Ancient Kellid Paraphernalia

Storyteller's Reward
10000 gold coins, 2250 experience

Their Story
This is the story of the collection, as told by the Storyteller:

"I hear the wind howling over the wastelands of Glenebon, the whispering of grass, the distant sound of thunder. I hear music and laughter. I smell the smoke of bonfires and roasting meat. The big feast is coming. But my heart is filled with anxiety."

"I'm Adra, of the Tiger Lords. I'm chieftain of a part of the clan that's been guarding Great Armag's tomb for over a thousand years now. Once every three years, our youth venture into the tomb to test themselves, prove themselves worthy as adults in the tribe."

"The tomb is full of deadly traps. We've all undergone this test -- but we've all also had friends who didn't come back. Today, my daughter has gone underground. I'm trying to stay calm -- I was the one who trained her, after all -- but the long wait still gnaws at my soul like a wild beast."


 * "Are the young tribe members supposed to make it to Armag's burial chamber?"
 * "Not at all! Only a handful of people have managed to get that far throughouth the ages. Completing the initiation requires only making it to the stairway to the second floor. Of course, what warrior doesn't crave extra glory? There are always daredevils who'll risk their lives to make it farther... I was one myself, and I paid the price for it... No, that's not entirely true. I made it back from the tomb alive and well. It was some of my peers who paid the price for my relentless courage and never made it back."


 * "Tell me about your clan."
 * "The Tiger Lords are the strongest tribe in all of Numeria! We're feared everywhere -- from the Hold of Belkzen to the Hills of Nomen. My clan has a special honor -- we're the guardians of Great Armag's tomb. It's... it's a unique, glorious mission..."


 * "What's wrong? Are you unhappy with your clan's posting?"
 * "Good observation. This lofty mission has turned our clan into honorable outcasts. We try to avoid as much contact with the outside world -- even our own kin -- as possible. We've spent centuries roaming around the tomb, guarding the secret of its location. And once every three years, we send our youth down there, and every time, someone is maimed or killed. And for what? How much longer do the living need to serve an old dead man?"



"Torchlight flickers in the dark doorway -- they're alive! They've returned! Only through great effort do I maintain my calm exterior, as a decent chieftain should. But as they come out into the light... Oh, Gorum! Without further thought of dignity, I rush toward them. They're wounded, exhausted. They carry three of their fellows on their shoulders. My daughter is among those being carried."

"She's alive. Thank all the good gods, she's alive -- and I can't hold back my tears as I see her weak smile, twisted with pain. But her right arm looks like a burnt branch, all black and charred... My daughter will never be able to wield a sword again. And two of her friends will never again open their eyes."

"It's a rarity when the rite of initiation doesn't turn the great feast into someone's funerary feast. The damned tomb keeps devouring our children... No, in reality, it's devoured our whole clan. My daughter says she wanted to reach the burial chamber and speak with Zorek, but she failed the Test of Pain... I wonder what I would say to the spirit, if I were to reach him? Shout in his face the names of all those who never left his tomb, maybe? Or perhaps beg him to release our clan from this eternal guard? But no. No, I fear I wouldn't have anything at all to say to him."


 * "Can't your tribe's clerics heal your daughter's arm?"
 * "Maybe back in Numeria there are clerics powerful enough. Not here. I'll send an emissary to request the aid of a healer powerful enough to help her, but they'll probably refuse. We're supposed to make as little contact with the outer world as we can. The secret of the tomb's location is greater than all."


 * "Does everyone in your clan know the tomb's location?"
 * "No. Its exact location is known only to the chieftain and a few select elders. We roam the region, and once every three years, we bring our youngsters here blindfolded."



"The scouts bring alarming news -- the Taldan army is headed this way from the south. They've already passed Kyonin, and they're advancing towards Numeria, now. Our brothers and sisters from across the region are gathering to fight off the invaders. Everyone is nervous... Only I seem to feel any relief. In his inexplicable mercy, Gorum has sent us war. No one would blame us if, to aid our motherland, we left our post at the tomb. And then... I'll do everything in my power to ensure the secret of its location is lost forever!"

"I stare at the Numerian emissary. He's so young... I could be his mother. He's brought orders from the Tiger Lords chieftain -- our clan is to stay here and guard Armag's tomb. I already know what I must do -- and for the first time in decades, my fingers tremble."

"My dagger pierces the emissary's heart. I see confusion in his eyes as they cloud over. Forgive me, boy. You never made it here. You were lost on the road, disappeared without a trace. The orders you carried never reached us. My crime is inexcusable, and I will gladly pay for it. I will do my best not to linger in this world -- I'll find a decent way to die as soon as I make certain that no one remains who knows the exact location of the tomb. But my clan will never return here again. Never."

The Storyteller bows his head. "As you know, Adra was successful. Her clan rejoined the rest of the tribe, and once the Taldans were gone, the secret of the tomb's location was lost for many, many centuries..."


 * "How did the war with the Taldans end?"
 * "It ended with... nothing. The Taldans went not to conquer, but to explore and make maps. The Second Army of Exploration traveled through the River Kingdoms, walked around Lake Encarthan, and reached the Hold of Belkzen before returning home. But at its start, the expedition looked like a real threat, and the Numerians made preparations to fight them off."


 * "What happened to Adra's daughter?"
 * "Numerian clerics were able to heal her arm. She traveled far, cloaking herself in glory across multiple battles spanning from the Hold of Belkzen to the Hills of Nomen before dying with honor while fighting the cyclopes."

