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Old 05-12-2010, 06:29 PM   #305
Abe Sargent
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Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Catonsville, MD
Alzar has three keys, and inserts them all. The gate whirs open and a magical portal appears beyond it. They enter. They arrive at a room and find a potion, sword, ring and mirror. Alzar follows the instructions on the scroll. The Ring is put around the hilt of the sword. The blade is coated with the potion. It is swung and hits a mirror. The world grows dim and disappears and reappears in a room with double doors to their rear, and doors to the right and left. The double doors won’t open. They open each door, and there is a path of air and one of fire. They choose the path of air. As they move, a familiar sound is heard and a Wyvern flies overhead, but it is not attacking. They hit another room, with two more doors, one into earth and the other into water. They take the muddy earth and several mud men animate and follow them, but they do not attack.

It opens into an antechamber and a stone giant tells them to prepare themselves. They then step forward, and open the door to Etienne D’Amberville’s tomb.

There is an ornate mahogany casket in the center on a raised dais. There is a candelabra with burning amber candles, and a tapestry that depicts Etienne, founder of the Amber clan, assassinated by his son, who took over the group. Carved into the casket are the words – Burn the tapestry to break my curse. Alzar does so, and the lid opens, and a skeleton body begins to turn into a human one, as muscle, sinew, and skins are added. The man stretches and then gets out and thanks Alzar. They reappear in Castle Amber, and several of the D’Ambervilles here can be heard crying and shouting in the distance. Etienne changes the castle slightly, so that it snaps back toThorasia, while leaving behind those D’Amberville family that are from here. He also restored life to the dead man-at arms. The gold and items from the castle are gathering into chest and sacks carried by the three ghouls, three men at arms, the main crew, the bags of holding, and that vat turned to walking bank.

They emerge into the dawn, at the same time they left, and the Castle is behind them, but darkened. They walk down the hill, and Alzar gives each men at arms 350 gold as thanks, even though he doesn’t have to give them anything at all. He also gets back his magic swords. He has had his sight restored by the trip.

Shortly thereafter, they meet the group waiting for them farther down the hill, but everyone has seen the return of the Castle and thinks everything is alright, but Alzar just waits to speak with Cousette D’Amberville. An hour later, the ghouls have fled, and all of the things they recovered hidden. Cousette thanks them, and Alzar asks why, since her whole family is now in another land. She looks at him shyly and says, “Because you broke the curse on my father.”

With that, Cousette tells Alzar where his wagons and such are, and then she collects several things, and in an half hour, has been seen for the last time ever in Thorasia.
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