Thaddeus (Chapter 14)

Template:Thaddeus nav The liars served, stole, and feasted

Upon the souls of these wise fools.

One great fool argued with another

Over which of them was the greater.

They did contest, and the liars made

Them feast on each other's tongues.

-- The Book of the Hammer, c. 5, v. 11-16

The Viper's amulet looked like a corroded piece of brass, green and crumbling at the edges, but it fit the acid-etched piece of wood Cain had identified as the shaft of a Horadric staff. The two could be reunited using the Horadric Cube, and Cain was eager for Thaddeus to do so right away. He saw no point in it. Opening the tomb would serve no purpose; it might even make it easier for Diablo to reach his brother. The demon lord might be able to open the tomb himself, but if a complete Horadric staff was the only way Diablo could open the tomb, one Horadric staff in the land was one too many. Keeping shaft and headpiece separate would be the best thing to do; the shaft was in his footlocker, so the amulet would have to be hidden away somewhere else.

The best place, in all probability, was in the palace. It was the safest place in the city: guards stood at the doors, all the windows were barred day and night, and every member of the city guard had been in there for weeks. Thaddeus hadn't asked to enter since he first arrived in Lut Gholein; he'd been too busy in the desert to think about it since then. Now that he did think about it, it was strange that the place was locked up so tight, or that Lord Jerhyn's servants never seemed to have returned. Was Lord Jerhyn hiding something from the whole city? Thaddeus could sense no malice in him; nervousness, yes, but that wasn't out of line for a young ruler trying to navigate through a crisis of these dimensions.

Any palace was sure to have a secure vault, for the Lord's treasury. Putting the Viper's amulet in the vault would be an excellent excuse for looking over the palace, and perhaps ask a few questions of Lord Jerhyn. Nothing seemed unusual while Thaddeus was walking to the palace, but Lord Jerhyn was waiting outside the palace doors with two guardsmen. The guards weren't facing out towards the town, either; they faced inside, staring in the palace doors, weapons at the ready.

"Good morning, Lord --"

"Thank the Light you are here!" If Jerhyn had seemed nervous before, he was positively panicky now. "How did you know to come?"

Despite the restored sun, Thaddeus suddenly felt cold. "Uh..."

"Never mind, you are here, and I have a great need of a miracle. I hope you can provide my city with another one."

"Whatever you need, my Lord, will be mine to give if I can."

Jerhyn nodded, his eyes darting back and forth. "I do not know how to begin."

Calmly, Thaddeus said, "The beginning might be the best place."

"Yes, of course," Jerhyn laughed nervously. "When our troubles began, the city's harem guilds sought shelter within the palace walls. Some of the demons had managed to breach the city's defenses then, and they were afraid for their lives."

Despite himself, Thaddeus frowned. "Harem guilds."

"It was a reasonable request, and I granted them shelter. Everything was fine, until one night when we heard screams coming up the stairs. The poor girls were being slaughtered by a horde of bloodthirsty demons!"

"In the palace?"

"Yes. They must have come through the gate in the cellar."

This just got better and better. "A gate in the cellar?"

"Yes!" Jerhyn sputtered. "Is something wrong with your hearing?"

Thaddeus took off his helmet. "I'm beginning to wonder. You have demons in the palace, and have for weeks, but have mentioned nothing of it to the rest of the town?"

"Drognan knows, I would do nothing without his advice. We have tried to push them back, but there seems no end to them. I had to hire Greiz and his men to guard the city walls, and concentrate what was left of my own guardsmen in the palace. When the sun went out, they seemed to sense it, and came in even greater numbers. These two are all that remains of the city guard. I need your help desperately."

Thaddeus could hardly believe what he was hearing. "My Lord Jerhyn," he said, trying not to lose his temper, "I cannot believe you have been keeping this hidden..."

"Drognan's advice was to keep this secret, lest the city panic. My brave guardsmen were holding them off until recently. When you came, your quest seemed more important!"

Poor excuses, all of them, but pointing that out now would do no good. Fuming silently, Thaddeus nodded. "So we have been under attack from within all this time. Your whole city came so close to being overcome, almost nothing remains of your defenders. While I may question Drognan's judgment, I cannot fault your present decision. You do need my help."

Looking pale, Jerhyn nodded. "Riches, power, favors only a ruler can give, all will be made available to the one who helps my city."

"Bribery will not be necessary," Thaddeus snapped. "I am sorry, my Lord. I did not mean to say that. It will satisfy me to know how a demon gate came to be in your cellar."

"It has always been there; it is older than the palace itself. Drognan believes this to be the site of an ancient Vizjerei fortress, and the gate is a relic of those times. As long as the city has been here, the gate has been quiet, and would not open for anyone. Drognan has always wanted to see what lies beyond it."

"Now it has opened on its own."

"This may not be important, but... a few months ago, a Vizjerei mage came here from the west. While I was giving him a tour of the palace, he seemed to recognize the gate, and asked to study it, alone. I granted his request, and he was never seen again."

Thaddeus blinked. "Had this mage visited a small town called Tristram?"

"I believe he mentioned such a town, yes. Is that important, do you think?"

Thaddeus felt another headache coming on, a strong one. Perhaps Jerhyn would be wiser not to grant so many requests in the future. If he had a future. "Lord Jerhyn, you must open your palace to me now. The future of your city is at stake."

Jerhyn gasped with relief. "You may go anywhere in my palace, or throughout my city for that matter. My confidence in you is absolute."

Ah, good; he could freely enter any harem in town. Replacing his helmet, Thaddeus strode into the palace. "I'll be done before sundown."

The conversation left a bad taste in his mouth. The lord of a city should be someone his people can respect. There is always an incentive to hide weakness, but sending his guards in to die against endless waves of foes was incomprehensible. Was Jerhyn foolish, or simply ill-advised? Thaddeus would have to speak with Drognan about the gate.

The first basement level of the palace was a huge pleasure arena, with rooms large and small, full of furnishings and decorations intended to stimulate and gratify sensual pleasures. In his poor mood, Thaddeus thought all kinds of uncomplimentary things about Lord Jerhyn, though he had to admit that the Rogues' jails were less pleasant by implication. The silks and incense burners were all drenched in gore now, with the occasional mostly-intact body arrayed decoratively around the rooms. The demons were Desert Raiders, Skeletons, and huge fat giants called Blunderbores. The Blunderbores' choice of weapon was a human body, wrapped in heavy chain and slammed into an opponent; an unsophisticated style, but difficult to avoid or block.

Beneath the seraglio, the palace's cellars went deep. The stonework looked more like what you might find in a fortress, though later workers had widened all the doors. Narrow doors are easier to defend, but hard to move through, and were doubtless altered in peaceful times. Much of the palace's bureaucracy had worked down here, including the city watch. In their offices, Thaddeus found a strange poster.

WANTED: Xanthippe

Height: Very short

Weight: Frequently thrown around

Eyes: Wide and flashing

Hair: Luxuriant black

Sex: *You* can try, but I want to have children someday

Distinguishing features: Only uses weapons bigger than she is

On charges of:

Public bitchiness

Disrespect of city elders

Mercenary abuse

Conduct unbecoming to a sorceress

Reward! Call LGPD for more information. Keep our city clean.

The lowest level of the cellar, a strange artifact was set in the floor. A vaguely triangular shape, the object was complex, but had no obvious function, so it must be the gate. At the top, a toothed wheel hung suspended in the air between two prongs. Thaddeus set the gear spinning. A blue gate, large enough to walk through, appeared in the base. Staring at it, he thought, no, it can't be that simple. According to Jerhyn, this gate had defied centuries of efforts to open. Maybe that Vizjerei had found the gear that made it work? Drognan was glad to hear that the palace had been purged of evil.

"Excellent, your success is admirable," Drognan smiled. "You must have reached the lowest levels of the cellars by now, and found the gate. Have you found it?"

"Yes, I have. It is open."

With visible excitement, Drognan asked, "Have you seen what lies beyond?"

"That, I have not seen. What happened in the palace was terrible, of course."

"I am sure it was. Tell me, have you any idea how the gate was opened?"

"No," Thaddeus lied. "You have a guess where the gate might lead, then?"

"Centuries ago, this was the site of a Vizjerei fortress, built by Horazon, a leader of the order. If legends are true, Horazon built an Arcane Sanctuary, whose gate was within the fortress, as a retreat from the cares of the world. All of Horazon's greatest works were kept within the sanctuary, safe from ignorant minds."

Thaddeus nodded. "The Vizjerei were demon summoners, I have heard."

"Naturally. Horazon was a great, powerful, and wise archmage, master of many branches of magic. It is well known that he was served by demonic slaves."

"In the church of Zakarum, we were taught that Horazon was an example of the folly that lies in the pursuit of power. He believed he could bend demons to his will, as they allowed him to believe; they were using him for their own purposes."

Drognan smiled thinly. "I am sure your church holds many beliefs. The Vizjerei still revere the great Horazon, as a master of otherworldly forces beyond compare."

"And the deaths in the palace?"

Still smiling, Drognan shrugged. "An unfortunate incident, yes. If he is still alive, then no doubt Horazon's work was interrupted, and he sent his servants to see to the matter. It is more likely that he is not alive, in which case his servants were trapped in the sanctuary for centuries, and have reverted to their normal behavior."

Thaddeus nodded. "Lord Jerhyn told me that some months ago, a Vizjerei sorcerer came to the palace, and examined the gate in the cellar."

"This one also came to me. He was obviously insane, and I dismissed him. Perhaps... you may think, could he have penetrated the Arcane Sanctuary?"

"That thought occurred to me."

"An interesting theory, but his skills and knowledge would not have been sufficient."

"Of course," Thaddeus nodded. "If you could not open the gate, how could he?"

"Indeed. Perhaps he found some way in, and lost what was left of his ravaged mind. If you encounter him in the sanctuary, he could be dangerous."

Thaddeus raised an eyebrow. "In the sanctuary?"

"Of course. If I do not know how the gate was opened, I cannot know how it is to be closed. The Arcane Sanctuary must be explored, and cleansed."

"Then, the knowledge within may be studied at leisure." Thaddeus nodded. "Besides, so long as the sanctuary contains demons, the city will be in danger."

"Of course, of course. I shall be glad to follow along behind you, of course."

With as little care as Drognan had displayed for the lives of others, Thaddeus wasn't sure he wanted the old wizard as a battle companion. "You are a very brave man. The hordes of demons in the palace were a terrible threat, and they took such a delight in death by slow, painful torture. There would probably be even more in the sanctuary itself."

Drognan paled a bit. "Ah, no, that is not quite what I meant. At the moment, I must go to the palace, and advise Jerhyn on his next course of action. When you have finished with the Arcane Sanctuary, please inform me."

"Oh, I misunderstood. I hope no one has entered the lowest cellars. While I was here with you, more demons may have come through the gate."

Drognan frowned. "Of course. When you are done, come and inform me."

Looking at the gate, Thaddeus wondered best how to sabotage it. While he didn't approve of harems, that didn't mean their residents should be condemned to a painful death. Drognan had been quite unconcerned about that; he only cared about knowledge of ancient Vizjerei ways. As for Jerhyn... he obviously liked harems a lot, to devote an entire floor of his palace to one. Perhaps Drognan encouraged this weakness, to make him easier to rule. If there was power beyond this gate, neither of them should have it. On the other hand... there were obviously demons in there, and they must not be allowed to remain, even if he could deactivate this gate permanently. Closing the gate while he was inside might trap him, so any sabotage would have to wait until after he'd gone through.

On the other side of the gate, Thaddeus found himself staring out into a black, starry void, empty save for a maze of stone catwalks suspended in nothingness. Wherever it was, this was a horrible place, a disconcerting emptiness devoid of light or life. Looking down was terrifying, but looking up or sideways wasn't much better. The stone pathways were more than confusing: their layout seemed designed with the sole purpose of defying the natural order of the world. You couldn't be sure if you were walking up or down, even if you were right on them! Surely, this place could only be the result of a twisted mind -- exactly what a sorcerer might build. The gate was at the top of a short flight of steps, above a waypoint. Thaddeus immediately returned to Lut Gholein, and rejoiced in the normalcy, bathed in the sunset's light.

Back at the marketplace, Fara had closed up shop. Lysander was still there, putting up the last wall of his new store. "Hello."

"Hello, Lysander. It has been a trying day. You haven't heard any rumors of demon summoning from anyone in town, have you?"

"Good heavens, no. Anyone who tried that would get his tongue cut out, his fingers all burned off, and then they'd start getting mean. You think someone is doing that?"

"No, no. But Drognan believes I have found someplace called Horazon's Sanctuary."

"Yes, Canker Bees are a problem. Demons are very fond of insects, too."

"HORAZON'S SANCTUARY."

"Oh, Horazon! A terrible man, who came to a bad end. Had to lock himself in to protect himself from his own servants. That's the fate of all summoners -- that, or damnation. Let me tell you something: there are old summoners, and there are bold summoners, but there are no old, bold summoners."

"A foolish but tempting path, for mages who lack foresight. For all their reading, you would think wizards could read something of history. It might not repeat itself so often if they did."

"Repetition has its good points; someday, you might get it right."

It is true, doing something more than once can serve to correct flaws in a basically sound procedure. Returning to the waypoint, Thaddeus went back into the sanctuary, and through the gate into the palace basement. No one was around, so Thaddeus took the gear away. Sneaking out of the palace through a window was not very dignified, but he didn't make too much noise, and returned to the Arcane Sanctuary by the waypoint.

The marble paths were full of Goat Demons, the demonic Hell clan, strongest and darkest of that accursed race. The undead were also present, vaporous Wraiths and vampiric Dark Lords. Perhaps they were the remains of mundane servants and mages, trapped in here with the Goat Demons when the Sanctuary was closed. While cleansing the Arcane Sanctuary, Thaddeus found it was quite impossible to fall from the catwalks. He couldn't even knock the demons off; perhaps the empty space he saw was all some kind of illusion. Stockpiles of treasure were stored in certain parts of the maze, including ancient texts full of arcane lore. Some were about the elements, some were about the enchantment of items, and some were about the summoning and binding of demons. Unfortunately, some of the books and scrolls caught fire, in unavoidable accidents.

After a long battle with some vicious Dark Lords, Thaddeus found a large platform. A pile of old clothes lay on the floor, next to a book. The clothes contained a relatively fresh body, his head caved in by one of Thaddeus' hammers; Thaddeus hadn't even seen him up here. Hopefully, the man had found some peace, as it was doubtful he'd been up to any good. The book was Horazon's private journal. While locked up on this platform, Horazon had plenty of time to observe events in the real world. He didn't dare leave, or his "servants" would seek him out and kill him, but he could still watch and record what he saw. Baal's imprisonment occupied several pages of detailed observations. Tal Rasha's tomb was set in a secluded valley, flanked by the tombs of 6 other archmagi. Horazon's sanctuary could send Thaddeus there instantly. Before he went, Thaddeus took the gear that opened the sanctuary, and left that with the dead body. It was his, he may as well keep it.