Frostgrave RPG Campaign: The Bursar's Tale, Chapter VI

The Bursar's Tale

Chapter VI

In Which Our Friends Enjoy a Night in the Museum

The party had discovered that by exiting the Bender through the wardrobe, they had traveled back in time some 70 years, to the day when the Elven High King Beowen occupied the Invisible School.  They remembered their history that the occupation lasted only a few days before the Elves withdrew and were soon defeated by an alliance between the Goblin Kingdom and the Empire of Meutar.  

They saw that the Grand Council, or at least far younger versions of the Grand Council was drawn up on the steps of the Acropolis as part of some sort of surrender ceremony for the approaching Elven legions.

They realized that the trail of the Arch-Chancellor was no longer apparent.  Professor Reichfield, who had jumped from this time a few days prior to the occupation, could shed no light on what was about to happen.  He joined the Grand Council, hoping to remain inconspicuous.  The rest of the party decided to escape to the tunnels that ran under the entire School. Reichfield, who somehow retained an expert knowledge of these tunnels, gave them a hasty but detailed description.

None too soon!  The Elves formed a phalanx of heavily armed musketeers at the base of the Acropolis and sent a huge Forest Minotaur menacingly towards them.  The captain of the guards approached the Minotaur and presented his sword in a token of surrender.  He was beheaded for his troubles.  The Grand Council and their guards fled in panic.  As the Minotaur approached Reichfield, the distortionist cast a Leap spell upon the creature, hurling it back down the ramp tot he Acropolis and bowling over a group of Dark Elf mages.  Reichfield managed to avoid being shot by resulting fusillade from the Elven troops.

 Seeing the younger version of the Arch-Chancellor fleeing into the School Museum, Reichfield reasoned that the older version would not be too far away, the Arch-Chancellor being a creature of habit. Reichfield entered the Museum.

 Meanwhile, the rest of the party, that now inexplicably included Atlantia the Wraith-Slayer and Ril the Elven Assassin, took to the tunnels, hoping to loot the various schools of the Pentangle of their grimoires.

The first place they went was to the Echodrome, home to the school of Sonomancy.  As they searched through the offices of the recently dead Florissa Undine, a spectral image of the sonomancer appeared in a mirror.

 After convincing her that their ultimate goal was to stop Malcor, she revealed that she had suffered her fate due to an attack by demons he had launched.  Having destroyed her ability to make music, she had committee suicide in despair.  But even now, Malcor, as a spiritualist was attempting to entrap her spirit to serve his desire for power.  She said that he drew his power from several artifacts hidden in the Museum and he could only be stopped by using those artifacts.

Further discussion was cut short when a troop of Elven soldiers began battering at the doors to the Echodrome.  This was discouraged by Redmane who placed an effective explosive rune spell on the door as the party slipped back into the tunnels.

Their next destination was the surprisingly mundane appearing school of Spiritualism.  Ril was the first to exit the tunnel where he was confronted by a patrolling Elven soldier.  Ril responded to the call to identify himself by striking the soldier down with double dagger throws.  

Ril hastily donned the soldier's uniform and observed what was occurring in the courtyard of the Spiritualist school.

A handful of mages and apprentices were being trussed up and gagged by the Elven troops.  Ril overheard the soldiers mention that these were some of those that Malcor identified as opponents.

The rest of the party scrambled up to the roof to have a look.

Unfortunately, Braanx' antlers and unihorn, were a bit too large to remain unnoticed.  Before the Elves could shoot at the party. Redmane cast a grenade spell near the Elven officer.

It succeeded far more than Redmane anticipated.  The courtyard was consumed by molten stone thrown up by the spell.  All in the courtyard were killed except two mages who were severely wounded. Scattered magma set the rest of the building on fire.

The party rescued the wounded mages while Elven reinforcements were delayed by an imp summoned by An'varr.  The party fled to the relative safety of the tunnels.  However, they were seen and pursuit soon dogged their heals.  They decided to head to the Museum.

As they did so, Redmane said to An'var, "I think I know who suppressed the Pentangle.'

"Who?"

"Us!"

 Reichfield had entered the Museum in search of the Arch-chancellor, either in his past or present forms.  The main display hall was quiet.

Reichfield entered the storage rooms, crammed with relics of the Lloroi, the advanced civilization that ruled Minaria prior to the Cataclysm.

He soon found the Arch-chancellor (present) hiding behind some crates.  He began hearing strange noises coming from the display hall.

Heading into an adjoining office, they found the Arch-chancellor (past).  At gunpoint, Reichfield ordered them not to touch each other or even look at each other.  "I'm a distortionist, not a chronomancer so I have no idea what will happen with you two together but it can't be good."

 Pounding at the doors interrupted this thought.

 Several of the Lloroi mummies had become animated and were stalking the intruders.

Hoping to open an escape from the building, Reichfield cast a Collapse spell on the office wall.  Although the collapsing wall crushed two of the mummies, there were far more between Reichfield and the exit.

Fortunately, by this time, the rest of the party made their appearance through the tunnel entrance in the display hall.  They set about fighting off the mummies.  Braanx was particularly enraged as he tore into the clothe-wrapped undead.

Atlantia fired an Elemental Ball at a large mummies, destroying it but the force also struck the Arch-chancellor (present) directly in the chest, killing him.  The Arch-chancellor (past) seeing his future self's death cried out in panic and anguish.

An'var called out to the panic-stricken Arch-chancellor (past), "If you live past today, dedicate all your time to finding a resurrection spell, then write it into a scroll that you keep with you at all times!"  The Arch-chancellor (past) weakly nodded his head in agreement.

An'varr then rifled through the pockets of the Arch-chancellor (present) and pulled out a scroll.  The resurrection spell on it worked to perfection. 

The mummies were soon dispatched.  Redmane used a Reveal Secret spell to determine the locations of the three artifacts that would help stop Malcor.  He rushed to one of the cabinets that the spell showed as a location.  As he touched it, two small rifts opened and two large demons appeared.

 The combined spells and arrows of the party dispatched the two handily.  Urkmaas found the second artifact.  Redmane sent his apprentice Thisby to find the third which appeared to be in the storage room. She found it but noticed a large blue box in the corner.

"No I better not mess with this."

Withe the three artifacts secured, they heard the sound of the Elven pursuers coming through the tunnels.  The party rushed out the main entrance.  They found themselves surrounded by the entire Elven army, High King Beowenn himself at its head.