EBERRON- GAMER'S GROTTO: THE HIDDEN

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GAMER’S GROTTO: THE HIDDEN
02 ASSIMO’S MISADVENTURE
SEGMENT 010
ACT FOUR: THE RUINS, PART ONE
5/3/14

YRLAG, SHADOW MARCHES
DEEP INTO NEW WATER, NEAR THE HIDDEN
RHAAN 18, 999

The buildings are strange. They are made of a marbled light blue stone with no apparent windows. The doors to the buildings are purple to dark blue and also marbled in design. Before anyone can check them out, the gnome is already moving ahead and looking at a statue. It looks like a well-built human in leather armor with a wolf standing beside him. They see no descriptors or plagues saying who this is. While they are looking at the statue, the warforged is standing close to a large obsidian shard that is sticking out of the ground.

He shudders as he hears an eerie and haunting voice in his mind.

= go away. You are not wanted here =

When he searches for the source of the voice he sees his reflection in the black glass. It slowly morphs into a wispy and haunting vision of him. The vision has spikes growing out of him with growths on his face and upper body. The warforged is quick to move away with a start. Snarl notices and asks what was wrong.

“Something…. Is in the glass. It spoke to me.”

“Anything else?” asks the gnome with genuine curiosity and excitement.

He decides not to tell the whole story. The gnome is discouraged and his shoulders visibly sink. Then he looks at the nearest building and rushes over to it (stumbling once as he trips on his robe that is at least 3-4 sizes too big. He stops once as a scroll falls out of his scroll belt and he retrieves it.

The elf checks it over carefully hoping to find a secret way in or something about the dark colored door. It has no door knob or handle. “How do we open it?” he asks.

“Maybe we just ask? Suggests the priest. “Open please.” He says to the door.

DM NOTE: I NEVER expected someone to do this. It was the only way to get in without smashing your way in. Go figure

The door slowly opens on command much to everyone’s surprise, including the priest. “I didn’t expect that to work.” He states calmly.

Peering into the building, they notice the entire room is made of the same light blue marble including some furniture. This color pattern masks the presence of the goods inside somewhat. There is a table that is empty and a small bookshelf that the elf goes to first. Many of the books have the same marbled color and design on them. One book stands out as he leafs through them. The cover has intertwined vines and trees creating a border. Within the border is a portal like image with tentacle and tailed creatures stepping through. Enslaved orcs are below. Some of the slaves appear to be either tortured or experimented on. Strange patterns and marks may be the written language and title of the book.

“Can anyone read this?” he asks.

The priest looks at it and cannot translate it but feels it is from when the invaders from Xoriat were here. Hearing the word Xoriat, Assimo is quick to step over and check out the book. He looks at it carefully and his eyes go wide as he stutters and sputters to himself. Is he reading it or having a moment is unclear and he doesn’t answer anyone that asks. Finally he suggests this is something the University would hold in high regard and works to pocket the large and heavy tome.

Gandalf meanwhile has seen a trap door on the floor. He and the priest are checking it out. Seeing no obvious traps or wards, they carefully touch the handle.

Nothing.

The priest lifts it and finds…. Nothing. It is a very shallow depression in the floor. “Strange” he says as he looks at the edges hoping to find a secret lever or means to make this doorway have a real use.

Questioning the whole strange room, they look around some more. Gandalf happens to look up and spots another trapdoor. This one is directly over the false door on the floor. Assimo wants it opened so the warforged tries to reach it but is just a few feet too short. He lifts the gnome up to open it. The gnome grabs the handle and pulls hard. Nothing. He pulls very very hard and almost lifts himself off of the warforged’s hand.

“It ….won’t….open.” swears the gnome.

“The other way ya nimbwit.” Snarls the shifter.

The gnome leads in a different direction and finds himself hanging from the handle. Scratches peers out of his robe with a look of dismay and fear.

“No! Push it up!” growls the shifter.

“I can’t! I’m hanging here.” Says the gnome.

The warforged raises his arm and pushes the gnome….. a little too hard. The door pops up then comes back down and strikes the gnome hard. If the group listened a bit better, they would have heard Scratches meow out its distress even from the jarring thud the door gave the Gnome.

“ow.” He says rubbing the top of his head with both hands. His hat has lost even more of its shape now.

“Sorry” says the warforged as he tries again but much slower. The gnome doesn’t have the raw strength to push open the door. The priest hands him his staff after he puts the gnome down. Using the staff, the living construct easily pops open the hatch. Up goes the shifter.

At a quick glance, there is a distilled light coming through lighter colored stone work that seems to be more marble. Disguised windows. The shifter steps in and is attacked by something unseen. He calls out in alarm as something had struck him from behind.

The elf is quick to get up there as well as the priest and mage. They can’t find the shifter or his assailant. They are 100% sure he was just here but they don’t see him. Snarl’s voice comes from nowhere demanding help. They look at each other and ask where he is.

“Where…. I’m right…. Ugh….here.” he begins as something is hitting him. Something seems to manifest itself ever so briefly before the priest. But it disappears before he can verify it was something other than his imagination.

“Do I have to do everything myself?” they hear and suddenly Snarl seems to appear running and swinging his weapon before him.

“What is going on?” calls up the gnome. The fighter tries to reach down to grab and put the gnome up through the hole but he is careful to avoid the warforged’s hand. He is NOT going up there right now.

Suddenly the elf feels struck and disappears before everyone. The priest briefly saw a mass that was swinging at the elf. “Living spell?” he wonders to himself. (Yup- Living Spell: Invisibility) Every time the creature strikes or squeezes the elf, it becomes partially visible and thus a target. Eventually they take it down.

They look around but nothing except for another trap door on the ceiling. Since Assimo is below, they easily and quickly enter the third floor. They find nothing here.

“Bummers.” Says the gnome with a frown.

They exit the building and try the next closest one.

 

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GAMER’S GROTTO: THE HIDDEN
02 ASSIMO’S MISADVENTURE
SEGMENT 011
ACT FOUR: THE RUINS, PART TWO
5/3/14

YRLAG, SHADOW MARCHES
DEEP INTO NEW WATER, NEAR THE HIDDEN
RHAAN 18, 999

This building is just like the others. It is seamless light blue marble with a purplish-blue door. There are no windows that can be seen from the outside. Laughing, they say “Open” and the door swings open to allow them in.

The floor, wall and ceiling are a neutral and flat uniform blue that makes it difficult to known where the wall begins and ends. They ignore the trap door (also blue in color) that they find on the floor and try the one on the ceiling. As the warforged steps up to push the gnome up he touches the floor trap door. Raw heat and blue flames rush up along his legs that make him jump back.

“Trapped. Don’t touch.” Says the gnome as if stating something helpful and unknown to the others.

Careful to avoid the trap as suggested, the warforged lifts Assimo up to the trap door and he easily pushes it open. (Snarl used a staff behind him to help) The gnome jumps up and disappears. The priest can hear him giggling and laughing which draws looks of confusion and doubt from everyone below. The priest motions to be lifted and is. He is not sure what to make of the sight he sees.

As his head clears the trap door he spots the gnome happily hopping from foot to foot as if in a strange dance. He is thourghly enjoying this activity. Scratches even seems interested as he peers out of the robes and watches his feet. As the priest pulls himself up he sees what is so entertaining. Anytime the floor is touched, ripples of light expand from that point like a stone being thrown into a still pool of water.

This place gets stranger and stranger thinks the priest of knowledge.

The others begin to climb up also. As the gnome is jumping about, the priest notes how one section of the floor seems to have an unseen obstruction. The white ripples radiate out from the gnome and bend into a right angle as if there was something blocking the waves. The gnome sees this also and with a loud “oooooooouuuh.” Stops and kneels down next to the area. He finger walks his hand towards the space creating small ripples to pinpoint the area. Then his hand disappears into the floor! The gnome feels around with his tongue protruding from the corner of his mouth. He finds something and brings back his hand even as the priest moves up to caution him.

He has a small pouch that clinks like coins. He looks at the inside and says to himself but in a volume that everyone can hear- “Oh goodie. They’ll like these!”

The priest, curious, steps over to him. Anything that Morgrave University would want means he would want to see also. The gnome has to be coaxed but he hands over one of the “coins” from the pouch- so long as the priest returns it. It is triangular in shape and slightly yellow. It is very old and worn. One side has what appears to be a donut with frills on the top (Beholder?) and strange marks like what was seen in that book. The gnome motions for the coin to be returned and as agreed, Gilad does.

Nothing further is found within this room except for another trap door leading up. This space is relatively boring or “normal”. It is gray stone with no found hidden spaces or surprises.

They leave this building and look at the next one over. It is more of a small tower built on a short crag of earth and stone. It is a steep ten foot climb that will prove to be difficult for the warforged based on his climbing ability and skills on the cliffs.

 

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GAMER’S GROTTO: THE HIDDEN
02 ASSIMO’S MISADVENTURE
SEGMENT 013
ACT FOUR: THE RUINS, PART FOUR
5/3/14

YRLAG, SHADOW MARCHES
DEEP INTO NEW WATER, NEAR THE HIDDEN
RHAAN 18, 999


Assimo ir’Lenni (nicknamed Lucky Lenni for his womanizing and mishaps that never seem to harm him- only those around him) races up to the door. It is open and he pokes his head in. “Helloooooo….. anyone here? It’s Assimo.” He pushes the door (it takes all his strength a bit of luck to open it. The afternoon light reveals a tile mosaic on the floor. It resembles a squid with bulging eyes. “Oh…. I’ve seen those before. They give headaches.” Scratches meows an agreement and an urging to leave…. Which is ignored.

The others arrive and give the image a wide clearance as it would rise and strike them. Gilad especially as he believes this represents a Mind flayer, a powerful psionic aberration. They arrive just in time to see the gnome try to hide what he is doing. He has found a pack which he was inventorying when they arrived. It has very basic items. A halfling’s adventure pack?

They spot a trap door on the floor. It is locked. The warforged decides to try to open it the original way- he stomps on it. He recoils from it as the door screams in pain and sobs quietly after. They all look at each other in confusion. Cornerstone shrugs his massive shoulders and begins to pound at the door by foot and blade. Each strike is followed by a scream of pain from the door until it finally breaks open (or opens on its own so the mean golem won’t keep striking it).

With the door now open, they see a wooden ladder leading down into the dark. One by one they go down including Snarl whom got curious about what they were doing. It leads to a large room which in turn leads to an even larger room. On the opposite side is a blue glowing door-sized rectangle. As they enter it they hear something moving in the dark- purple colored crystalized scorpions! (?)

Two of the four creatures are destroyed before they even reach them. They try to pinch and sting the group but are shattered one by one. Strange…. Very strange. Cornerstone is so curious he collects a few pieces of the creatures and puts them in his pouch to look at later.

They look closer at the blue glowing area. It is a doorway to another room. Next to the doorway is a blue six inch disk with a hole in the center. Sticking out of the hole is a blue crystal rod (very similar to what Assimo had found). The warforged is uncertain what to do. He reaches out to touch the doorway half expecting it to attack him or a trap to be activated. Neither happens. The energy ripples as his metal finger pokes into it. He looks to the others for instructions. Having experienced these doorways before, Assimo encourages the warforged to go on. He does so and walks through.

This is a smaller room and there is another glowing doorway but this one is orange and there is no rod in the disk. He gently touches the orange light and it resists his motion. It feels completely solid. Unknown to him, the gnome is about to attempt an experiment. He reaches for the blue rod to remove it. Snarl leaps over and slaps the gnome’s hand. “Ow!” he calls out grasping his bruised arm.

“Are you trying to kill him?” suggests the shifter.

“I wanted to know what would happen if it was removed.”

He doesn’t fool anyone. Especially Snarl and Gilad believe he knows more than he is letting on.

They leave back to the ladder. The warforged is slow to climb as he fears breaking the ladder with his weight. They enter the trap door above the one they struck down. Nothing is here so they go up again. Snarl peeks up and sees skeletons…. Lots of skeletons. Hearing skeletons, the cleric is next to go up. To allow him to get onto the level, the shifter must climb all the way onto the room. This triggers something and the skeletons all turn to stare at him. He informs the cleric of this as he climbs up. The skeletons begin to move and take their first steps towards the two of them when the cleric holds up his holy symbol and begins a series of chants and prayers. By the third step, all of the skeletons crumble and break apart.

“Nice” says the shifter. The weapons are in poor condition and nothing else is found so they return to the first floor and as predicted- the scholar is in a hurry to explore the next building.

 

[megamania]

GAMER’S GROTTO: THE HIDDEN
02 ASSIMO’S MISADVENTURE
SEGMENT 014
ACT FOUR: THE RUINS, PART FIVE
5/3/14

YRLAG, SHADOW MARCHES
DEEP INTO NEW WATER, NEAR THE HIDDEN
RHAAN 18, 999

This final building is one story tall. The door to it is also slightly open. Looking into the room, they see several long tables. Along the tables are dozens of chairs. This was possibly a mess hall or meeting room? Nothing of value is found here.

Outside, the warforged has spotted a deep crack in the earth complete with a hole. They check it out and find a wooden ladder that leads down into the darkness. The Cleric and Elf go first. The ladder goes down about twenty feet and leads to a circular stairway. This ends deep in the earth within what appears to be a natural cave.

As they peer into it several skeletons rise up from the cold earth. These skeletons are tall and thin with bits of bone coming from their shoulders (Dolgaunt skeletons) The cleric easily commands them away

The cave forks in two. One side is blocked by a large shard of obsidian. The other side has a blue energy door. Unknown to the gnome, the shifter had taken the blue rod from above. He keeps it a secret still and has the gnome come up and open the door. He lets everyone out then quickly pulls the rod and steps out from the energy door’s space.

They are a mere twenty feet from the water. A large bush covers the hole making it very difficult to see from the water. They climb down and in takes a little bit of time but find their little rowboats.

RHAAN 22, 999
The group returns to Yrlag and specifically the Garden. Assimo ir’ Lenni pays them all and gives them a bonus. He never learns that they withheld a rod from him.

Course- they never learn this is his second rod of different colors.

Fair is fair.

 

[megamania]

Thus completes the second official adventure held at The Gamer's Grotto on main street in Bennington, Vermont. If you have any questions or comments feel free to ask away. Next game will be the 14th of June.

 

[megamania]

THE HIDDEN

 

[megamania]

GAMER’S GROTTO: THE HIDDEN
03 RUINS OF THE INFLICTED
SEGMENT 015
ACT ONE: A NEW JOB
6/15/14

YRLAG, SHADOW MARCHES
GROTTO’S TAVERN
RHAAN 27, 999

Gandalf (Swoon) and Gilad Freeman are curious about the New Water and go on their own to look at it some more. The strange seemly organic beads that are on the bottom of the water intrigues the cleric of knowledge greatly. Against his better judgment, the two wade into the water looking to collect various colors of beads.

Suddenly bubbles begin to rise from the bottom dispersing the beads at their feet. “Back to the shore!” the Cleric declares. Just as suddenly as the bubbles began, the mage drops out of sight. The bubbles where he stood subside. The cleric hesitates for a moment to check on his ally when suddenly the bubbles rise under his feet also. “By the book mark of-“

The bubbles settle down, the beads cover the area again. It looks like nothing has happened.

RHAAN 28, 999

Nailo and Cornnerstone are hanging out at the Grotto. The rest of the group are doing their own things leaving them behind to do as they will. Having no interest in fishing and little in finding Dragonshards that leaves drinking at the tavern.

A halfling has joined them. Dranico Morgis is quiet for a halfling. He lacks the hyperness and energy of most of his race. Cornnerstone takes to his lil’ buddy quickly. Grotto walks out from his office and spots the warforged warrior easily. He walks over to them and begins with some chit-chat which leads to a job offering.

Madame Suur DeCurrent is a wealthy widow of a business man and one of a few Yrlag socialites. Her past husband aided House Tharashk in setting up this village and collection center. Though he was paid a very small partial percentage for his work, the house made him an overnight wealthy man. He passed away a few years ago. His widowed wife has never remarried though he has an activate courting life. She has a great deal of fascination (and fear) of New Water and now wishes to know more about it as this the talk of the town. The more one knows about it, the higher in social circles you become. Recent deep expeditions into the New Water have suggested there is a large structure in the New Water. Perhaps it is the source of the strange water or a product of it. Either way, it has become the new focus of the socialite’s gossip and she must know more about it. She is offering a gold a day and a skilled pilot to aid them.

The elf and warrior agreed but wonder if they need to locate the others. The halfling is quick to offer his help and company (at a gold a day- sure!). The final lure is- anything found she wants to look at but it is theirs to keep or sell to her. They decide to go.

The boat pilot waits for them on the docks. He looks vaguely familiar to the elf. Then she remembers him- he is the Map Seller! Aazime Louder makes money selling maps, information and when desperate- a guide into the swamps. These days, he makes his money with New Water as he is one of the few that will travel beyond sight of the shore.

Azzime pushes his boat with a long pole along the docks until he reaches the River of the Sunken Croc. This river empties into the Yrlag River. It acts as the separation point of Old town and the rest of Yrlag. This involves traveling where the goblins live. Not many goblins are out this early in the day but a few watches from the shadows or the shanty town docks as they go by. Aazime makes a point of staying in the center of the river to be as far away from the goblin controlled shore as possible.

Ahead of them is a wood and vine bridge. It acts as a crossing point over the Sunken Croc for one of the main roads leading from Yrlag into the swamps. A tall figure stands here at the top of the bridge. The figure wears a purple and gold robe with a cowl that covers most all of the head. There nothing to the shape to suggest gender. The face is hidden by the deep shadows of the cowl. Whoever it is, the person (?) watches them as they come up the river. The halfling waves and gives a greeting. None is returned. As they go under the bridge and come out on the other side, they discover the figure is gone from view. Where or how the robed person went is unclear. Strange but they don’t worry about it now. They have other things to consider now. Like fame and fortune.

 

[megamania]

GAMER’S GROTTO: THE HIDDEN
03 RUINS OF THE INFLICTED
SEGMENT 016
ACT ONE: A NEW JOB
6/15/14

YRLAG, SHADOW MARCHES
RIVER OF THE SUNKEN CROC
RHAAN 28, 999


Aazime works the boat down a few branches of the river. The group is certain they would have gotten lost trying to do this themselves. Eventually they arrive at a small dock which they dock at. “Follow me” says Aazime.

They walk down a narrow winding path through the brush and swamp. They come to a clearing that reveals New Water and another slightly larger row boat with a long pole. They place their packs into the boat and look out at the expanse of crystal clear blue water before them. The halfling and Aazime turn suddenly as they hear something emerging from the swamp. A familiar Black Dragon.

“You return to this “New Water” once more. Explore it and learn its secrets you continue to do. I can pay you to share these secrets with me. But NO RAT. I do not want more bloated dead ugly rats.” Says the Dragon as he paces about. “The rug was nice however.” He adds as an afterthought.

Both Aazime and Dranico are impressed that the warforged and the elf have worked with a dragon before.

They agree (one doesn’t disagree with a dragon after all) and they push off. The dragon is nowhere in sight.

“What is with your dragon friend? He looks nervous.” Asks the halfling warlock.

“I would say- afraid.” Observes the pilot and he tries to not intrude but cannot help himself.

“When we first entered New Water, he approached us as he did just now. He wanted any information or observations we could of the New Water. He was the nervous type even then. When we returned, we told him what we knew and a specimen of a creature that was abnormal. We thought it would please him. Guess not.” says the elf.

“Go figure” adds the warforged.

Aazime remains quiet but listens as the elf and warforged speak more of their trips into the region with the halfling.

Night time is hard. Cornnerstone watches over the others as they sleep on the boat. Every so often, he hears a call or a splash in the purple darkness. Even the night sky is different he thinks. The sky has a purple color and the stars look…. Well different.

They restart again after some trail rations. Aazime notices several small bubbling areas. He avoids these carefully. The others have no issues with this precaution. They sleep in the boat yet again. The halfling asks if Aazime is certain he knows where he is going. He tells him not to worry. So the halfling worries.

The next morning they awake to see something glint on the horizon. “What is that?” asks the elf.

“I’m guessing where we are going next.” Offers the warlock halfling.

They continue on and the glint becomes a beacon of something reflecting in the near distance. Something big. Everyone, including the pilot, is looking at the reflective item in the distance when the boat bumps into something.

They look down and see a piece of black glass rising to just under the water’s surface. The glass is so sharp it cuts a sliver of wood off the bow. Everyone looks from the shaved wood to the pilot. “I’ll be more careful.” Offers Aazime while attempting to disarm them with a feeble smile.

More and more of the glass shards appear. Many now project out of the water. Strangely, some are smooth while others are razor sharp. The strange becomes stranger.

Then they begin to understand what is so reflective in the near distance- Glass shards…. Perhaps a hundred feet tall.

That is their destination- a wall of dark glass.

 

[megamania]

GAMER’S GROTTO: THE HIDDEN
03 RUINS OF THE INFLICTED
SEGMENT 017
ACT TWO: THE GLASS WALL
6/15/14

GLASS WALL OF THE HIDDEN
DEEP INTO NEW WATER
SYPHEROS 2, 999

They have moved along a tall wall of black Obsidian Glass for several hours now. Shards poke up through the water everywhere making it difficult to travel by boat. Small patches of gritty orange sand and bright green grass like vegetation sometimes accompany the shards. The wall stands between 50 and 120 feet high and appears to have no openings.

Some life can be seen here. Occasionally a strangely colored or oversized fish can be seen in the water. They seem to swim like in a lazy daze until they about five feet from the boat then they suddenly rush away. Except for an occasional water bird, only insects are in the air. Like the fish, these insects are often abnormal in color, design and size.

Aazime points ahead at something he has seen. It almost looks like a beach. It is roughly forty feet across but has many spikes of glass around it and piercing the water before it. The closest they can get the boat to the beach is about fifteen feet away. They will need to walk through the water to reach the beach.

The elf is careful getting out of the boat. Sure enough- he brushes his boot against a hidden shard below the surface of the beads. His boot is damaged and he is given a small cut. On shore he inspects his boot as the warforged rocks the boat getting out. He sees the halfling eyeing the water that will go over his waist. The warforged offers some help and before the halfling can refuse he is picked up and thrown onto shore.

He rolls and tumbles until he thuds into a flat section of the glass. Even now, at late morning light, the glass is becoming hot to touch.

“Be careful!” admonishes the pilot as he struggles to pull the boat as close as possible without further damaging it. “That glass is sharp enough to kill someone. The warforged shrugs his head and massive shoulders and moves forward through the water. Though he doesn’t cut his foot on the glass, he does trip on it and falls into the water. He lands on a shard which pierces his side. The glass tip has broken off from his massive weight. He rolls over and stares in disbelief at the injury he has just taken. He pulls the shard free of his body and flicks it to the side. The elf calls out at this point.

The beach is about fifty feet deep and is open from the glass wall. Ahead of him, is a jungle valley several hundred feet down. He can make out rivers and an occasional structure within the jungle. For several minutes, they merely look and take it all in. The beach is on a cliff’s edge that falls at least 100 feet down into the jungle below. None of them look to the sky. They are all looking down into the jungle. This HIDDEN valley is about 2 x 3 miles in size. It is much like a crater in the ground. It appears to be completely surrounded by the glass wall. A few water falls can be seen escaping the glass.

Then it is Aazime that calls out to the others. A furious bubbling appears near the moored boat. Foam and brightly colored beads churn and surface with the bubbling. Then a blue clothes figure surfaces. A familiar shape is seen that splashes in the water in fear and surprise- Gandalf!

“Where am I?!? What happened?!? Where is Gilad?!?” he calls out from his hands and knees. He sees the familiar and unfamiliar group members ahead of him and he wades to shore. Even as Aazime begins to warn him of the glass shards, the mage steps onto one. He receives a nasty cut that requires some bandaging.

They compare notes and reason that these bubbles act as some sort of teleportation means. Where is the cleric however? Uncertain of all the questions and answers, they return to the beach. The mage is surprised by the view before him. All of this- HIDDEN from others. Incredible.

Rock and sandy paths lead off to each side of the beach along the cliff’s edge. Deciding to explore this, the elf turns to her right to check it out. The warforged is close behind her. Suddenly an ear piercing screech is heard. It is painful to bare. They search the area but see nothing. Then a winged creature flies in from the jungle’s sky. The creature makes a threatening pass and circles around again. The elf fires an arrow into it and the mage attacks it. The warlock strikes it also as it is forced to land and crumbles into a heap dead.

“It’s a Hippogriff….. I think. Offers the halfling.

“Yes…. But like everything else here- strangely different.” Adds the mage.

The hippogriff has no eyes. The ears are larger than normal. The warforged surprises everyone with the notion it was using sound location. Amazing.

Aazime, shaking off the disorientation of the screech, comes over and seems to mentally take note of the creature then stares into the valley. Nailo returns to the path and finds it ends about twenty feet down. They turn around and check out the other side. As they do so, they see a large outcrop of orange rock and thick grass on the top. A short pyramid can be seen from where they stand.

“Well?..... let’s go.” Suggests the halfling.

 

[megamania]

GAMER’S GROTTO: THE HIDDEN
03 RUINS OF THE INFLICTED
SEGMENT 018
ACT TWO: THE GLASS WALL
6/15/14

GLASS WALL OF THE HIDDEN
DEEP INTO NEW WATER
SYPHEROS 2, 999

The path of the cliff’s edge seems to lead to the outcrop of rock. The outcrop of rock has cracked leaving a three foot expanse between the main cliff’s edge and the outcrop. Even as the warforged offers to aid the halfling he picks him up and shuttles him across with a gentle toss. The halfling is NOT impressed and warns again of magically harming the warforged. Aazime wonders how this group ever entered the New Water twice and returned.

Once on the rock they notice two statues also. They ignore the statues and go directly to the pyramid. The steps are designed for someone bigger than themselves. It is awkward, but they climb them and at the top find an entrance to a space below- far below.

Dranico offers to go first. Using his magics, he allows himself to see into the depths of darkness leading down. Nailo is next, followed by the mage, the pilot and the warforged is last.

Soon after moving beyond the light given by the sun, thick webs appear. The warlock calls up an ability to allow him to pass through them with no issues. He is so content on climbing down that he fails to notice the dozens of spiders in the cracks of the stone work. Nailo uses his scimitar to pull and move the thick webs to the side. Soon it looks more like a cotton-candy club than a sword. Aazime warns him as he reaches down with a torch and burns the webs. It is only when the elf hears the muttered screeches of dying spiders that he notices them. HUNDREDS of spiders dye and fail onto the halfling as he nears the bottom of the 100+ foot ladder which leads to a landing. On this landing a spiral stair case begins. This goes down a short ways then exists into a room.

Even as he steps out of the stairway, torches magically lit in the two rooms connected to it. He can see a rough image of large statues and shiny glass orbs within.

“Where to?” asks Aazime as he follows the elf out of the stairs. The elf goes to one room and the halfling goes to a different one. Even as Aazime holds back a suggestion, the warforged follows the elf and the mage follows the halfling. Then he thinks he hears something in the stairs.