our wisdom in doubt. Is yours? Can you hold back the darkness and bring light once again to our halls? Light the beacon of hope and hold it steady until the darkness has been defeated. Accomplish this and the Keystone of Midday will be yours, as will the possessions of my former life.”
Quest Update – The Forgotten Tomb
You have initiated the Trial of Wisdom! Light the Beacon and drive out the darkness.
Criteria: Pass the Trial of Wisdom: Maintain the Beacon until the darkness has been defeated. (0/1)
Reward: Keystone of Midday, contents of the Sarcophagus
The room was engulfed in a magical darkness, broken only by a pinpoint of light hanging in above. With a sharp jab of pain in my midsection, a chunk of my mana was ripped free and drawn towards the light, forming a connection between.
The pinpoint blazed into a miniature sun, and I could finally see my companions again. Each of them was likewise connected to the light.
Ced and Kelikk were curled on the ground, struggling against the pull of the light and I could feel my own mana being drained faster than my regeneration could replenish it.
I cancelled Aura of the Grave, hoping that would help offset the drain of the beacon, but the cost was still more than my full regen.
The tethers connecting Cedric and Kelikk to the sphere snapped as their mana bars hit zero, leaving them to lie gasping on the floor.
Leilani stood strong, her focus firmly on the glowing sun. The tether connecting her to the beacon was glowing brightly as her mana regeneration provided what the beacon needed.
I unsummoned my minions, hoping to gain a few more seconds but almost as soon as the bound mana returned to my pool, it was drained away. With a final pulse, the tether tying me to the beacon snapped, dropping me to the floor with a flash of pain and leaving Leilani to carry the burden alone.
Her eyes were closed, and a peaceful expression washed over her face as the sphere continued to grow brighter.
I had to turn away the light was so bright, watching indirectly as the darkness that had engulfed the room was slowly driven back by the growing light.
The dark energy evaporated before the beacon’s purity until with a final flash, the remnants of shadow clinging to the corners of the room were purged.
With one last pulse, the connection to Leilani disappeared, leaving behind a glowing white sun that slowly faded from view, returning the room to normal.
The spirit looked down at Leilani, a bittersweet smile on her face as she spoke one again.
“Leilani Starshadow, you have proven your wisdom is greater than our own. That your willpower is strong enough to drive back the darkness that would have us all as its slave. Please, take the Keystone of Midday and spread your light through this tomb, so that it might once again know glory. The contents of my sarcophagus are yours, as is a single boon that is within my power to grant. Choose now and may the Light of the Sun be your guide.”
We watched her face as she read through her options, surprise evident on her features. With a resolved look, she nodded and looked up at the spirit, who nodded and smiled warmly.
“Such wisdom for one so young. That you would choose something that does nothing for yourself just shows how wise, and how worthy you are of my blessing. Your choice, and the other that you agonized over, will be yours in appreciation for your dedication.”
Leilani’s mouth dropped open at that as a wave of golden light washed over her, and when the light disappeared, so too did the spirit.
Quest Update: Pass the Trial of Wisdom (1/1)
“Oh, ho, ho,” Kelikk laughed. “What did our illustrious lady elf choose for her boon?”
Leilani looked at us, and I gasped in surprise. Her eyes had been replaced with miniature star scapes. It was like seeing into outer space.
Sh
e grinned and said, “The Priestess of Midday offered me a couple things. Some bonuses to my stats and mana regeneration, reduced cost to my spells, the first step on the path to becoming a star elf, and the ability to resurrect my party members in battle once a day.”
“What?” Kelikk barked. “There’s no resurrection magic in Argos. That’s insane! But looks to me like you chose Star Elf, eh?”
“No darling,” she said with a grin. “I chose resurrection. That would be much more useful to those in my care than something for me, which is why I think she decided to give me both.”
She looked over at where the spirit had been floating and smiled. “I chose my friends and companions over personal power. Now my sub-race is unlocked and listed as Stargazer, whatever that means. And I can resurrect once a day.”
I gave her a giant toothy smile and a thumbs up as we approached the sarcophagus, collecting the next keystone and the priestess’s treasure.
In addition to the stone, the sarcophagus had a full set of silk clothing bearing the blazing sun theme of the dungeon, perfect for Leilani’s build. It was much better than her current gear, so we insisted she take it, regardless of her protests. She had earned them after all.
“You having epic gear means we don’t die, Sis,” Cedric explained, finally overcoming her reluctance.
She looked quite striking in her new silk shirt and pants, earning a few whispered comments from her husband that left her blushing, much to Cedric’s chagrin.
Returning to the main altar, we placed the stone in its spot and moved onto the next door, racing against the dungeon timer which had just over an hour remaining before the horde respawned.
***
54
The carving on the next door was that of a what I assumed was a setting sun, which would make sense since we’d been going clockwise and had already recovered the stones of dawn and midday.
As with the previous two tombs, a large sarcophagus rested against the far wall of the room, but there the similarities ended. To either side of the sarcophagus were statues of a massive, heavily armored orc.
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