The Adventures of The Unknown
Episode 19
“Dr. Dalby's Escape”
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      "I have been sent by Shanagra to help Lord Garnoth with his quest," said Tormund the paladin.  The headless remains of Seth bubbled away into a foul smelling goo.
      Hobsen stumbled up to the man and said, "I am Hobsen."
      "Greetings Sir Hobsen, I am Tormund Osric."
      "Greetings, Mr. Osric."
      "Where is Shanagra?" asked Flower. "Me want to see him. Can you take me to him, please, please, please, please, please?"
      "He is resting safely in Drychtnoth," said Tormund.
      Vulmea walked up, holding a wound in his belly, and said, "Well met Tormund."
      "Well met, Sir."
      Piper sits in the corner with a moody look on his face.  "Sorry sir Tormund. You can't help lord Garnoth with anything except a shovel."
      "I hope you are ready for work, Tormund," said Manderkarr.  "We have our work cut out for us."
      "What has happened to Lord Garnoth?" asked Tormund.
      "He has fallen in battle at the hands of that monster we just dispatched," said Manderkarr.  "Some evil of the owner of this place.  The one who will burn in Hell!"
      "I wish to serve to rid this place of evil," said Tormund. "May I join you?"
      Hobsen said, "We would be proud to have you join us!"
      Manderkarr nodded in agreement.  "You may join us in our quest of revenge for our fallen friends."
      "Thank you both.  I shall do my best to serve."
      Piper moaned in the corner, upset that he was a monster now.  Vulmea walked over to Piper and said, "Hey, get over it.  I am a chicken stealing wolf man when I lose my temper.  You just have to learn to deal with it."
      "I just don't want to hurt you guys," moaned Piper.
      Vulmea said to Piper, "When I become a wolf man, I am just as dangerous as you.  Eventually you learn control."
      "Well, now where do we go?" asked Vulmea.  "Garnoth knew where Dalby slept.  We haven't a clue!"
      "Let's burn the place to the ground and let him come to us," said Manderkarr.
      "Stone does not burn that well," said Issic.
      Hobsen said, "The floors and ceilings and rafters are of wood, though."
      "And that accursed library is full of paper to burn," said Manderkarr.
      "I will destroy that horrible man," said Piper, his face twitching. "Until I do I'm not safe, who knows how long it will take.  If I will not be able to live with myself. Unfortunately I am eternal. Imagine an eternity of self hate."
      Hobsen asked Alexander if he could read the minds of dead men, or if Athena could resurrect Garnoth.
      "Athena could, but I cannot," said Alexander.
      "Then call your goddess down and do it, Cleric!" said Manderkarr.
      "I only wish it were that easy, Manderkarr."
      Flower looked at the body and said,  "Who here knew him best?  What do you think he would want to do in the next life?"
      "We don't need his next life," said Issic.  "We need what he knew in this life!"
      "Well, I say we go after this damn Dalby and then we try and use his library to find Elah or a way home," said Alexander.
      "That is a very good idea, Alexander," said Hobsen.
      The castle shook.  They heard massive footsteps coming up the stairwell, as well as the dragging of a massive chain.  Issic peeked out the door as Tormund unsheathed his sword.  Issic saw a chain moving up the stairs, but nothing seemed to be holding it.  Issic tried to see if this was another one of those tricks on the eyes, like the octopus was.
      Vulmea pulled out his sword.  Piper drew out Shiny Trouble.
      "Ewww," said Flower. "Dieing in this place cannot possibly be a good thing."
      Manderkarr scoffed. "Dying is Clanggedan's choice for me when it is time, until then I fight for him."
      The chain advanced to the door.  Issic flexed his claws and readied an attack.  The chain whipped up and lashed out at Issic.
      "Give me strength, Silver Tree!" yelled Tormund, attacking the other end of chain. Alexander grabbed the chain with telekinesis and threw it out of the window.
      Suddenly there was a rush of cold air that passed through Issic, Manderkarr, and Tormund. The ghost materialized.  It looked like a skeleton in armor.  The ghost drew a ghostly sword, the whole glowing with an eerie blue light.  Manderkarr swung at it with Garnoth's sword, and the ghost backed away.
      Flower rose up into the air; the ghost stopped and watched Flower.
      "In The name of Athena," yelled Alexander, "I pull you wholly here!"
      Issic grabbed at the ghost's sword.  Alexander yelled, "Make this quick, I cannot channel this much of Athena's power for long!"
      Tormund rammed his sword into the now-corporeal ghost, sending it into oblivion.  "May you find rest in the shade of the Silver Tree," said Tormund.
      "Where do we go?" asked Hobsen.  The castle creaked and moaned.
      Manderkarr roared, "I'm coming Dalby and hell's coming with me!"  A crash of thunder punctuated Manderkarr's warning.
      "Lets find that damn doctor and send him to Tartarus," said Alexander.
      "I will destroy you Dalby!" promised Piper. "I wont let him hurt another soul."
      They decided to go down the stairs.  They came to a landing and Manderkarr kicked the door in.  The dwarf looked in briefly and saw the room was a bedchamber. Manderkarr saw a woman in the room. She was wearing an old ballroom gown and was sitting on the bed.
      "Where's Dalby?" demanded Manderkarr of the woman.
      "He is resting," she replied.
      "Tell us now, or," said Alexander, but Manderkarr cut him off, saying, "Where is Dalby!"
      The woman sat up on the bed.
      "Last time," threatened Manderkarr. "Where is Dalby?"
      "Tell us where Dalby is NOW!" demanded Alexander.
      "You will tell us!" shouted Piper.
      "Attack!" shouted Flower.  Vulmea launched at Flower's command, a growl at his lips. The woman leapt as well, faster than the eye could follow, and caught Vulmea by the throat, lifting him in the air as she stood on the bed. Her old gown rustled as Vulmea struggled against her.
      Tormund ran forward, his sword ready.  She held Vulmea like a shield in front of her.
      "Let him go!" commanded Tormund as he swung his sword at her ankles.  She jumped back lithely.
      "Who are you, fair lady?" asked Issic.
      She answered, "By a route obscure and lonely, haunted by ill angels only, where a demon named Night on a black throne reigns upright, I have reached these lands but newly from an ultimate dim Thule. From a wild weird clime that lieth sublime, out of space - out of time."
      She backed toward the door, jumping off the bed.  Alexander attempted channel Athena's power into the vampiress so that he could control her body.  Issic jumped over the bed to try to reach the door first. 
      The vampiress continued to talk as she walked. "Bottomless vales and boundless floods, and chasms, and caves, and Titan woods, with forms that no man can discover for the tears that drip all over."
      "What are these riddles that you speak?" hissed Issic as he covered the door.  She hissed at him.
      Issic said to the vampiress, "I only want my friend released and some information."
      "And I give the information, but you do not listen!  Fools!" screamed the vampiress.
      Piper, enraged, started swinging his fists at everyone.  He slammed his ham fist into Flower, sending her spinning against a table.  She doubled over and fell to the floor, blood draining from her nose.  She crawled toward a corner, weeping.
      "Damn it, Piper," said Alexander, "We do not need another friend to turn on us in battle!"  Piper slugged Alexander, knocking him onto the bed.
      Tormund approached the vampiress from the other side.  "I said let him go or face the power of the Silver Tree."
      Issic said to her, "I listen, but that gibberish means nothing to me.  Explain yourself better."
      "I am Portia, and I sent Dalby to your world!" she said as Piper destroyed the bed in his rage, trying to get at Alexander.  Alexander sent a mental attack to Piper's ego, stunning the golem.
      "Send us there as well," said Tormund.
      "Where in our world did you send him?" asked Alexander after assuring himself that Piper was no longer a danger.
      Portia continued, "By the lakes that thus outspread, their lone waters, lone and dead, their sad waters, sad and chilly, with the snows of the lolling lily, by the mountains, near the river, murmuring slowly. Murmuring ever.  By the grey woods, by the swamp where the toad and the newt encamp by the dismal tarns and pools where dwell the Ghouls!"
      "I tells ya, she's a useless jabberbox!" said Manderkarr.
      "By each spot the most unholy, in each nook most melancholy, there the traveler meets, aghast, sheeted memories of the past." Vulmea struggled helplessly in her grasp.
      Piper ran over to Flower, asking if she were alright.  "I am not fit to live!" he cried as he sat down next to the elf, crying.
      Portia continued, "Shrouded forms that start and sigh, as they pass the wanderer by, white robed friends long given in agony to the earth and heaven. Do you wish to go there?"
      "Yes," said Tormund. "Inzeladun, were he stands."
      "Release the wolf and no one will attack you unless you attack or deceive us," said Issic.  She threw Vulmea to the ground at Issic's feet.  Vulmea struggled up and thanked Issic.
      "To his lab," said Alexander.
      "His lab?  Very well, but he is not there."
      "That is fine."
      Manderkarr agreed.  "Fine, and he won't go there when I'm done."
      "Why his lab?" asked Tormund. "We must stop him!"
      "He will be stopped, all in good time," said Alexander.  "But this evil place must be destroyed. No other should be able to meet the fate of Seth."
      "And I don't want anyone following in his place later," said Manderkarr. "We'll raze this place to the ground!"
      Portia shrugged and opened the door to her bedchamber and walked out. The others followed her.  Piper pulled himself off the floor and wiped his tears to follow the others.
      As Portia walked down the hallway she said, "But see, amid the mime rout a crawling shape intrude!  A blood red thing that writhes from out the scenic solitude!"
      Issic looked where she was indicating, but saw nothing.  She continued, "It writhes!  It writhes! With mortal pangs the mimes become its food and the angels sob at vermin fangs in human gore imbued."
      "What writhes?" asked Issic.
      "The Conqueror Worm," she said.
      "And where is this conqueror worm?"
      "Everywhere."
      She picked up her skirts as she descended a long staircase.  She finally led them to the laboratory.   Alexander looked around for any books, as Piper cast about for the rest of his old body and Seth's.  Plenty of books were around, but no bodies or portions of bodies.  Tables and beakers lay organized, everything clean and in its place.  The books were medical tomes.  Tormund picked up a bottle, as did Flower.
      "This is of no use to us now," said Tormund.  Alexander put the tomes into his pack with the ones from the library.
      Portia motioned for Piper to come closer.  Piper said, "Yes?"
      "I can help you," said Portia. "I know where Dalby kept his journal on the plague.  He has a cure made."
      "I suggest you all leave the room, NOW," said Alexander.
      "Why?" asked Tormund.  Flower grabbed up as many potions and chemicals as she could.
      "Because it is not going to be here in a moment," said Alexander.
      "What do you mean?"
      Alexander took his flask of Greek fire out of his pack, preparing it to throw.  Tormund backed out.  Issic said, "Just a moment there, Alexander!"
      "just get out, this place is evil and there is no…" said Alexander.  Then he realized what Portia had said about the cure for the plague.  He jumped at Portia.  "Where?" he demanded.
      "Will you give this too me?" asked Piper.  Manderkarr did not care.  He started wrecking the lab.
      "Yes, but you must help me also," said Portia.
      "How?" asked Piper. "What must I do?"
      "Wait!" said Alexander to Manderkarr.
      "Wait for what?" asked Manderkarr.
      "We may be able to find a cure, then we shall rid the world of this evil!"
      Portia ignored the exchange between Alexander and the dwarf.  She concentrated on Piper.  "You must drink my blood," she said.
      "That's a laugh," said Alexander.
      "Dalby has a cure for the plague?" exclaimed Flower.
      "Yes, Dalby has a cure," repeated Portia, never taking her eyes off of Piper.
      "Find it fast then, because I'm taking this place and Dalby down," said Manderkarr.
      "Back up, Mandarkarr," said Alexander, preparing throw his flask at one of the tables with lots of bottles..
      "Where is this cure?" asked the Dwarf.
      "It can only be transmitted to one who drinks of my blood, for I am the receptacle of his words."
      "This is a lie!" said Alexander.  "If anyone drinks her blood I will kill you myself rather than seeing another friend be turned into a fiend!"
      "Just try, puny Mortal," said Portia.
      "So what do you get out of this Portia?"
      "I get ... a friend."
      Flower asked, "Are you like Dalby?"
      "Yes, I am one of Dalby's wives."
      Manderkarr threw up his hands, tired of all the talk.  He tipped over a table.
      Flower said "Portia is going to kill us all and make us into her friends."
      "I doubt that, Flower," said Issic, clicking his claws.
      Hobsen slid a wooden stake into Tormund's hand.  "You gotta end this," he whispered.
      "Silver tree, give me power," whispered Tormund as he lunged for her heart.  Issic stopped the paladin, his mighty arms holding Tormund back.
      "I gave my word," growled Issic. "No attacks."
      "I did not," growled back Tormund. "She is evil and must be put to rest.  Are you in league with this creature?"
      "But you have joined our group and that does mean something.  If you did not like it, you should have left then."
      "I joined to help Shanagra, not you."
      "Attack now!" commanded Alexander as Manderkarr made short work of the lab, assuring that things were catching on fire.  Alexander attempted to use his mental powers to set the old ballroom gown Portia wore to flame.  It started to smolder.  Hobsen hissed to Issic, "Let the paladin go!"
      A tear slid down Piper's cheek as Issic said, "Why? She is our way home!"
      Hobsen said "Because she is going to kill us all!  I can see the magic around her!"
      "Shanagra sent me here," said Tormund, struggling against the half-dragon. "He can get us home!"
      Issic let go of the paladin.  Tormund lunged at her again instantly.  Portia slipped to the side, slapping her hand at her smoldering gown.  "I can give you guys the cure and run, run far away..and never come back....And you guys can save your world!"
      Tormund tried again and the stake rammed into her heart.  Blood spurted out of her and a surprised look overtook her face.  Tormund backed away and a look of peace came over the vampiress and she said, "Thank heavens!  The crisis…"
      Flower pulled Tormund away from her blood as Piper moaned, "Now I will never know the cure!"
      Issic asked, "What crisis?"
      The vampiress said, "The danger is past, and the lingering illness is over at last- and the fever called 'living' is conquered at last. Sadly I know I am shorn of strength, and no muscle I move as I lie at full length - but no matter!  I feel I am better at length.  And I rest so composedly now, in my bed, that any beholder might fancy me dead - Might start at beholding me, thinking me dead. The moaning and groaning, the sighing and sobbing, are quieted now with that horrible throbbing at heart: - ah, that horrible, horrible, throbbing! Dr. Dalby's notes are with him.  I was forced to lie.  Save me now and cut off my head and do not remove the stake!"
      Tormund raised his sword and it came down true, removing her head in a scarlet arc.  Her unholy body crumbled to dust.
      "Begone to Tartarus!" cursed Alexander.
      Manderkarr soon had the room all trashed and piled up.  Piper, still moaning in the corner, slashed his wrist with his dagger, Shiny Trouble.  The wound healed instantly.  Piper moaned again.
      "Burn it now!" said Manderkarr.
      Hobsen said, "Uhhh, if you catch the building on fire, what happens to us, who are trapped inside it!"
      Alexander put the Greek fire away and took out a flask of normal oil, stuffed a rag into it, lit it, and threw it.  Hobsen and Vulmea led the way down the stairs.  Reluctantly, Piper followed the others.
      "I would like to take some of the books from the library so that I can donate them to my order," said Alexander.  He knew it would take awhile for the castle to burn down.  The stone wouldn't burn, but the wooden supports and floors would.
      "Burn the books," said Issic.
      "No," said Alexander.  "I have already gotten information that might save the world ."
      "It's that accursed knowledge that causes crap like this," said Manderkarr.
      "Or it might bring about the destruction of the world.  At the last Portia said that Dalby had his notes with him."
      "Issic, I promised Shanagra could return us, I do not lie," said Tormund.
      "Then let him do it.  We are done here."
      From a pouch Tormund brought out a purple stone wrapped inside two leaf shaped pieces of glass. The purple stone glowed. A purple portal opened up.
      "What about Elah and the ...  books?" asked Alexander.
      "Larbius has him elsewhere, we were told," said Manderkarr.
      "Come along, this is the way home," said Tormund. The paladin vanished into the purple mist.  Hobsen shrugged and went in as well.
      Vulmea said, "Hobsen doesn't think Elah is in the castle." Vulmea and Issic vanished into the portal.  Piper was hesitant to go through the portal.
      "Piper," said Alexander, "Come with me."
      Flower said, "Monsters are supposed to stay in monsterland," as she jumped into the portal.
      "Why? I'll probably just hurt you guys again," moaned Piper, but he went through the portal.
      Suddenly, Alexander remembered the baby!  He ran up the stairs.  He noticed Garnoth's body was gone, but the child was safe and sound.  In the library, Alexander paused to grab as many books on the mind flayers that he could stuff in his pack.  With one hand he dropped them into his pack while he held the baby in the other.
      He ran down the stairs and jumped into the portal and it closed behind him.
     
      Everyone was standing in a wooded glade surrounded by tall standing stones.  Shanagra stood amid the stones in his cloak.  His eyes, as usual, glowed red.  Tormund greeted the druid as Flower checked out the baby.  She gave Alexander a kiss for remembering it. Flower turned and ran at Shanagra, jumping up on him.  Shanagra caught Flower.  "Where is Seth?" he asked.
      "Seth turned on us and met his end," said Manderkarr.  "Do you know where Elah is or this Dalby guy?"
      Shanagra shook his head.  "I have never even heard of Dalby Guy."   He was confused about the fate of Seth, though.  Alexander said, "Seth has gone on to a place where he does not have to remember his painful past."
      "Aye," said Issic. "Seth had gone thru a fatal change."
      "I mourn for Seth as you mourned for my Father and Mother," said Tormund.
      "He is in Elysium; morn not for him," said Alexander.
      Shanagra said, "I think I have a lead on Elah, though."

1000 exp for all.

Note:  This was the last Second Edition AD&D game I ever DM'ed.  With the next adventure, we moved into Third Edition Dungeons and Dragons.

Inzeladun Updates | Finished Campaigns in Inzeladun | Unknown Adventures - Chapter 18 | About Vincent N. Darlage | The World of Inzeladun | Doctor Dalby, Creator of Monsters