Zandyrium
Episode 54
“Greetings Captain Dirth,” Mercutio said extending his hand.
“Hello Mercutio,” Dirth replied grasping the sorcerer’s hand.
“Captain?” Wassabe asked.
“Dirth here was a captain in the Thraegian guard for quite a number of years,” Mercutio answered.
“Twelve to be exact,” Dirth added.
“So you fought during the Saturnus Breach?” Thoren asked.
“You could say that,” Dirth answered.
“Dirth was instrumental in hunting down Saturnus,” Mercutio elaborated, “I believe he retired on the prize he was awarded.”
“This too is true,” Dirth replied. “But, enough of my history, what’s going on here?”
“We are seeking some ruins in the Thraegian hills,” Mercutio said, “I thought your experience in the countryside would be helpful.”
“Perhaps we should retire to a coffee stand?” Heinrich suggested.
“Excellent idea,” Wassabe stated and began leading the way to a nearby shop.
Thraegian coffee stands were loud, boisterous places full of cursing merchants and a mixture of aromas. The odors of southern coffee blends mix with the distinct smell of Saracen tobacco blends to make an alluring, if somewhat smoky, atmosphere. Everyone in the large group ordered drinks and Wassabe ordered a waterpipe with Timbukkian tobacco.
“You do realize that stuff is a mild hallucinogen,” Mercutio warned.
“Why do you think I ordered it?” Wassabe answered with a smile.
Heinrich opened the map Silcrass had given the group on a table. He pointed out the red circle.
“That looks like a small circle, but it’s not a small area,” Dirth commented. “This is in the area of a Fey Realm too.”
“A Fey Realm?” Thoren asked.
“There is a large forest here controlled by a Faerie King,” Dirth said, “or at least there used to be. It has been ten or eleven years since I was in that area.”
“Are the Fey friendly?” Ginny asked.
“Sometimes, they are a capricious and cruel lot most of the time,” Dirth replied. “We can be sure your ruins are on one of the low mountains in the area. The Fey would not permit it in the forest even for someone they were on good terms with.”
“At least that narrows our search parameters,” Justinius offered.
The group finished their drinks and Wassabe finished his Timbukkian tobacco. They then went to a small alley behind the Agora and
teleported to the area on the map.
“These six mountains are the most likely candidates for our ruins,” Dirth said pointing to the six low peaks surrounding the group’s location.
“Let’s scout them out to see if there is anything obviously unusual about any of them,” Ginny suggested.
“I will save us some time,” Mercutio promised. The sorcerer cast
fly on Githraldul “Go to that mountain and come back and tell us what you see.”
Githraldul flew off to the mountain. The mountains were low, ancient, rounded peaks with poor soil and covered in scraggy coniferous trees and bushes. Wildlife was mostly absent, only a few goats and the occasional golden eagle roams the slopes. Githraldul returned and informed the group.
Mercutio repeated the procedure and Githraldul reported back on each mountain. One feature stood out to the ranger. On one mountain he noticed an enormous deciduous tree on an otherwise barren slope. The adventurers agreed that this is where they should start their search.
*****
The tree was one of the largest specimen’s anyone had ever seen. It towered over 200-feet into the air and its canopy spread over a large area. A dense roots network spread out from the tree’s base like many trees found in the swamps.
“Perhaps the tree is Criador’s demesne,” Ginny suggested.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Heinrich said.
“I could start chopping it down,” Dirth offered.
“Not yet,” Mercutio said, “Let me check something.” Mercutio cast
detect magic and announced to no one’s surprise the tree was magical.
“If we camp for the night I could talk to the tree tomorrow,” Githraldul offered.
Heinrich cast
true seeing and it was quickly revealed to him that the tree was not what it appeared to be. The dense network of roots descended into a large shaft. The roots formed the first steps down into the shaft and then the staircase winding down the sides of the shaft became finished stone. The ground, which the tree appeared to stand on, was in fact an illusion. Heinrich pointed his findings out to the group.
Many in the group struggled to see past the illusion, but Heinrich reassured them that if they were to but follow his steps along the roots they would descend into the shaft. Following a quick discussion the group decided to head down.
Once below the
ground level all could see they were in a very deep shaft with a staircase descending following the edge of the shaft. The shaft itself was perhaps 35-feet across with a 20-foot wide
hole in the middle. It was not possible to look all the way down the shaft as the tree’s roots continued in a tangled latticework down the middle of the shaft.
The group descended into the shaft and was impressed by the craftsmanship of the structure. As they rounded the stairs they saw a landing with three portals ahead. Two had solid-looking wooden doors, but the middle door was smashed and in pieces on the landing.
“Ginny, do you want to scout ahead a bit?” Thoren asked.
Ginny nodded quietly and padded softly down to the landing. The first door was swollen shut by humidity and Ginny could not get it to budge. She decided to move on to the next closed door. She started to move past the broken door when an enormous claw reached out and clamped around her midsection. Ginny involuntarily let out a scream of pain.
The rest of the adventurers viewing the dark red claw clamped around Ginny began bounding down the stairs. The gigantic scorpion began backing away down a large tunnel with Ginny still secure in its claw.
She tried to struggle, but it was no use. It felt like the thing was going to snap in her half. Her screams echoed down the long tunnel.
To be continued…
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