In The House of the Rising Sun

"Count Grimm." Grimm's beady eyes of light looked up from the book he was studying, 100 candles burning brightly in the otherwise dark chamber of the castle's basement. Capirti, the knight-sorcerer , a short but stout half-elf with long dark hair and the features that could charm a street worker if not a maiden. Capirti had grown close to Grimm quickly following his arrival at the castle, swearing fealty to the Warlock after hearing of his slaying of the orcs. The Half-Elves of the western wood were deeply xenophobic, and Grimm seemingly lacking race and slaying those of other races made the two an odd pair, if not an agreeable one. To Grimm, it was just nice to have a bodyguard. He had seen too many people he knew, men he knew could handle themselves, die, and the road to Saxton was long. The road to the king was longer. "I bring word, sir. The workers clearing away trees to the east of the castle found a passage hidden into the Earth. It was marked by the sign of the Blue Dragon Phalanx."

"That's very interesting, but I'm not so much into archeology. We have much work to get done in the construction of this keep."

"Sir, the Dragon Phalanx is infamous among my people. If that is the tomb of their order, then they likely have arms there. Possibly magical. They reigned from a different time when such things were common."

Grim looked up from his book. "Magical arms? Please bring the other officers of the keep."

Before long, Galt made his way down to the basement, sweat covering his brow and dirt his hands. He had been training with the men, an activity he had taken to with much fondness. The men respected Galt. What he lacked between the ears he made up for in courage and a strong work ethic. Such things are inspiring when reason would say Saxton's armies will lay waste to you soon. He was joined by The Exarch, a woman of her later years who had taken a strong liking to Galt. Deeply superstitious, a fortune teller had told her she'd marry a half monsterous man some day, and so she offered her services to the barbarian. Her name was a mystery. Next came the Tiefling, a crazed man who cared more about his patron than the cause, but a strong soldier none the less. The three priests were last to arrive, the woodland one having to duck his head down to avoid the low ceiling. Koth and Noa excluded as they were off on an errand of Koth's, gathered here was the core of a mercenary band doing their best act of a group of upstart nobles to be. Grimm had taken to calling them The Band of the Rising Sun, and the name had stuck. Even the militia started calling themselves Shemesh, the Draconic word for Sun.

"Tell them what you told me." Capirti recounted the news quickly. The giant-kin already knew. His connection to the events that occur in the woods was odd, if not useful. "So there. I will await Koth and Noa to return, and we can make plans from there." Grimm asked if any thing had come of trying to discover who the spy could be, and with no news to report dismissed his men.

What could lurk in the final resting place of knights as famous at the Blue Dragon Phalanx was a mystery, but since the castle had been haunted, Grimm had a few ideas. Still, a chance to finally put magical blades in the hands of the senior officers was a risk he and his group very much had to take.