IC Story Thread: Ch.1, Ad.3 - Black Hand

Given the circumstances, Duinhir reckons that it would be acceptable to take and transport the remains by whatever means available - as ignominious as piling them into a simple bag might seem; getting them away from use in dark magic is more important, but to do them proper honor the remains should be kept separate (so that they can be re-interred whole, and they should be re-interred at a marked grave (wouldn't have to be a fancy marking, given the circumstances, but something so that they could be found), and preferably in their homeland (Gondor), if it cannot be done here at the outpost where they were stationed.

So, doable, but not super convenient if you're trying to take them with you as you complete the rest of your business here...

As you close the opened tomb, and ponder what to do with the remains, you get a better understanding of the other room as well.

It is also a catacomb, there are three graves dug into the walls of the second room, and all three of these have been disturbed. All three have skulls and major bones of the arms and legs missing.

And indeed, these patterns match up to the bone pyramids you witnessed and disrupted in the courtyard above, during Astalor's ritual.

These graves are marked with inscriptions indicating that these were workers who died in a collapse during the construction of this stronghold. And that it happened over 2,000 years ago.

Also in the other room is a small iron-bound chest sitting on the floor. Looking at it, you cannot imagine that it is nearly as old as anything else in these catacombs.

As you get down around it, you realize it's really more of a sturdy traveling case or a trunk than a chest. It is rectangular, low wide and deep with leather strap handles at the ends, it's a good dark wood, with iron bindings at the corners and the edges of the trunk covered in leather.

Whomever it belongs to must have considered the location safe because it is not locked, despite having a key hole. And you see no sign of danger or trapping.

Upon opening it, you're hit with a not-unpleasant smell of... some sort of herb or incense. The smell takes your brain back to the small sailing ship in the bay with ghost... and so do the rest of it's contents. There are white, red, and black candles. A couple of small trays and bowls made of brass. A folded-up velveteen cloth with strange symbols on it, and that's just what you can see on this layer. The height of the trunk would imply there's more below it.

And on top of it all is a skull, and a corroded sword.

They certainly look like workings of sorcery. You both recognize the general patterning of the symbols: concentric circles with geometric shapes drawn across them, as being similar to those you saw on a table covering on the ship, where Astalor had the drowned-spirit bound. Only stopping it's attack upon you when you disturbed and destroyed the paraphernalia.

You think this cloth and these items must be used for a similar, spirit binding, purpose.

There's no hidden compartment. You find the bottom layers of the trunk are primarily books.

Old books. Big and bound in wood and leather. Some have an iron binding with a ring braised onto the spine - such as is seen in the most valuable books found in great libraries. Where there would be a chain fastened to the ring, hopefully preventing it from being removed from such a respiratory of knowledge.

This development brings something back to mind, something you recall hearing... several weeks ago now, when you first met Lady Blackridge, after returning her children to her in Minas Tirith, after the meal she shared with you all in her home...

When Astalor first came to her, before he ever kidnapped her young, it was in an effort to try to procure from her a very old, very valuable book.

It was because she denied him the tome, and in an effort to extort it from her, that he kidnapped her young. Which was of course what set off all of your involvement in this.

Your journey into the Harad.

The warehouse in Umbar. The fire.

The search for Astalor in Dol Amroth.

The pursuit of him far out here to the West, where you encountered the Druedain.

And their Stone Sisters which which led you into these mountains.

And there where you encountered the Swordsman and the Spearman from the Harad.

Which led you ultimately here.

All of it started over... old books.