The hidden

THE HIDDEN
02 THE BODY
SEGMENT 018
“THE BODY”
10/02/13

EYRE 17, 999

The group is enjoying their new found fame. They have rescued the girls, ended the threats of future children being taken and even battled the thieves’ guild of Goblins known as the Web. Even RAF seems happy with it. But even with this increased fame, they are having trouble finding employment. So, they head to the docks to the job listings booth.

On the way they see the usual venders including a ½ orc selling potions, a few trinket salesmen and various pilots of ships large and small. They reach the booth and find nothing. They know they have enough money collected from the goblins and Emerald Claw agents to live off of for many months but they are restless already.

Several ½ orc children run by them laughing and up to no good. They look to where they came from and see a warforged. He makes eye contact with them and rushes over to them. “The end is coming!” He waves his arms in a maniacal fashion. “It grows in the swamp. It grows stronger and greater every day!”

RAF would laugh if he could. Though the others have heard of this warforged Truth explains the history to them. He has heard that this warforged was damaged heavily within the war and remains unstable. Others say he is crazy and touched in the head.

“See- the sign even says so!” 9s taps his homemade sign several times. The sign is poorly written on drift wood and hung around his neck with a piece of stray twin. Written as if a child had it reads “Town Idiot”. (1/2 orc children love him). The group tries to walk past him but he walks parallel to them. “It’s in the swamp. It wants to get us! To get all of us!”

RAF is losing his patience. Cy and Tom try to avoid him. Rose pities him but also tries to ignore him. Maul licks his hand then moves ahead of the group. “I have seen it. The end is coming!” The group directs him into walking into the path of a merchant. As hoped- he stops to preach to the merchant instead of them.

Shortly they are confronted once more by the law of the docks. Tusk d’Tharashk hales the heroes with his usual bullying attitude and demeanor. His deputy backups are there to support him. “Aw- Look- it’s the heroes. Kill any goblins today? Burn down any buildings today?” He pauses to let his deputies laugh with his joke.

RAF tries to stare him down. Tusk instead growls and his men spread out into a combative formation. Tusk continues to badger them until 9s reappears. “Officer! Officer! They are in the swamp! They are coming for us all!” They all laugh at the poor warforged.

They continue down the docks allowing 9s to occupy Tusk instead. Two docks later they hear a yell of alarm. “A Body! There’s a body in the water!”

The group hurries over to the fisherman. Next to his small boat is a body floating in the water. He is face down and has a pack on his back.

Rose uses her bow to reach the body and first pull it closer to the dock then hooks and arm and rolls him over in the water. Truth stiffens. He knows the person.

THE HIDDEN
02 THE BODY
SEGMENT 019
“THE BODY OF EVIDENCE”
10/02/13

EYRE 17, 999

The body is now on the dock. Rose removes the pack and tosses it aside. Truth is quick to pick it up and begin to search its contents. Rose spots a nice necklace on the cadaver and removes it. They find a ring on one finger. It has a symbol that Rose, Tom and RAF feel they know. Truth doesn’t bother to look at it. He is busy finding a strange red crystal rod. He sets it aside and looks into the pack again. In the other hand is a piece of torn fabric. It is black with hints of green. Cy pulls it free and looks closer. Stitching of skulls is hidden within the fabric. Tom looks at the contents of a hip pouch.

“Get away from there! That’s mine… a crime scene. Step away!” It’s Tuskin calling to them. His deputies are in tow with weapons drawn. RAF and Maul steps between the others and the oncoming “Law”.

Truth removes spoiled food and a water damaged journal. He carefully lines everything up in order of discovery. Tuskin is outraged by this. HE is the law and EVERYONE MUST do what he demands.

Tom finds traveling papers. “Don’t touch those!” Tuskin yells in a rage. “Dendril Whenduel is his name.” proclaims the ranger / druid. Tuskin goes to his tips of his toes trying to see what treasures…. Evidence they are finding. RAF makes a very good wall however. “He is a Morgrave University Professor ……”

“Enough! Deputies……” commands the angry Tharashk family member. They raise their weapons cautiously as RAF waves his Great Sword before him.

Before any violence can occur, they all hear a familiar proclamation. “The end is coming! See! He has already died and been taken. The evil grows near.”

Truth finds a strange key with a distinctive looking carving of a crab on it. Money is found, though not much.

The deputies’ motion to stop the group but RAF convinces them to stop 9s instead. Tuskin is not impressed. Without his deputies to back him up, Tuskin backs down from RAF. The items are repacked and taken by the group. “Your crime scene. Do something useful.”

Tuskin glares at them as they leave. The only sound is the warforged proclaiming the end is near. Truth has purposely set down a gold coin next to the body. Tuskin kneels down to collect the coin and looks at the body. Unseen by the group, Tuskin merely kicks the body back into the water.

THE HIDDEN
02 THE BODY
SEGMENT 020
“FOLLOW THE CLUES”
10/02/13

EYRE 17, 999

“I want to solve this. It’s important.” Proclaims Truth. He doesn’t reveal to the group that he knew the dead man.

They have reviewed the evidence and tried to detect magic on the items. Rose has a nice Amulet of Health +2. The red rod is strange. It confounds Truth. It seems strange and thus magical but it doesn’t read as such. It has three rings carved into it but Truth misses it. Setting that aside, he returns to the journal. Much of it is written in a language he doesn’t know. But he picks up references written in common. Xor-Nadaii. There is a map also. A river that leads to a pond. At the pond is Xor-Nadaii. Truth turns to the last page. There is a journal entry here dated for Eyre 14 (3 days ago).

Dendril writes about how this began. He studied the ruins in Morgrave. There he had found references to the ruins and location. He traveled to Shadow Marches believing he had found the ruins through a map. He came to Yrlag and found a woman he knew from Breland. Madame Frome Durress. After speaking to her he hired guides and adventurers to explore the area. He believed he had found the starting point- a river just east of Yrlag.

They decide to try to locate the woman. They travel to the well to do section of Yrlag. They have gone to several taverns and inns with no success. Then Truth spots a sign that he recognizes. He pulls out the key and sees the same image of a crab on it. “There- The Water Crab Eatery… we can find answers there.

They go inside and find it not to be what they expected. A female elf dressed in very nice clothes stands at the bar table. Five other tables are here. The table in the furthest corner has a pile of books and someone reading a large tome. The group goes over to the table. “We were wondering if you could help us.” Asks Truth politely.

No answer.

RAF steps closer so that he can see over the top of the books. He is not happy with what he finds. A female elf, dressed in black with a green cape sits here ignoring them. A brooch depicting the Emerald Claw holds the cape together. “Excuse me…..” continues Truth.

RAF knows how to get her attention- he knocks down her stack of books and pushes the tome out of her hands. “We’re talking to you.”

“And now I must listen to you it seems.” She glares at them with malice. “A warforged brute, a shifter ranger, an elven swordswoman, a human swordsman and a robed and civilized warforged. What excitement- you must be the heroes of Yrlag I have heard so much of lately. Lucky me. Leave me. I have work to do.”

RAF, not sure if he is insulted that an Emerald Claw agent is ignoring him or not, kicks the books on the floor to redraw her attention onto him. Truth is surprised by her neither attacking nor even summoning up a protective spell. “Do you know a Dendril Whenduel?” He places down a gold piece.

Sighing in great annoyance, she slaps down several platinum pieces to prove she is above their petty attempts to buy her. “Dendril Whenduel who drools I don’t care. Leave me.” They continue to stand there waiting. “No I don’t but obviously he was picked on growing up with a name like that. Now leave…please.” And she scoops up her coins to replace them in her purse again.

Truth decides he will not get any further information from her and decides to leave without further provocation. RAF decides to do so anyway. He kicks the table leg, breaking it which causes the large tome she was reading to fall over. Truth notes the writing on the books and papers appears much like that in Dendril’s journal.

They go to the bar keep. She is obviously annoyed by the breaking of the table. To smooth things over, Truth puts down several coins to pay for the damages and for info. “Sorry- we really need to find out about a man named Dendril Whenduel. He was from Morgrave.”

“Why do you think I would know anything?” she asks.

Truth sets down the key. “We found this on his dead body this morning. He was found floating in the waters on the docks. We want to know what happened and why.”

“I know nothing about him or what he was doing. My customers are more civilized than most taverns. They come here to sit quietly and read while eating a simple but good meal.”

“Please- anything will help.” Adds Rose.

Looking at RAF and how he towers over her and his way of damaging things, she suggests going up to his room. She has only one room to rent and he has it. The key they hold is the key to the lock leading to the stairs to his room. They thank her and go outside to the entrance to the upstairs room.

It is a large loft style room that is mostly empty. There is a bed, a table and a chest. Nothing else. They look around and find nothing of use. They leave slightly discouraged.

Walking back to their own rooms they spot the vender that specialized in mapping and guides. They show him the map and after looking at it for a few moments (and Tom putting down a coin or two) he remembers the area. It is the first river east of the city limits. It should be easy to spot since there are two trees that have fallen and now support each other. It makes the symbol of an “X” by the river entrance.

They decide to gather up equipment and supplies and look for this river in the morning. Shortly after they leave a large humanoid walks up to the vender. “Sir- what can I do for you Mr. d’Tharashk?” The ½ orc smiles in a way that exposes one of his canine teeth. “Where were they going?”

THE HIDDEN
02 THE BODY
SEGMENT 021
“THE RETURN OF BORIS GRUDGEMAKER”
11/02/13

EYRE 17, 999
The group crosses the docks through an area known for its flowers. It is commonly known as the garden. It is a series of 30ft squares connected by short bridges, it resembles a chain. As the group near the end of the Garden, they spot several Emerald Claw warriors at a ladder leading to a short dock. RAF wants to “talk” to them immediately. The three men lean over the dock’s edge and call to someone below. This leads to the group picking up their pace to confront them.

Another man reaches the top then…. A large black man wearing half-plate armor. He is nearly as wide as he is tall…. But all muscle. The group is stunned. They fought and killed this “man” a week ago. They weighed his body down with stones and sank him in the swamp’s edge. But he is here; A twin perhaps?

At about thirty feet, the group stops. It is him… different equipment but it is him. “I have been looking for you. We have unsettled business.”

RAF steps up ahead of the others. “You’re dead”

The large man laughs and waves for the others to attack. RAF, Rose and Cy stop their charge and the battle begins. Cy, working on his magic use releases a blast at the man they understand is named Boris Grudgemaker. The fire washes over him and does nothing. He laughs again. Truth suspects he is either immune to fire or worse- has resistance to magical effects.

Truth hears the large leader call out to him. Truth had done most of the damage to him last time they fought. As such, he is to be destroyed by Boris only. Truth decides to take a drastic measure. He circles around the combat. The battle holds Boris back whom tries to watch what the warforged artificer is doing. All of the attacks are largely aimed at RAF. The flails bounce off of RAF’s armored body for the most part. Minor scratches and dents are made. Rose, Maul and Cy begin to reduce the numbers as RAF is trying to reach the big man.

Truth pulls out a rod and begins to empower it with an arcane spell he has learned of just for this kind of encounter. Boris waves and points his weapon at Truth and braces himself to charge when Truth releases the power built up within the rod. The power strikes the Emerald Claw agent and rocks him. Skin darkens and blackens before peeling back and the armor misshapes from the Blast Rod’s power. Snarling and still smoking, the big man charges Truth but misses his attempt to knock him into the water.

Having killed the other claw members, the rest of the party surrounds the smoking man. Truth notes his red blood soaked eye seems…. Healed. RAF and the others begin to beat him down and finally he goes down.

RAF has an idea. “Being of the Emerald Claw, this thing is undead. That’s why it came back. Let’s do this right. We cut him up, place the parts far away.

Truth, curious about what he thought he saw, claims the blistered head. The others take pieces wrapped in the capes from Boris and his henchmen. Tom is curious where Tuskin is. He would have arrived by now.

THE HIDDEN
02 THE BODY
SEGMENT 022
“SHOPPING”
11/02/13

EYRE 17, 999

Truth remains at their common room as the others go to rid themselves of their body parts and check out the small House Cannith outpost.

RAF spots a blacksmith on the way. He dispatches his body part within the furnace. The Blacksmith is about to chase him away until RAF gives him a look. “I see nothing.” Says the blacksmith whom wisely returns to his work. Maul finds a muddy spot and buries his leg piece there. There are many horrified looks from onlookers.

Cy dices up an arm and feeds it to fish off of three separate docks. Tom does the same but to a rather nasty looking snapping turtle. The turtle eats one piece then quickly leaves. Apparently, Boris doesn’t taste very good. Rose also dices up her piece (with great distaste) and feds it to seagulls and fish. The remaining body parts was pushed into the waters (along with the Emerald claw warriors) and fed to crocodiles and other surface animals.

Truth has boiled the skull and removed all the skin and using alchemy acids, removes the brains and other internal pieces. He cleans it up and places it into a fresh clean cloth. He places it back into his bag and leaves.

The group reaches the small Dragonmarked House Cannith outpost. It is run by one man. The Goblin Spoon was bigger in size. Balli d’Cannith runs it. RAF buys many Repair Oils for himself. Cy had hoped to buy a bag or haversack to made travel easier. They have neither on stock. They also stop at a small Kundarak outpost where Cy trades in his gold pieces for platinum to travel lighter.

Truth, now disguised as Zolan, pops in on Lady ir’Silvermane once more. It is very short visit. He is concerned about the reappearance of Boris and the possible abilities he showed. He also needed to talk to someone about something else he was experiencing. Emotions. He, as most warforged, still has problems understanding his developing emotions. He had conflicting thoughts involving Boris and the other Emerald Claw agent there. As a claw member she must be evil…. Right?

He returns before the others and settles down with the journal trying to find more information within to explain how the Morgrave professor died. He saw no marks or injuries beyond that the water’s scavengers had done. Too bad Tuskin chased him off.

THE HIDDEN
02 THE BODY
SEGMENT 023
“NIGHT VISITORS AND MORNING TRIPS”
11/02/13

EYRE 18, 999

That night, the group settles down. Truth continues to study the journal and RAF sharpens his blade. Late at night, RAF hears a call of alarm and a grunt of pain. Truth is too involved in the journal to notice. RAF checks that the door is locked. He is expecting trouble in the form of the Emerald Claw.

Everyone begins to get their weapons and whatever protective gear on they can. Something comes to the door and checks it. Then something tries the door. RAF grips his sword in hope of an assault.

Truth puts his body against it as something attempts to break the door down. RAF finds it humorous but waits. After the third attempt the attacks stop. RAF suggests Truth should move away from the door now. Before he can ask why a sword tip punches through the door near the knob. “Oh”.

RAF opens the door and a skeleton is caught by surprise. A dozen of them are here along with one in armor. RAF strikes him first. The others are at a lost. RAF is now the new door and few can do anything against the skeletons and in the case of Rose, she has a rapier or arrows. Neither is very effective against skeletons.

RAF destroys a skeleton at a time while Truth and Cy try to poke at them between his strikes. They try to tear through the wall to surprise them but Maul is there to stop that. They are quickly destroyed.

They look at the base of the stairs and spot the inn keeper. He has been cut down by a skeleton. His wife screams and cries as she rushes out to him. Tom wonders how many more times they can be attacked at a tavern before no tavern keeper will allow them to stay in fear of further attacks.

They return to sleep and in a few hours head out. No one has come to investigate the attack.

They figure Tuskin can’t be bothered at night.

They go directly to the docks hoping to find a pilot again. They find Terry Riverbend on his ship. He has not yet done any repairs to it. He sees the group and smiles with a polite wave and greets them.

“We have need to go upriver again. Can you take us?” asks Truth.

“Yes. Yes I can- for the usual fee.” Says the opportunistic man.

“No.”

“Seven Gold. I still have repairs to do.”

“No. and that is more than last time.”

“Seven gold is the going price.”

Tom gives him the seven gold. He wants to get going. Truth shakes his head and gets on board.

“So where to this day?”

“A river just north of here with two trees that have fallen onto each other forming an ‘X’.”

“I know of it. We leave shortly.” Says the pilot as he collects his seven gold happily.

They set out about an hour later. They have little to do so they watch the docks and homes go by. The run down lighthouse remains in the bay along with several Orien sailing ships. Rumor has it House Lyrandar wants to buy the lighthouse to use as a staging point for airships. Orien is very much against this. It would cut into their trade a great deal. House Tharashk whom owns it will get a lot of money from whoever buys it.

About an hour later they reach the point. The boat has to travel under the crossed trees. The pilot watches above him carefully. Obviously he fears goblins or other creatures attacking here.

As they clear it they see another small boat. Terry grabs a hooked gaff in case it is trouble. On closer inspection he sees the owner and knows him. It is Yelfer Succur, another pilot that works on the docks.

“My friend- what brings you here?”

“Tuskin hired me to bring him out here yesterday. He was in such a hurry we left immediately. He and his deputies have been in the swamp since yesterday afternoon.”

All of the party members turn and look at each other.

RAF growls…. “What happens in the swamp stays in the swamp…….”

THE HIDDEN
02 THE BODY
SEGMENT 024
“GONE SQUATCHIN’ ”
11/30/13

EYRE 18, 999

They set out to find the ruins and possibly Tuskin. There is no true trail but there are many animal trails which they try to follow. It will take most of the day to reach the area marked as the ruins- a pond or exposed water source.

Several hours into the trip RAF believes he sees something ahead of them. Rose also sees something. Something very big hiding within the brush is ahead of them. The first impression or thought RAF has is several goblins standing on each other’s shoulders hoping to scare people. The creature would be about 8 feet tall and very broad shouldered. Maul first snarls at it then catches its scent. Nasty….nasty…. nasty smelling thing is hiding there.

Since it makes no move to run away or attack, RAF walks directly up to it. He begins to push brush aside when it races off into the swamp. Truth gets a brief look at it and decides it must be a Bog Beast or what the city folk refer to as a Bigfoot. They laugh at the thought and continue on. Tom, the ranger / druid of the group adds that these creatures are harmless unless provoked and more curious than anything else. RAF still wonders about killing it……

Further down the stream within the swamp-like area Cy is attacked by three giant frogs looking to make an easy meal out of the last person in the walking order. Everyone is quick to act as their tongues wrap and attach to his leg and begin to pull him into the water of the swamp. It is not easy striking these creatures as they are mostly submerged in water. Cy does eventually gain his freedom and they kill the creatures.

Come that afternoon, Cy is the first to hear the arrival of the newest threat to the party- a small swarm of Stirge. The creatures attack from behind. They avoid Truth and RAF and instead go for the juicier sources of blood in Cy and Rose. Cy is especially attacked by them as three attach to him and quickly begin to suck blood from him. Raf and the others remove the creatures as quickly as possible but Cy is still weak from major blood lose. Rose isn’t doing well either. The creatures removed, they begin to think about camping to recover when they arrive at a pond similar to that shown on the map.

“We’re here……” the words slowly come out as he can’t believe what he is seeing.

THE HIDDEN
02 THE BODY
SEGMENT 024
“GONE FISHIN’ ”
11/30/13

EYRE 18, 999

Looking carefully, comparing the image to the pond before him, Truth verifies this is their stop. The pond has a slightly oval shape with steep rock cliffs covering over half of the edges. Thick brush covers most of the rest. There is only a twenty foot section they can easily access the pond by. Covering most of the water’s surface is extremely large lily pads. They are roughly four foot around. Near the center is, strangely enough, a small rocky island with a well in it. Thick clouds of large bugs swarm and hover near the cliffs.

“Does this mean we have to cross the water using the lily pads?” asks Rose with some uncertainty.

“I will not.” States RAF. He is not happy with the appearance of this “innocent” pond.

“Any thoughts or ideas?” asks Cy as he too is uncertain about jumping from pad to pad.

“How deep is it?” asks Tom.

Rose calmly goes to the water’s edge and looks. “Can’t tell. The pads are blocking the light. But it’s a steep drop off anyway.”

Truth looks at Maul and RAF. Hot good but they have done worse. “Who wants to go first?”

Rose gracefully steps onto the pad she was closest to too. It easily supports the elf’s weight. With a shrug of her shoulders and a mischievous smile she hops from pad to pad easily and reaches the well. “Comon- it’s safe.”

Cy volunteers to carry Maul. Tom sighs in surrender and pats Maul on his head. “I’ll be okay and so will you.” He begins to go across. Though not as graceful as the Valenar Swordswoman, the Shifter crosses without incident. He occasionally checks out the thick cloud of bugs hoping they are not smaller to the Stirge they fought earlier.

Cy hefts up maul and thinks how heavy the wolf is. Is it too late? With a humph from Maul, they hop onto the first pad. He wobbles but stays up right. Nervous, Tom calls out encouragement…. From the safety of the island.

Next pad, they make it but stumbles a few short steps but keeps his balance. RAF shakes his head and looks at the water. “You go your way- I’ll go mine.” Before Truth can ask what he meant by that, RAF steps out onto the water and splashes in and down. “NO!” calls out Truth. “I may need your help with…. Dammit RAF.” A few bubbles rise that marked where he stepped in.

Cy jumps and falls. Both he and Maul hit the water. Maul swims the rest of the way. Cy climbs onto the pad noisily.

As RAF begins to sink he sees something very large move up to the area under a pad and suddenly swim with a burst of speed into the pad. Cy finds himself air bourn and hits a pad and rolls partially off of it. RAF begin is “yell” and wave his arms and legs in hopes of distracting the ten foot long Large Mouth Bass that thinks it has a large frog on the pads to eat. Worse- a second shadow can be seen near where the insects were hovering.

Cy pulls his legs out of the water as a large sense of suction and a large lip can be seen under the pad. “There’s something in here!” he calls out as he checks his location. In the middle- of course.

Truth scrambles about hoping to think of something. Instead, he sees a shadow (the second bass) and believes he can distract it by splashing the water’s surface with his staff. “It’s a damned fish!” calls out Cy as he sees a bit of the fish under the water’s surface.

Instead of splashing, Truth begins to wave the metal staff under the water. He had heard fishermen on the dock speak about fish being attracted to moving metal lures…. Just maybe… “WHOOMPH! With a big splash Truth, staff and all is taken by the second bass. “Truth!” calls out Cy as the original bass strikes again. He is air bourn again but lands back on a pad… closer to the island.

RAF hits the silt bottom- thirty feet down. He sees a large white mass (the underbellies) of two fish. One striking pads and the other seems to be struggling with something in its mouth. He waves around again and tries to call out but has no air remaining to form the words. Cursing badly, he tries to walk forward but finds the silt is strong. Bad memories of his first trip into the swamps comes to mind. He doubles his effort and struggles forward- one step at a time.

Rose pulls out some rope and offers to use it for Cy whom is lying flat on the pad hoping not to alert the fish to his location. The thud of the rope does it for him. J Even as he quickly rolls into the loop the bass strikes again. He falls into the water but Tom and Rose were already pulling. The bass barely misses him as he is roughly dragged onto another pad. (To all bass fishermen reading this…. Doesn’t this sound like a popper lure? J )

Truth gets thumped several times as the bass tries to swallow him. Using his staff, he tries to block it. The fish’s eyes bulge as Truth kicks at his upper mouth. Suddenly he goes down, staff and all!

RAF shakes his head. He hopes that was NOT Truth but knows better. For being so smart, Truth can be a true idiot. He continues forward after spotting the base of the very vertical rock island.

Cy gets to his feet and screams as he runs for not the next pad but to jump beyond it to the island. He hits the rock hard but kicks and yells his way in with maul’s help (he bites gently but firmly onto his collar to pull)

RAF watches the fish wait then looks to see where the other one is. He sees the back end bulge then burst and a tattered robed warforged tumble out slowly through the water.

Just before this, Truth was being squeezed by the stomach muscles of the fish. The warforged artificer has no small daggers or weapons to get out. He decides to use his best and most powerful infusion- the blast rod. He concentrates on his wand with a dragon head on it. It glows and releases its energy. Having nowhere to go, he absorbs some of the impact as well shredding his robe. In a burst of blood and flesh, he finds himself thrown out of the bottom of the fish.

He free falls to the silt below as he watches the bass. It is swimming away but sideways leaking more than just blood. Truth is happy to be out but can’t believe that blast didn’t kill it. The other fish detects the violent vibration of the explosion and the scent of blood in the water. It begins to slowly swim away from the island watching the worm-like intestines dangles behind it.

Tom and Rose try to shot arrows at the fish as it moves away but cannot figure out the angle with the water and the concealment from the large pads.

RAF slowly climbs his way to the surface, nearly taking an arrow in the process. Truth is not as good at climbing. He keeps falling back to the bottom as he tries repeatedly to climb up. Eventually he makes it.

On the top, Truth looks at his tattered and fish oiled robe. Sighing deeply, he strips it off and leaves it behind.

Carefully, Cy once more takes Maul and they begin to descend into the well. Never do they look above them.

Above them, an airship is crossing over the swamp.

“Lord Vollax, those people are climbing in.”

He merely looks down in calm rage.

“Could that be one of the entrances to the mazes below? The maze that you have ordered your men to investigate?”

Soon the ship passes them, on its way to Yrlag.

THE HIDDEN
03 THE MAZE
SEGMENT 025
“GEO-MORPH G-01”
11/30/13

EYRE 18, 999

The ladder drops to a landing where a spiral stairway begins. It is tight for RAF but everyone makes it down. They find themselves in a tighter square room with the spiral staircase in the center. There are four exits from this room. Each exit is in the center of each of the four walls of the square room.

Tired, beaten and battered, the born members of the team wish to rest. The two created members, the warforged, agree to stay up and watch over them. RAF watches in discomfort as Truth walks around looking at the walls in his “under pants”. Not being able to take it anymore, he grabs them and gives Truth something to a wedgey and tears / cuts them free from his body. “NOW you are a warforged again.”

Well at least that was the plan. Shortly after everyone has fallen asleep they become bored and decide to explore the area.

The closest short hallway out leads to a long curving hallway. Not taking time to search or look carefully they circle around. They come across a puddle of pure blue water. RAF dares Truth to touch it but he will not. Go figure.

Truth spots some writing on the walls shortly past there. The language is unknown to him…. If it is even writing.

They see a glowing image of a tentacle brain. Seeing it is a mere image, they ignore it.

Continuing to look around Truth spots a stone tile on the floor that is not like the other stones. A secret doorway or a trap? The artificer checks it over as RAF readies for battle…. Hopes for it… craves it.

After determining it is safe to touch, they pull it up and peer inside. RAF drags it aside and Truth sticks his head inside the hole (anyone remember goblins under a dock? LOL). Thick cobwebs block his view. He reaches in and pushes many away but finds it is a passage way far too small for him to crawl through. The crawl space is 4 ft by 4ft. Truth decides to wait on this. RAF cannot fit and he also may become stuck.

Deciding to wait, they move on. Shortly Truth finds another secret lose stone but this time it is on the wall. He looks at RAF whom awaits something to attack. The stone is removed slowly and inside is a scroll. The artificer carefully retrieves it and opens it. It is a Scroll with a spell written on it. A spell unknown to Truth but seems to make obvious sense. A scroll of Detect Humans. He pockets it for later investigation and moves on.

As Truth continues to search the walls carefully something from the darkness above drops onto him. It is shaped like a four foot large centipede but is made of pure shadow. He tries to remove it but cannot. RAF moves in a bit too quickly and strikes at it. Instead of hitting the shadow creature he strikes Truth. And again…. And again. Truth decides to flee or die by the hands of the crazed warforged fighter.

He flees to the inner room hoping for aid. The others are slow to awaken as he runs in calling for them to help him. RAF is chasing him still.

Eventually they kill the shadow creature but only when Truth has taken a lot of damage first. Truth did the final blow by throwing his body full force into the stone wall “crushing” the centipede between him and the wall.

“What were you doing instead of watching over us?” asks Cy.

THE HIDDEN
02 THE BODY
SEGMENT 026
“GEO-MORPH G-02 and F-01”
12/28/13

EYRE 19, 999

Deciding to ignore the hidden passageway they had discovered, Truth and RAF lead the group to a square shaped outer ring. As they start out there is a strong nasty smell in the air. There is no origin or source of the smell.

They walk a long ways taking their time. Truth is being careful not to miss anything. He is expecting secret doors or panels everywhere. Maybe that is why he missed the secret trap door on the floor until he put his full body weight onto it. Truth falls 60 feet down into a pit. It is a hard hit but he is okay. Getting him out is more embarrassing. Rose throws him her rope. Her fifty ft. rope. The tip of it dangles about 15 ft. above him. Cy has a longer rope and then they need to pull him out. After several minutes they do finally get the bookworm out of the pit.

[GM Note: I am using something referred to as a geomorph. They are square shaped dungeon tiles. The fun of these is the players get to place them as they see fit. They pull a letter out of the bag and get this 20x20 square tile. Each tile has four equally spaced exits on the center of the edges. Thus they line up perfectly. They place the grid next to the prior grid as they chose. So the encounters within the map may be preset by me, but how and when is up to them. I’ve wanted to try this out for a very long time and thus- now I am.]

They step into a large room. Looking around they find several puddles of water. RAF is concerned by this. The entire place has been dry until this. They walk to the left and find another large room with columns within it. RAF finds a collapsed spiral stairway. No way out through there.

They discover another short path. It ends in a dead end and a trapdoor. As Truth checks this out he trips a trap. A poisoned dart strikes him in the lower back. He pulls it out but has not thrown it to the ground. A ladder is seen here leading down. They go down and find a small long shaped room. As Truth moves on, he steps directly into a large invisible ooze that tries to digest him. Everyone is quick to try to take it down and do. The warforged body is tender… the wooden parts are pitted and burnt. There is nothing down here.

Cy has found a door out and motions to it. Truth, Tom and maul however are already leaving the room and going to the next room.

The party is splitting up.