Apollo of the Creed pt 4: The Second Quest continues

When last we left the tale, Apollo of the Creed had been challenged by Lunsford of Saklan to find someone "who is naked and to clothe them with nobility." Apollo interpreted this to mean the restoration of the so-called Scarlett Hood to the throne of Collonia. To do so, he purposed to find the sword of Rigel, son of Rigel, last King of Collonia.

After much research, Apollo finally found a clue as to the location of the last battle of the last King of Collonia, and decided to take a party of adventurers there to uncover the tomb of the goblin king. Journeying West from Collonia, Apollo and company came to a great serpentine mound of raised earth and stone. They surmise that it was built by the goblins of long ago to honor their fallen chieftain and Apollo hoped to discover the Sword of Rigel buried within. Ominously, the ground around the site appeared to be riddled with large fresh holes as though a block of cheese bored through by weevils.

Exploration of the area of the mound proved dangerous indeed. For it brought them unwanted attention from umber hulks who were eventually dispatched, but only with some difficulty. Then, a day or two later, a purple worm emerged from the ground and had to be likewise slain. But, finally, after that momentous battle, the party took note of mysterious images in the night air, which seemed to match the writings on the subject. All around them appeared the luminous apparitions of men fighting unseen foes and dying terrible deaths in great pain.

Thus assured that the mounds they found were the remnants of the mounds they sought, and using the worm warren, the party made its way beneath the surface of the plain. After some exploration they discoverd a series of successive chambers that corresponded roughly to the shape of a serpent. Each chamber proved to be a goblinoid crypt built to honor a fallen "hero" of that fell race. Each crypt contained a number of dead humans piled at the feet of the buried goblin lord. These crypts proved to be haunted by the restless spirits of those humans interred as trophies.

The undead are only defeated after great struggles in which each member of the party is attacked in mind and body. Apollo and his companions dedicate themselves to giving these fallen souls a decent burial without disturbing their treasure. This procedure was followed from chamber to chamber, though it was done at great personal risk.

While the party was beneath the surface of the plains, a great goblinoid army began arriving at the mound, intending to besiege Wanderhalt. Apollo and company sealed themselves inside and went deeper into the crypts. They finally came to what seemed to be a main room, dedicated to the skeleton of a great goblinoid king. Interred at the goblinking's feet is the skeleton of the former King of Collonia, arrayed in rotting finery. The party discovered, much to their horror, that the main chamber was also protected by an undead creature in armor with glowing red eyes and a fury unmatched by anything they had met before.

This guardian was defeated with greatest difficulty. Its sword was taken and determined to fit the style and manner of the swords of Collonia and believed to be the lost sword of the last King. It was then brought with all due haste but also by a most circuitous and perilous route to avoid the seige of Wanderhalt, to the town of Haven, there to be presented to Fr. Aljero.

Once in Haven, and eventually in the company of the skeptical Scarlett Hood, the party found itself pledging fealty to the rightful King of Collonia. For the Scarlett Hood demonstrated by great proofs that the sword was indeed that of his fathers. This all he did in the shadow of the ruined tower of the wizard Evard.

Then the newly recognized, but as yet, unthroned King of Collonia then bid Apollo and his companions to make for Wanderhalt and to do what they might to break the seige as he rode from castle to castle of the nobles upon on the plains and sought their oaths of allegiance and whatsoever companies of men he might add to his merry band of outlaws.