Adventure of Artania Nero Thornson 1

Artania remains at the registry threshold, shield raised and sword ready. Behind him, the sealed records glow safely beneath their lattice of blue-green wards.

From the western corridor come hurried footsteps, scraping stone, and the bitter scent of ash. The false trail has delayed the intruders, but their concealment is returning.

Seris steps from the ward lattice with her blade drawn, while Lord Vael seals the inner records behind him. Al remains beside Artania, hackles raised toward the corridor.

The scraping stops. A shadow passes across the far arch, followed by a faint whisper in an unknown tongue, and the ash scent thickens around the stones.

Artania follows the bitter ash scent with his attention alone, remaining planted before the sealed cabinets. His shield stays aligned with the registry threshold.

The magical veil spreads through the corridor, slipping around stone and ward-lines without disturbing the records. Footsteps, breath, and shifting cloth resolve within its quiet reach.

Three intruders emerge from concealment in the western passage: a masked woman in ash-gray robes, a lean man carrying hooked blades, and a child-sized cloaked figure moving between them.

The veil catches their route and intent clearly. The robed woman watches the registry doors, while the other two angle toward a service alcove behind the western descent.

Maintaining the wide sensing field draws sharply on Artania’s reserves. A hot thread of pain crosses his bandaged hand, and one blue-green ward flickers against the cabinet lattice.

Al growls as the intruders change formation, but Artania’s veil continues tracking every movement. The cabinets remain sealed, and their route is fully exposed to Vael and Seris.