The hidden

THE HIDDEN
02 THE BODY
SEGMENT 027
“GEO-MORPH F-02”
12/28/13

EYRE 19, 999

As the others are busy with the door Truth and Tom with her wolf wander further into the maze. They see stairs leading down and begin towards them when they hear something from the darkness the stairs come from. Suddenly large disfigured rats emerge from the stairs. Their size and boney protrusions suggest they are dire creatures but they are also covered with blisters and boils. Patches of hair are missing that reveal multi-colored skin. A true horror to witness.

They swarm around the warforge’s legs and Maul as Tom backs up pulling out her bow. Their bite is acidic and painful. The mutated Dire rats last several rounds before being destroyed. During this time, Tom swears he can hear a loud grinding sound above him but ignores it as the rats were attacking at the moment.

Not deterred, Truth looks for the others but decides to move on. They walk down the stairs and step over several lose bones on the stone floor. At the bottom of the stairs is a corner and there- a large door.

Truth takes a few moments and picks the lock successfully. He opens the door and sees first on the floor some sort of ink symbol drawn onto the floor. To either side are coffins in various levels of decay. The floor is a ramp that leaps up.

Checking for traps, he pulls out the skull he kept from the emerald Claw leader. He notes the sticky puss like substance on it. Could that be…. Flesh forming? He rolls the skull up the ramp and watches it roll back to him. It tumbles onto the inked symbol and Truth awaits the trap to be activated.

Nothing.

He picks the skull up and places it into his pack again and steps forward. Whether it was his increased weight, mass or a life signature is not clear but a drawn out vibration and whistle can be heard. Looking to the coffins, he sees red glowing things within the darkness of the coffins and before he can turn and run, he is covered in a buzzing red glowing mass. He runs full speed out of the swarm and so does Tom and Maul as it moves towards them.

They decide it would be best to rejoin the team….. in haste.

THE HIDDEN
02 THE MAZE
SEGMENT 027
“GEO-MORPH K 01”
12/28/13

EYRE 19, 999

RAF slowly walks past the open doorway. As he nears the half way mark, he spots a lever in the floor. It stands about three feet tall. Even as Cy begins to suggest leaving it alone, RAF grabs it and cranks it. A loud grinding sound of stone on stone with gears can be as much felt as heard above them. It is only now RAF notices the lever is covered with blood.

They continue down the hallway. Rose tries to tell the others that some of them have gone back down another exit but they ignore the elf.

RAF stops at a 4-way intersection. On the floor is a discarded glove. The finger tips and sections of palm are bloodied and eaten by acid. Casting the torch’s light down each hallway he sees something of interest. Dozens of strands of rope crisscross the hallway from wall to wall or floor to wall. Looking closer, the ropes appear to have been phased into the stone. There are no holes. RAF merely cuts through them.
They come onto an orange glowing wall of light. Next to it is a round 1 inch hole with an orange circle surrounding it. RAF ignores it and begins to leave. Cy spots movement on the other side. A large floating brain with spiked tentacles hovers there. Watching….waiting….. “Do you see that?” he asks. RAF just continues onward.

The warforged warrior looks into a small room with a trap door. He ignores it. The hallway ends at a pit filled with spikes and spears. He turns around and goes back. They go down another hallway.

There is a large statue here. It has a large bibulous head with tentacles on a scaled body with a tail. It reminds RAF of a lizard folk with a squid head.

Searching it, he finds a lever. He pulls on it and slowly the statue rocks back. Rose looks under the statue and spots something there. Not wishing to reach under herself, she takes out her rapier and swings it under the statue. Something is under there. It spins and rattles. She hits it again and it is a scroll case that rolls out. Strangely, about four inches out from the base it just stops… as if by magic. The sound of something above them occurs again. Something big and grinding like stone on stone.

Nothing happens.

Rose opens the case and there is a scroll inside that she cannot read. They hold onto it for later.

Just about now Truth comes into view after running straight into the lever on the floor. “Where have you been?” commands RAF.

“Looking around. Why would someone put a lever in the middle of a floor like that? Someone running…. Could walk directly into it.”

“Yes. And you are standing on a bloody burnt glove.”

The artificer jumps by sudden fear. Sure enough, there is a glove there. Rose comes to him with the scroll. “What is this?”

Truth looks it over as an artificer would. “Scroll of Endure Elements I believe.”

“Not of acid. Too bad.” Comments RAF as he walks past the statue again. Everyone begins to follow him.

THE HIDDEN
02 THE MAZE
SEGMENT 028
“GEO-MORPH K 02”
12/28/13

EYRE 19, 999

The two warforged take the lead as they leave the statue behind. Once more, they trip a trap. It rains darts onto the two leaders. The darts either miss them or bounce off their armor.

They continue forward. All of the hallways here are narrow. Travel has been difficult at best with the two warforged in the lead. RAF figures if he can’t fit through then the others cannot get somewhere in trouble without him. Good enough plan…. For a warforged fighter. By having the second largest (widest) member behind him (Truth) this may limit wandering within the dungeon.

They circle around and spot a short hallway about ten feet deep with a trap door. Before RAF can stop him, Truth has begun down the hallway. Once he checks over the trapdoor, he touches it and the walkway that holds Truth and a reaching RAF fall. The others can hear RAF yelling at Truth from the bottom of the short pit.

Once out, they begin to go the other way. More hallways branch out from the narrow twisting maze of corridors. Truth spots something following them. Ready to kill it, he then identifies it as a mouse. A mere little mouse… covered in blood. Only briefly thinking it is a harmless mammal…. A small vermin…. He quickly crushes it with the torch. Still recently after being attacked by dire rats with an acidic bite. He is not taking any chances…. At least for now.

Cy begins to sniff the air. Truth takes note of it and follows his gaze. RAF is ahead of him deciding which way to go next so Truth steps down the dark hallway Cy is looking towards.

Blood.

There is blood everywhere. It is seeping out from the wall at the point of the floor. It is fresh and bubbles occasionally. It is as if the wall fell onto something and the blood is coming from a body’s pulsing but dying heart. Truth spots a few drops that lead away into the darkness. RAF watches something on the floor. A bloody mouse. It sees him and moves away. Seeing it as harmless, he ignores it. Instead he begins to follow it. He loses track of it but becomes distracted by an open pit with spikes at the bottom of it.

“Where’s Truth?” considers RAF. He really doesn’t want to pull him out of another pit trap today.

Another bloodied mouse scampers by the group as they bypass one exit and continue forward where there is a gentle green glow coming from around the corner.

RAF turns around the corner and finds a green energy wall. A small hole with a green circle around it is visible. This is the first of this Truth has seen.

“What is it?” asks Truth as his natural artificer curiosity is piqued.

“It’s obvious. For an artificer you are really dense.” Grumbles RAF. Specific colored keys are needed to open the doors.”

“If only we had one.” Offers Rose.

“We do.” Says Truth. “Only it’s red. Remember the floating dead body of the Morgrave professor? His name was Dendril Whenduel.”

RAF wonders briefly how he knows the name so clearly but dismisses it as another quirk of a crazed artificer.

They backtrack to the closest exit and take it.

THE HIDDEN
02 THE MAZE
SEGMENT 029
“GEO-MORPH E 01”
12/28/13

EYRE 19, 999

A ramp leads down. It is slightly slick. RAF braces himself as he slides down to the bottom. As he goes he spots chalk writing on the wall. Rose looks at them and knows some of it.

In elven she reads “We and any that enter these halls are damned.”

“Pleasant.” Adds Rose as she continues down the ramp. “I can’t read the rest. It’s in a different language.”

Cy looks at it. “It looks like three different languages.” He looks again. “I know some dwarven and some of this is dwarven.” He reads it to himself and smirks. “It says- Hope ye like killing- That’s all there is here.”

Tom and Maul go down the ramp. Maul moving slowly.

Truth pauses to look. Even as he begins to look it over his feet slip and he falls and slides to the bottom of the ramp on his backside. He doesn’t share it but in draconic it said “We came to find the secrets of the future- the future is death.”

He wonders what was written on the stairs before. He had seen some writing on the instep of steps but never shared the information. It repeated itself several times. Based on the shape and design of writing- it may have been dwarven.

RAF enters a crypt room. There are some bones inside. Humanoid but broken up. Cy looks at a coffin. It is in mint condition.

“Don’t.” snarls RAF as he commands the warrior to not touch the coffin. “If its in that good of condition, it is either trapped or contains something evil, nasty and most of all- undead.”

Truth, being Truth, wanders away as this is occurring. What he finds baffles him. A body encased in a magical bubble. Closer inspection- an Emerald claw soldier. He cannot tell if he is alive, dead or sleeping. Not wanting to touch a possibly dangerous energy field, he fishes off his favorite trap setter- Boris Grudgemaker’s skull. Truth is alarmed. A pussy, slimy film covers the entire skull. Flesh is seen in the eye sockets. He is regenerating.

“What.”
“Do.”
“You.”
Have.”
There?”
Snarls RAF.

Certain he will strike the artificer…. He storms past him snarling to the others to follow.

The artificer stares at the skull. He had polished it a mere two days ago. What of the other parts? Cut up, digested, burnt, drowned and buried. Are they also regenerating? Will they reform and search for the head? Will they know where to find the head….. will it form several of him….. like cloning? The thoughts are beginning to overwhelm him. Time to rejoin the others…. Now.

“RAF is angry with you. I am not certain what possessed you to keep that.” Frowns Rose.

The others step into a room. Dozens of chains hang from the ceiling. There are stairs leading up. A small room or another exit behind the chains.

“We could use some time to rest.” Offers Tom looking at Maul whom hangs his head low.

“Yes. Rest and discussion about undead and keeping secrets.” Says RAF turning towards Truth.

THE HIDDEN
03 THE MAZE
SEGMENT 030
“LORE VENDETTA”
12/28/13

EYRE 21, 999

COMMANDER-

HOUSES THARASHK, LYRANDAR AND ORIEN ARE STILL IN CONFLICT OVER THE FATE AND USE OF THE YRLAG LIGHTHOUSE. CITY CONCIL HAS CONCERN OVER THE CONTROL OF IT. ADVICE.

EMERALD CLAW INFLUENCE IS GROWING. AIR SHIP HAS ARRIVED. APPEARS TO BE THE HIGH RANKING LEADER. I HAVE YET TO LEARN WHOM IT IS OR WHY THEY ARE HERE. ADVICE.

LAST NIGHT A CARAVAN CAME INTO THE CITY DURING THE DARK. IT HAS GONE TO A LARGE HOME IN THE EAST WHERE THE RICH LIVE. GNOLLS AND OGRES SEEM TO BE AGENTS. THE CARAVAN IS FROM DROAAM.

RUMORS OF INCREASED HUMANOID MILITARY ACTIVITY ON THE MARCHE AND DROAAM BORDER HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED. STILL NO REASON HAS BEEN FOUND. IT MAY BE STRICTLY MANUVEURS OR SOMETHING ELSE.

AS FOR OPERATION: FUTURE FOUND-
THERE ARE SEVERAL PARTIES IN THE TOWN LOOKING FOR ARTIFACTS AND RELICS FROM THE OLD AGE. THIS MAY EXPLAIN THE ARRIVAL OF REINFORCEMENTS BY EMERALD CLAW AND THE DROAAM. ALONG WITH THESE POWERFUL GROUPS THERE IS A SMALL GROUP OF ADVENTURERS HERE THAT HAVE MADE A NAME FOR THEMSELVES. ONE MEMBER I BELIEVE IS LOOKING FOR THE SAME THING WE ARE. ADVICE.

LORE VENDETTA

“To send this message to Wroat will cost-“

The cloaked woman waves her hand across the counter at the small House of Sivis outpost in Yrlag. Several coins fall and the Gnome is quick to pick up the credits and the scroll with the message on it.

"I will send it immediately."

THE HIDDEN
03 THE MAZE
SEGMENT 033
“GEO-MORPH E 02”
1/25/14

EYRE 19, 999

“Why are there so many chains hanging from the ceiling?” Asks Rose with a lot of concern.

“Torture?” suggests Truth as he points out the blood on the floor and splattered on the walls. He is careful not to touch any of the chains as he walks to the back of the room. Near the back is a small alcove.

“What is it?” asks Rose.

“Don’t touch it!” Calls out the warforged artificer. “It is either a summoning circle or a containment ward.” He says looking at the circle of dim light made of connecting runes.

They pull back and investigate a set of stairs leading down. As they have walk down the stairs, Truth notices there is spaces within the stairs… the instep is open. Everyone is quick to move past the stairs just in case there is something within the stairs waiting for an opportunity to strike.

RAF is the first to quickly get off the steps and instead of escaping a possible threat there he trips a pit trap and falls in.

Since this happens very regularly to the group, they are quick to produce the rope and means to pull him out.

Maul alerts Tom of the next area they may travel to. Together they look and see it is a water filled area. Carefully they test the water before entering it. RAF takes the lead. Ahead of him there is a four-way intersection. He is slow to enter it and spots something in the water. It is a large eight foot round ball of flesh that is rotting. Several tentacles sprout from it but are also dead. The artificer looks at it and grows concerned. “It’s a beholder… a dead beholder.” He pokes it with his staff and the skin ruptures and many maggots pour and ooze out.

“Let us move on before whatever killed it returns.” Suggests Cy.

“It’s been dead for a very long time.” Says the artificer. “I doubt whatever killed it is still around.”

“But why risk it.” Offers Tom as he moves ahead.

They turn to the right and find themselves at another intersection but finally out of the water. RAF’s attention is drawn to a gentle glow to the left. Rose is curious about the double doors she sees to the right.

The gentle glow is a statue of an orc with a mutated eye holding a notched battle axe.

Even as they look for anything of importance Rose steps up to the double doors. Each door has a large carving of a golden bull’s head on it. Before Truth can look at it for traps or the such, she tries the door. It is locked so she kicks it. The trap is sprung…. A summoning spell!

A large earth elemental rises from the summoni8ng spell’s effects. RAF charges forward along with Truth. The three of them try to hold back the rock and earth creature. RAF takes several severe strikes but continues on. Rose is struck and goes down in a broken heap. RAF tries to protect her from any further strikes but is taken down himself. “Into the water!” calls out the artificer as he remembers the strengths and weaknesses of the elementals.

They try to take it down but cannot. Truth has them wait and be patient. In time the summoning spell burns out and the elemental leaves. It is too late for Rose. She is dead.

THE HIDDEN
03 THE MAZE
SEGMENT 034
“GEO-MORPH E 03”
1/25/14

EYRE 19, 999

They take whatever useful things she had on her and move onward. Truth checks out the orc statue. He finds a secret panel. Within it is another red crystal rod. He takes it.

The next room has a statue of a squid headed creature. They find no secret panels or writings. They move on and find a set of stairs leading down. Each step is set at a different angle. It is tricky and awkward to walk down.

They lead to an open trap door with a metal rung ladder leading down. They go down the long ladder and exit into a large room.

Cold fire lanterns built into the walls light up throughout the huge multi-leveled room.

“Interesting.” Offers the artificer.

THE HIDDEN
03 THE MAZE
SEGMENT 035
“GEO-MORPH 12”
1/25/14

EYRE 19, 999

They walk up to a body before them. It is the body of an adventurer and it has been here for a very long time. Something had nibbled on him before. Ignoring the body, the group looks out over the railing to see everything. A ten foot wide walkway covers the parameter of the large room. Two sets of stairs lead to the next level. On this level are four large trap doors and an area covered with thick webs. Another set of wide stairs lead down to another area. At the base of the stairs is some sort of creature. It appears to be dead.

Truth begins down the walkway. The others follow RAF down a set of stairs. At the bottom of the stairs are ashes and burnt debris. They ignore it clearly with a final destination in mind. They pass broken furniture and dried pools of blood. RAF is clearly watching the creature at the base of the stairs. It looks familiar to him but he cannot place it.

Truth finds a bag on the ground with several holes in it. Within the bag are a few coins. Truth ignores it and goes on. He is looking around for things beyond the obvious still creature below.

RAF walks to the edge of the stairs leading to the creature below. From here he sees a thick heavy chain connected from the stone floor to the thick armored body. Tom looks back to the trapdoors. Three of them are locked. He pulls up the trap door on the unopened one and finds a shallow pit. Searching it, he finds a gold ring but nothing else.

The sound of Tom climbing in and out alerts something. “Who’s there?” calls out someone from within a locked trapdoor. As the group is about to check it out RAF is happy to see the creature was sleeping- it’s not dead.

Awakened, the large Bullette roars out and stumbles up to a standing position. It watches RAF at the top of the stairs.

Truth is concerned about this and begins to rush back to the stairs down. Deciding it will take too long, he jumps off the edge and makes a loud and solid landing near the thick cobwebs. From up high, nothing could be seen. From under, there are bundles and bags of stuff. The warforged artificer looks back to RAF and the group. They are not rushing the creature so he decides to check out the bundles instead.

As RAF takes his first step down the stairs, the creature lunges forward but is stopped half-way up the stairs by the thick chain. RAF and the others attempt to take it down but the vast majority of their attacks merely bounce off the creature’s thick armored hide. The Land Shark tries to violently tear free of the chain instead of attacking but cannot.

The artificer finds identification papers along with weapons and equipment. The first set of papers is of a half-orc deputy named Guskin. Possibly one of Tuskin’s deputies? Another set is of a Karrnathi citizen named J Witt. The third one is from Aundair. It is a rare creature- a Catfolk. The sudden intensity of the creature’s attempts at freedom draws Truth’s attention. Many attacks and threats are made before the creature is finally killed.

As RAF checks out the creature, Tom, Maul and Cy check on the trap doors. Each of which have someone banging on the doors and calling out. The three of them are released and it is discovered there is a group of Dolgrims and Dolgaunts here capturing people for an unknown purpose.

THE HIDDEN
03 THE MAZE
SEGMENT 036
“GEO-MORPH 12-2, N”
2/23/14

EYRE 19, 999

“I am Persia. Thank you for freeing me.” Says the Catfolk.

“I am known as J. Wittness. How can I repay you for my freedom?” says the dark robed cleric.

“Where is Tuskin? I answer to him only.” Snarls the ½ orc law keeper from Yrlag.

The two groups look around but fail to explore beyond the body of the juvenile Land shark.

{DM NOTE: One of the two reasons for being here was within 50ft of them…. Sighhhhh…. Its not easy being a DM}

They climb back up the strange awkward stairs and camp at the small room above.


EYRE 20, 999

When they awake they discover Maul is sick…. Very sick. (the diseased bite from the Horrid Dire rats)

The Cleric and Druid work on the ailing wolf. The others take time to repair their armor and clean their weapons. They decide to remain here for an additional day.

EYRE 22, 999

They head out with Maul still feeling weak but able now. It took two days for him to recover with magical aid thanks to Witt. They climb some stairs and a body is seen on the edge of the light. It is an orc…. A possible druid. He is hanging from a hook on a chain.

They begin to check the body first for traps then for anything of use. It is at this time they hear a quiet snicker in the darkness. They swing their light and attention in that direction and seen a mutated two faced and four armed goblin-like creature. The creature lets out a yelp then runs into the darkness snickering again.

They give chase until they discover the creature has taken cover within a room with a red energy door. The creature dances and laughs. RAF steps up to the door. The creature is not scared at all. It begins to give obscene gestures which angers RAF but he knows there is little he can do.

“Ah-hem……” Truth then gives a fake cough and waves one of his red rods. RAF , if he could smile, would ear to ear. The aberration on the other side stops working his belt and gives a quick “Epp!” and scutters away to a round raised disk. Even as Truth slides the rod into the hole on the wall, the creature disappears.

The group burst through the doorway as the red light disappears. RAF, Truth, Cy and Persia step onto the disk and disappear. Tom, Maul, Witt and the ½ orc step next and also disappear.

THE HIDDEN
03 THE MAZE
SEGMENT 036
“GEO-MORPH N- The Emerald Claw”
2/23/14

EYRE 22, 999

The Dolgrim leaps off the teleporter and tries to look through the red light door exiting this room. Something there makes him hesitate but then RAF calls out as they appear on the disk. The creature goes to slide his red crystal rod key into the opening slot when RAF strikes him hard. Dropping the key, the creature concentrates on the group. For his size, he is very prepared for combat.

The other four appear as the creature is slain. Truth collects his key also. This brings him to three red keys. As they are checking over the creature’s body, Witt notices movement in the next room.

They are all looking now. It is a large room with a circular stairway coming down from the ceiling that is about twenty-five high. Emerald Claw agents are eyeing the stairs with weapons drawn. Something is up there. RAF doesn’t care. He wants at them.

Truth opens the door and RAF charges out. The strongest looking warrior is his target. They others go for the human agents. RAF strikes his target whom is a skeletal warrior. Truth notes there is a spiritual weapon at the top of the stairs waving at the entrance. It moves down to attack them. Maul, still recovering, hesitates and the ½ orc holds back also. The battle has just begun when the red door reappears and traps them within the room once more. Locating the cleric that had summoned the magical weapon, Truth and Persia go after him. Witt also tries to sneak up on the unexpecting cleric. Emerald Claw agents try to form a wall between the cleric and them but they fall quickly. RAF finishes off the undead and begins to work on the warriors along with Cy.

Even as they finish off the cleric, Persia is attacked with a crossbow bolt from above. Peering down from an exit to the surface are several more of the strange small sized creatures and they are armed with crossbows.