Chris spent the last week, seven days, training at the mages' tower. He had also ordered and received the breastplate and shoulder guards from the blacksmith he had met in the market. The harvest festival had ended, but the blacksmith was one of few merchants who had a permanent stall in the market square, a few others had nearby shops and a few more had come for the festival and had now left town.
Chris had received a good welcome at the mages' tower since he came with words of being the town's new champion. An old mage known as Master Firewell had taken him on as his apprentice. Chris had later understood that it was very rare for masters to take on apprentices at a novice level, such as Chris, but Master Firewell had made an exception.
Chris flourished under the tutelage of Master Firewell. He learned spells really quickly and impressed his master. He learned to cast streams of fire, call down lightning from the sky, create a lasting ball of light, and to heal minor wounds. He also practiced his channeling and showed Master Firewell his abilities to energy craft. It was quite similar to the technique of creating a ball of light, but required a lot more energy and concentration. Master Firewell hadn't seen a single person with this much magic energy and potential ever before. It was truly astonishing and could be compared to the stories about the heroes of old. One of which had founded the Amber Kingdom and established the line of Amber Kings.
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Status update of Chris
Chris' inventory:
Low-quality axe and knife
Black robe with magic strengthening enchantment
Spell tome: The Conjurors guide to Energy Crafting
High-quality longsword
Steel* armor (leather gloves, leather boots, steel shin guards, steel breastplate, steel shoulder guards)
A dark orb
Money: 78 silver
Chris' reputation:
Friend of Lady Amelia, High Priestess of the Goddess of the Night
Hero and unofficial Lord of Amber Village
Winner of Sword fighting competition
Champion of Harborton
Member of the Protectors' guild
Apprentice of Master Firewell
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...
Lord Whitehall has sent for the Champion. Chris and Amelia enter the keep of Harborton. A steward welcomes them. "Lord Whitehall will see you in the garden. I will take you to him."
They are brought to a small pavilion in a garden outside of the keep. Lord Whitehall is already seated and waiting for them. They sit down with him and he begins explaining why he has brought them here.
Undead warriors have been seen coming out of the old Amber Kings' tomb in the forest and several groups of explorers have already perished in their efforts to investigate what is causing their unrest. The lord and ruler Eric Whitehall of Harborton has sent a detachment of soldiers to seal off the area and dispatch of any undead that venture out of the tomb. Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep the undead at bay. If this continues he will need to send mages to seal the tomb entirely and that is something he wishes to avoid. The tomb is part of Amber Kingdom's sacred history. While the Kingdom officially doesn't exist anymore, a lot of people are still hoping for its eventual resurrection. Lord Eric Whitehall is one of them.
Eric wants them to investigate the tomb and settle whatever problem is causing the dead to rise. Sir Harold has already agreed to come with them. "You will be generously rewarded if you manage to solve this problem. I will also grant you a wish, if it is within my power to do so and reasonable enough that is. What say you?"
Amelia looks at Eric with fierce determination, "We accept". They are then escorted out of the keep and find that Harold is already waiting for them outside. "It is wonderful to see the both of you again, if only it were under better circumstances. Are you ready to head out?"
Chris and Amelia nodded and the group of adventurers head toward the tomb. It lies just at the edge of the forest to the North-West of town.
The group got to the tomb and it was completely surrounded by a military camp. They could hear the sounds of battle coming from inside. They went up to a pair of guards posted at the entrance. The guards immediately recognized Sir Harold and let them through. "You come at the right time, we are in dire need of reinforcements. The undead keep coming at us, and while they are just a few at a time, they take a lot of effort to put down, and all soldiers are exhausted. We have to take shifts fighting the undead throughout the day and night.
The group hurries inside and they are met with the sight of a battalion fighting a few undead soldiers armed with old greatswords. A sergeant greets them as they approach, "You can't imagine how happy I am to see all of you here. Lady Amelia, would be able to bless the soldiers? They are weary from the constant fighting."
Amelia gives the sergeant a warm smile and starts praying to the goddess, "Oh goddess of the night, please renew the spirit of these brave men who fight in the honor of your domain."
Chris is surprised to see that all the soldiers are seemingly instantly imbued with new strength. The previously slow battle is changed into a quick onslaught. The undead are soon reduced to a pile of bones on the ground, which is then set aflame.
"What did you mean when you said that the men are fighting in the domain of the goddess?", Chris asks.
Amelia is first surprised by Chris' question, this is all common knowledge, but then she remembers that Chris isn't from this land or even this world. "The Amber Kingdom has always been under the protection of the Goddess. This land is said to be hers."
Chris nods at Amelia's clarification, "I understand thank you, Amelia."
Now that things have quieted down outside of the tomb, the three adventurers head inside the tomb. The soldiers all wish them good luck and wave goodbye.
The outside of the tomb was not too conspicuous given that it is supposed to be the final resting place of the kings of old. It looked like a small temple with columns on the front, but they enter into a large hall with large and detailed statues on both sides. In the middle of the hall, there are large stone steps leading down. Amelia tells Harold and Chris, "Most of the tomb is underneath the ground. There are twenty levels below us. One king on each, surrounded by all of his family members, and most loyal servants and soldiers. Nothing seems strange up here, so we will need to go down and investigate each level."