Grettir owed a debt to Sybil, the witch that had crafted for him a Whip of Strangling. He and Salrod had swum out to a rock in the Otanga estuary calls Foul’s Heuch late in 688 to treat with her. In return for the Whip he had promised to seek out an evil sorceror by the name of Pallias, slay him and bring her his books. It was time for Grettir to pay up.
Pallias was also known as Stelgano, whose Tower on the East side of the Otanga Estuary had been assailed by adventurers before. As it happens none of that original party were currently available to Grettir, but he had heard reports. He mustered some of his usual companions – Salrod and Hilda, Wilf and Girindor. Anticipating that he might be grateful for a “locksmith”, in Stelgano’s tower, he enlisted a dwarven tunnel scout called Bifur who had been one of Gror’s team in Morthrandil (E4).
As they were making final preparations, Grettir had a surprise visitor. The priest Peredur was an old shipmate from Yog’s voyage to the Ivory Coast (A14). He had last been seen by Paradoxides, in amorous pursuit of a mermaid (B51). He obviously caught her because here he was at Sequarl, going by the name of Melangier, an emissary from the Triton League (see E2). He came with dire warnings from his watery allies that there was a great alliance forming against Sequarl, that included their arch enemy, Pyray, the evil squiddy God of the Deeps. Message delivered, Melangier was at a loose end and opted to join Grettir and co in their raid on Stelgano’s Tower.
The adventure started inauspiciously with Girindor crash-landing the party close to the Tower and causing a delay of some days as various party members were healed of sprains and broken ankles. Their next effort was more ambitious as Girindor landed them directly on the roof of tower. Some of the party fell foul of mantraps, set against exactly this mode of attack – Hilda might have lost a leg but for a protection from iron amulet. As they descended through the levels they encountered more traps, some physical, some magical, and were assaulted by necromantically summoned undead. They overcame all these threats, but Stelgano escaped them by slipping into another dimension.
Hilda managed to discover his intra-dimensional hiding place but by this time he had fled upon the Night Wind. They did, however, capture a homunculus called Gagirth. Put to the question at the point of Grettir’s dagger, he told them that his master had commanded the Night Wind to take him to Aemilia. He was dismissed to whence he came, on oath never to return to his master’s service. In the wizard’s den there was a chest which Bifur opened to reveal six skulls. They also found three hairs that they guessed had come from the wizard’s head. Grettir took the chest to Rendip Rim, High Priest of Osiris, and the personalia of the wizard to Kojar, the Sequarl house magician, who happened to be a Diviner.
Rerndip Rim spoke with the spirits trapped in the skulls and listened to their story, a sad tale of misplaced love and betrayal in which Pallias/Stelgano was the central villain. One of the skulls was Eorwen, the sister of the witch Sybil. Rendip Rim sent the restless spirits in the skulls upon their way to Osiris.
Meanwhile Kojar, in posession of the wizard’s true name, Pallias and the hairs from his head, had made an excellent job of creating a wand to detect his whereabouts. The party travelled upon the Wind to Aemilia and used the wand to track him to a cemetery on the outskirts of town. He put up a tough fight, breaking Melangier’s leg and disabling Wilf with black magic curses, before attempting to run. However, Grettir caught up with him and thrust his God-blessed spear through the wizard’s wicked heart. They recovered three books – the Book of Mordhu, a Cacodaemon and his personal Grimoire.
Grettir and Salrod swam once more to the bleak Foul’s Heuch in the Otanga estuary. There Grettir handed the three books and the wizard’s head to Sybil. She pronounced herself well satisfied. Grettir repeated his offer of sanctuary in Sequarl if she renounced her wicked ways. There was regret in her voice as she rejected the offer. She warned Grettir that his enemies were leaguing against him and to beware “the Sea and Sorcery”, which was much what Melangier had told him. She said that they would never meet again – though she did not know why.
E-11
OE Date: May-June 691
Characters: Salrod, Grettir, Melangier, Wilf, Girindor NPCs: Bifur, Hilda, Kojar, Rendip Rim
Real World: August 1997; Where – Surbiton?
See also Salrod’s Diaries