Islands in the Dark
Once again, the companions found them selves gathered around a table at the Coronet and Cabbage Inn and were discussing some of the clues they had garnered from the draft they had found on the Hobgoblin cleric.
“So let’s see what we’ve learned so far,” said Celtir. “No one around here knows of any ‘Temple of Hextor’, nor have they heard of the ‘Vanguard’ or this ‘Xernon’ character. In short, we haven’t learned anything.”
“Well, we’ve made some gold from the equipment we’ve looted and Ian gave us 400 gold coins as a reward for the jewelry we returned,” said Wencis. “How’s everyone feeling? Are we ready to return to the barrow?”
“I could use a little healing, but I was thinking we might stop by the fountain and see if it will heal me again this morning,” answered Frankie. “I found it very refreshing yesterday.”
“Yes, though some of us found it more refreshing then others,” Wencis said with a smirk.
Bootsy grumbled something about “Bloody, biased, goody-two-shoes” and left it at that.
A quick check to see that they were all prepared and they were off yet again.
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A short time later, they found themselves back in the room where the great battle against the evil cleric and his undead minions had taken place. Frankie sampled the water from the fountain and was healed once more. Once they were all ready, they turned to the smashed door in the northern wall where the ladder descended into the darkness beyond. Climbing down, they found themselves in a great natural cavern, standing atop what appeared to be a tall column. Somewhere far below, they could hear the sound of running water. Moving carefully, they found the column to be about fifteen feet in diameter. Frankie and Wencis looked out into the darkness with their dark vision.
“There’s a rope here tied to a spike, knotted for climbing,” said Frankie who then peered over the edge. “It descends to another column about fifty feet below.”
Bootsy stepped forward to examine the rope. “It’s spiked at this end,” he said, then gave the rope a sharp tug, “Seems to be firmly attached below as well. Better play it safe though.” He then pulled out a potion and drank it down. Frankie gave him a questioning look. “Levitation. I’ll check it out and let you know.” Stepping out into open air, Bootsy willed himself to slowly descend along the length of the rope, stopping from time to time to give it a tug. The others broke out torches and sun rods, casting them about the chamber to light it up as much as possible.
Bootsy was about forty feet down the rope when a beam lanced down and struck him on his left side. He felt magical drowsiness fill his head, but was able to shrug it off. Simultaneously, another beam lanced into Frankie, and a wave of magical fear washed over him. Unable to stop himself, he ran back up the ladder. Wencis looked to where the beams had come from and saw an odd sight. A three foot long strand of sinew connecting two grotesque eyeballs flew near the eastern wall. He quickly stepped to the edge of the column and launched his hammer of soul energy at the creature, striking it in one of its eyes. The creature seemed stunned for only a moment before it launched two more beams that narrowly missed both Wencis and Bootsy. Bootsy quickly descended the last ten feet and then loaded his crossbow.
The magic of Wencis’ hammer caused it to reappear in his grasp and he quickly launched it again, barely missing the creature this time. His Soul Spark then flew out and burned the creature with its mystical energy. The eye creature flew north, farther into the chamber trying to put some distance between itself and its attackers and once again fired one of its eye beams at Wencis, missing by a hairs breadth. Bootsy started to cast a summoning spell but Wencis’ next throw was right on target, smashing into the creature yet again. This time the creature fell from the air and they heard it splash into the water far below. Bootsy finished his spell and just let the owl fly around for a short time before it returned to its own plane.
About this time Frankie was coming back down the ladder more then a little shamefaced. “Did I miss the fun?” He asked with a meek smile.
Wencis stepped back from the edge and patted Frankie’s shoulder, “Yeah, but don’t worry, I’m sure there’s plenty more to be had.”
“There’s another rope down here,” called Bootsy as the others started down the rope from the first column. “Not as steep of an incline and not too far to go it would seem.” Willing himself off the ground once again, he pulled himself across the rope and found himself on yet another column about ten feet below the second one. A quick examination led to the discovery of another spiked rope. “Another one,” he called back again as the others continued to follow him, “This one’s been cut at the far end though.” Bootsy waited for Frankie to find his footing and come up next to him, “It would seem that’s the way out of here.”
Across a short gap and about twenty feet lower, they could see a stone ledge with a ladder leading up to another passage. “Well, let’s go check it out,” said Bootsy as he walked away from the edge.
Frankie gave him a questioning look. Bootsy just smiled, got a running start and launched himself into the air activating the levitation effect as he leapt. The momentum was enough to carry him to a point where he could lower himself down to the last ledge.
“Bah! I can do better then that,” said Frankie with a smile. He backed up and also launched himself into the air as the others looked on with shocked expressions. Amazingly, even though the other ledge was ten feet away and twenty feet lower, he cleared the distance and landed with only a slight twisting of the ankle, which he barely acknowledged. “All right, so I didn’t quite stick the landing,” he joked.
With the unspoken challenge in the air, the others started to get themselves ready for the leap. Wencis stepped back and ran full tilt for the edge. Just as he was about to launch him self across the gap, his foot caught on the spike that was holding the severed rope and he tumbled over the edge. The others heard a splash and a number of expletives from below. Celtir moved to the edge and looked down at Wencis, who was standing in about a foot of water with only mild injuries. “All right then, who’s got rope?” He asked.
It didn’t take long to rig a rope leading from the column to the ledge using the spikes that were already in place and another rope from the ledge down to the water covered floor of the chamber. While the others were crossing, Frankie and Bootsy climbed down to join Wencis who was examining the area below. They found the depth of the water to be fairly uniform throughout the area. A thorough search by the three of them revealed a large rotted orb-shaped carapace. Bootsy and Frankie moved around it, examining it closely.
“Looks like an Eye Tyrant,” said Bootsy. “An Ex-eye Tyrant, that is.” Stepping closer, Bootsy reached into the tooth filled jaws and pulled loose a single tooth. “There’s gotta be some use for this,” he said as he tucked the tooth into one of his pouches. “We’re done here I think, nothing more to be found.”
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After they had all climbed up the ladder they found themselves in a corridor with irregular stone walls. Crude carvings and patterns of what appeared to be runes or writing decorated the rough walls.
Bootsy moved closer to the wall and after casting a spell, leaned in to examine the markings. “They are magical in nature, though what they are meant to do, I’m unsure.”
Frankie and Wencis had moved down the corridor to see where it might lead. Looking at how the corridor seemed to branch out, Wencis started to get suspicious. “I think we’ve entered a maze,” he said.
“Oh, I hate mazes,” Frankie said with a grimace.
Bootsy just smiled and started casting, a dog appeared before him. “Check it out boy!” he said enthusiastically pointing down the hall. The dog gave him a tired look and went off down the hall. Still smiling, Bootsy looked back at his companions, “Smarter then the average dog, you know,” he said while tapping his head with his index finger. “I just wish I could summon more creatures in a day.”
Within fifteen seconds they heard the dog barking and snarling. It had obviously found something. The companions readied themselves for battle and then started down the corridor. Bootsy jumped out from around the corner and called forth a fan of flames that washed over the creature before he even had time to register just what it was that stood before him. A large spider, still smoking from where the spell had singed it, skittered forward, snapping at Bootsy with its fanged mouth. Bootsy ducked beneath the attack and, seeing the poison that dripped from the creature’s fangs, was relieved to see Frankie charge in, his axe chopping into the large spider’s carapace. Ichor oozed from the wound as he pulled the axe back for another strike. Wencis and his Soul Spark struck at the creature as well, causing further injury to the spider.
Bootsy noted that the flames hadn’t caused as much damaged as he had hoped, so he stepped back and fired his crossbow at the creature. The bolt glanced off the creature’s hard exoskeleton and flew off into the darkness beyond. The spider turned its attention to Frankie, biting him in the leg. Frankie grimaced as he felt the poison trying to weaken him, but the sturdy dwarf was able to resist the initial effects. The flurry of attacks that followed finally dispatched the creature and it disappeared in a flash.
“Ah, it was summoned,” Bootsy declared. “We must be cautious.”
The companions spread out, examining the various exits from this area. Most led to dead ends, though Wencis found one that seemed to continue to the northwest. As the companions moved to join him, they all heard Frankie gasp. Celtir stepped up to check on him, but Frankie waved him off. “It’s the poison, I was unable to continue resisting its effects and it has weakened me.”
“Do you need help?” Celtir asked in a concerned tone.
Frankie looked at him and answered, “I’m a dwarf! I am weaker then usual, but I am, by no means, weak.”
Celtir just smiled, “Sorry, forgot who I was talking to for a moment there.”
The companions moved on, exploring whatever avenues they came across until they finally reached a stone archway that lead into a small chamber. Entering, they noticed three other darkened archways, their light unable to penetrate beyond. The strange writings and runes covered the walls here as well.
Bootsy moved to the southern door and stuck his torch through the impenetrable darkness that filled the doorway. The top of the torch disappeared in the darkness, though when he pulled it back out, the torch seemed undamaged. With a shrug, he threw the torch through the doorway and stuck his head into the darkness. The darkness seemed papyrus thin and beyond was another room, lit by the torch he had tossed through. The room was the same size as the first but with only two other exits.
He turned back to his companions. “Gnomish yo-yo?” he asked.
The others nodded and got out the rope.
After the rope was firmly tied around his waist and he saw Frankie had a firm grip, Bootsy went through the doorway. Seeing no notable difference in the archways, he picked up the torch and chose to go west. As he stepped toward the western archway two creatures appeared before him in a puff of smoke. Two evil looking wolverines hissed at him.
Bootsy was fast to react. “Wolverines!” he shouted. Then, using the torch like a club, he brought it down with a “crunch” right onto the skull of the wolverine directly in front of him. Blood ran freely down the creatures face but it was far from finished. Once again it was Frankie who was first to join him, his axe biting deep into the other wolverine. Bootsy was scratched by one of the creatures before he could back away and the other sank its teeth into Frankie. Though both bled freely, neither injury was life threatening. Wencis and Celtir came in close behind. Celtir used his healing prayers to bolster his wounded companions while Wencis and his Soul Spark attacked the wolverine threatening Bootsy.
Knowing close combat was not his forte, Bootsy stepped back and fired his crossbow. The bolt pierced the creatures hide just above its shoulder.
The combat between Frankie and the wolverine before him was intense, with both of them growling and spitting, slashing and biting, their demeanors were almost identical. The others thought it best just to stay out of the way and focused their efforts on the other wolverine. This creature was obviously angered as well and seemed to soak up a lot of the damage that was dealt to it by the companions.
Frankie finally dispatched the wolverine before him and he turned his attention to the other. With a loud battle cry, he swung his axe in an arc over his head and brought it down at the base of the wolverine’s skull. The axes momentum was broken only by the stone floor.
“Are you sure you’re feelin’ all right?” Bootsy asked Frankie. “You barely chipped that stone.”
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Returning to their routine, they continued to explore the maze. They could tell this area had some strange effect on their decision making. Some rooms they reentered seemed different then they recalled, their thoughts muddled by some strange magical effect. Bootsy tried selecting archways that would lead him to where he thought the “middle” of this maze might be.
He was just about to head through the northern door of the latest room when two more creatures appeared before him.
Big freakin’ weasels, he thought to himself. He quickly ran back through the southern door that he had entered through, dropped his torch and readied his crossbow. He wanted to see if the creatures could leave the area into which they were summoned.
As soon as he saw them coming through the archway, he fired his crossbow and yelled, “Trouble!”
One of the creatures was pierced by the bolt, but they both kept coming. One sank his teeth into Bootsy’s arm and latched on, refusing to let go. Bootsy shook his arm in an effort to break the creatures grip and shouted again, even louder, “TROUBLE!”
No sooner had the words left his mouth then Frankie was there once again, his axe slashing the weasel attached to Bootsy’s arm in two. Wencis and his Soul Spark followed close behind, quickly killing the other weasel.
Bootsy straightened his robe and checked the rope. “Right… Back at it.” With that, he went through the northern archway.
A short time later, Bootsy finally found something different. He found himself looking at a corridor similar to the ones they had left behind when they entered these strange rooms. A damp scent hung in the air and he thought he could hear running water. He tugged the rope three times and the others quickly joined him.
Once again they spread out to search the area. The corridor opened up into what appeared to be a natural cavern. Openings pierced the northern and southern walls, allowing ingress and egress from several points. A deep, dark pool filled most of the room, though a rough pebbly floor was visible to the west. Three spires of rock with flat tops jutted from the water. Bootsy moved to inspect the pebble beach as the others looked out over the water at various points to see what they could.
Maybe I’ll find some drift wood shaped like a tiger on this pebble beach he thought to himself, and then he froze. “Found something!” he called.
Hearing Bootsy’s call from the beach, they all moved to see what he had found. He was moving carefully along the eastern wall. “There are runes carved into the stone in this area,” he said as he pointed to a roughly ten foot square area of the beach, “Watch where you step.” He stayed as close to the wall as possible until he finally reached the corridor on the far side. The others followed in his footsteps as closely as they could as they crossed to join him.
They continued down the hall to the north once they all had safely crossed the beach.
“I feel like we’ve missed something,” said Wencis.
“Aye, and are you thinkin’ that’s a bad thing?” Bootsy asked, “Because I’m thinking it’s for the best.”
The others could not disagree, so they continued on. Around a triangular column, they spotted a yawning pit in the western corner of this area. Carefully looking over the edge, Bootsy saw a young female in a light chain shirt lying at the bottom about thirty feet down. She had auburn hair and fine features. Her ears suggested Elf heritage but her height and build suggest Human ancestry as well. He looked closely and could see she was still breathing. Bootsy turned to his companions, “Rope me up boys, I’m goin’ in.”
“I can not, in good conscience, leave her down there alone with the gnome,” Celtir said and he quickly moved to climb down the rope as well.
By the time he arrived, Bootsy had already poured a healing draught into her mouth. She coughed and sputtered, but regained consciousness. “Easy now,” Celtir said soothingly, “We’re here to help you.” He mumbled a quick prayer and healed most of her remaining injuries. “Who are you and how did you come to be down here?” he asked.
“My name is Leera,” she answered somewhat hesitantly. “I learned of the expedition to this tomb from Teryl, an associate of mine and he let me have a place in the party. I guess I didn’t know what I was getting into.”
Celtir saw she had a lute among her equipment. “You’re a Bard?” he asked.
“Yes.” She answered quietly, apparently still unsure of her benefactors.
“Can you tell us how you came to be in this pit?” Celtir asked.
“Xernon led us around the corner to the east and we went into a wide room beyond. There, we saw two metal statues. There was also a complicated puzzle lock – one Xernon had considerable trouble unraveling. He got angry and ordered the tomb robbers to smash the platform that contained the lock and break through the doors to the north.
“Unfortunately, when we smashed the puzzle, the chests of the statues spit out small automatons that attacked and the statues mouths spewed out smoky creatures that distracted and nipped at us. Three of us, including Teryl and I, fought back while Xernon and the others smashed through the doors and escaped. When I saw that happen, I ducked back around the corner and fled… Right into this pit it would seem. I don’t remember anything from that point until now.”
“What can you tell us of Xernon?” asked Celtir.
“Xernon isn’t human or elf. I’m sure of that. I don’t know what he is, but something about him makes my skin crawl.”
“Are you going to stay down there all day?” Frankie interrupted.
“He’s right,” said Celtir with a smile, “Let’s get you out of here.”
Once they were all back at the top, they readied themselves for the combat that they felt was sure to come in the next room. Leera stayed toward the back while Wencis moved forward to look around the corner.
The smell of blood and entrails filled this large oddly shaped room. A dead Hobgoblin lay almost directly at his feet and another apparently Human body lay in a pool of blood in the middle of the room. A pile of rubble that may have once been a stone table sat just north of the body. In the north wall hung what remained of two stone doors that had obviously been smashed open. To the southeast and northwest stood two light colored metal statues, there appeared to be dried blood around a small compartment door in the chests of each.
Wencis motioned for Bootsy to bring Leera forward. “Let’s go honey-lips,” Bootsy said as he grabbed her arm and led her forward. As they came around the corner he felt her slip from his fingers as she screamed.
“
!” Wencis exclaimed.
She had stepped onto an undetected pit trap and had fallen thirty feet to the bottom, where she lay unconscious once again.
“We’ve got to save her!” Bootsy exclaimed. The others stared at him as this concern for others seemed a little out of character for Bootsy. “Having her around is like having unlimited summoning at our finger tips,” he explained. The others just rolled their eyes and started to go about saving her once again.
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“Is she still breathing?” Celtir asked, once he was down next to her.
“Huh?”
“Breathing. I assume your hand is on her chest to check her breathing.”
“Oh, Right. Yeah, she’s breathing,” Bootsy finally answered. “Sorry I was a little distracted there for some reason.”
“Please move so that I might heal her once more.”
“Right. I’ll, uh, I’ll be right over here if you need me.”
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Having healed her once again, everyone climbed up out of the pit and turned to face the room with the statues. Bootsy cast a quick spell to search for magic. “The amulet from the Hobgoblin is magic.” He turned his attention to the other body still in the middle of the room. “All right, do you know what your friend out there had that might be magic?” Bootsy asked Leera.
For the first time she looked into the room. “That’s Teryl,” she answered sadly. “I don’t know why he thought I would want to be part of this gang of thugs, but even he deserved better then this.” She looked away and paused for a moment to collect her self. “The only magic I knew of that he carried was a wand that fired magical missiles. I think the command word was ‘Sparkus’. I’m not sure what the amulet does, but I can identify it for you. I have a talent for appraising magical items.” She looked to where Bootsy had been standing, only to find that he had already run into the middle of the room and grabbed the wand from Teryl’s body.
Just as he scooped it up, each statue spit from its mouth a small creature that looked like animated smoke with luminous eyes and a humanoid form. The chests of both statues opened and from the southeastern one, a vaguely humanoid creature that looked to be made of stone leapt out, its eyes burning. Each of its four appendages ended with a sharp spike. From the other statue a black, metallic, animal like creature tumbled forth. It ran on four paw-like limbs and had oversized jaws filled with sharp teeth. Both constructs were covered in dry blood and looked as though they had been damaged from an earlier battle.
All four of these creatures converged on Bootsy, flanking him on all sides. The smoke creatures harassed him, making it difficult to dodge the attacks of the other two creatures. The spiked construct pierced Bootsy’s side while the animal like construct grabbed him by the throat, blood spraying from the wound. Bootsy broke free and stumbled back, retreating in the only direction he could and started to cast. One of the smoke creatures lashed at him as he did but missed completely. Finishing his spell, the magical fire burned some of the creatures attacking him. Frankie, Wencis and his Soul Spark all ran forward to help him and the three of them quickly destroyed the animal construct and one of the smoke creatures.
The spiked construct attacked Bootsy again, injuring him even more, just before Celtir came around to try and heal him. Frankie and the others turned their attention to the spiked construct as Bootsy fell back once more and fired his crossbow, piercing the creature in the head. Had the creature not been a construct, it surely would have been a critical injury. Frankie swung at the spiked construct but his axe glanced off the metal exterior of the creature. Wencis and his Soul Spark destroyed the last smoke creature.
The spiked creature turned its attention to Frankie, piercing him through his left arm. Bootsy raised the wand, “Sparkus!” He cried and two missiles flew from the wand and struck the construct. The others slashed at the creature as well, causing minor damage. Finally Bootsy activated the wand once more and as the two missile slammed into the creature, it fell apart and crashed to the floor.
Bootsy sat down hard onto the floor, blood still streaming from numerous wounds. Holding up the wand he smiled, “That was definitely worth it!”
End of Session 4
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