A Savage Tidings Tale

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Session 3: Enter the Lotus Dragons

Dramatis Personae
Thalas, elf duskblade 1/wizard 1
Athal, elf warblade 2
Arjan, human druid 2 (Vow of Poverty)
Korlick, Arjan's dog companion
Quinn, human scout 2
Morderas, half-drow rogue 1/fighter 1
Rhiannon, elf cleric 2 (NPC replacing Kyrsith)


Morderas pounded Athal into wakefulness. Literally. With his fists. "Now we're even!" he told the elf; Athal merely looked confused, then fell back to rest.

They searched the small room and finding only evidence of a storeroom and a masterfully crafted silver dagger which they presented to Athal, barred the entry as best they could while Quinn took up the watch. Thalas fell back into a few hours of trance, after which he spent time resting and studying the spellbook he kept wrapped in oilskin in his pack. The book had belonged to his mother, and to her mother before her, and there were many, many pages of writing in it. Thalas had finally managed to dechiper about a quarter of the book, and the means to imprint the magical energies represnted by the symbols in the book were finally within his grasp. He wasn't sure if this was the payoff of years of study, or if the last few days of stress had finally removed whatever block to understanding existed in his mind, but either way he was certain: he could now tap into not only his combat magic, but also into the arcane energies that surrounded him. He'd finally be able to draw on magic to armor as well as arm him. At least eventually -- tomorrow he planned to rely on his trusty chain shirt -- but he'd have a few tricks from his mother's spellbook up his sleeve, just in case.

Once everyone had rested, the discussed their options. Back the way they had come was the most likely way out -- west toward the shore, where they could faintly hear pounding surf. Yet none of them felt they could leave a likely enemy behind, so when they departed the small room, the first went right, following a winding corridor that eventually ended in a lagre stone amphitheater that was half submerged under water. Four enormous columns held up the ceiling. The only sound was the occasional dripping of water and the roar of the surf. They searched, and finding no exit, retraced their steps back through the last large room they had passed through, exiting through a water-damaged door in the western wall.

Beyond was a dog-leg corridor which ended in a swollen door. Athal put his ear to the wet wood, and frowned. "I hear armored, booted feet beyond," he told the others, and all readied their weapon as Athal made ready to force the door.

"I can help," Thalas added, whispering a bit of magic he'd stored away from the night before. As Athal forced the door open, the portal swung solently on its hinges, making no sound though Athal had given it a mighty heave. Thalas winked at his companions: "I learned a few tricks last night."

Beyond, in a large featureless chamber, four humanoid figures huddled with backs two them. Three wore the trappings of sailors, and could obviously be see to be more of the zombie pirates they had fought before. The fourth was a skeletal figured ressed in ancient armor. The atmosphere of the place was oppressive and evil.

Athal charged, targeting the armored skeleton, and Thalas was right behind him into the room as Morderas doged around him and struck the figure, but his sharp baldes appeared to have no effect.

The room suddenly filled with a blast of holy light as the cleric raised her holy symbol, comanding the restless dead to retreat. And all four figures did so, falling back into a back corner of the room, pursued by the adventurers. Thalas successfully staggered, then dropped one zombie with carefullly placed strikes from his glaive, while Arjan and Morderas continued attacking the retreating armored skeleton, with no apparent effect. Quinn bounded by, unlimbering an ax, but it to did nothing to harm the skeletal creature.

Thalas switched to spellcraft, unleaching a green bolt of arcane energy that destroyed a second zombie, but subsequent bolts directed at the skeleton creature had no apparent effect. Puzzled, he called to Morderas: "Come here, I've an idea."

Athal had by this time backed the skeleton into a corner -- it was luckily making no attempt to attack, but cowered and tried to escape -- and Arjan was waving a lighted torch at the creature. Morderas stepped close, and Thalas channeled fire at the half-drow, setting both of the rogues daggers ablaze. Morderas, now a veritable whirlwind of fire, struck the skeleton twice as the flames began to dwindle, but again the strikes appeared to have little effect.

We'd better drop that thing soon, Thalas thought. They will turn and attack us soon. And we haven't yet been able to penetrate that skeleton-thing's defenses. Only one more trick left. He reached deep and channeled, seeing where the coming blow would need to be placed for precise effect. Then he concentrated on the blood in his veins, and his skin tore open as the steaming blood burst forth, dripping to the floor and running down his arms and down the handle of his glaive to drip from the blade.

Yelling "Sunrise and Sasserine!" Thalas struck at the armored skeleton. The mighty blow cleaved bone and armor, and though his sight swam and he felt near to fainting, Thalas could see that the sacrifice of his own blood had been enough to sever the creatures sinews and it dropped, twitching. He staggered back, breathing a sigh of relief, and then gasping from the pain caused by the magical exertion.

Quinn and Korlick dispatched the last zombie, and the party stood gasping for breath. the entire melee had taken but moments, but Thalas could tell it had been a near thing. Without the cleric's efforts to keep the creatures at bay, they would have been done for.

"Healing?" he asked, and soon the blissful calm of healing magics covered him, closing his wounds and restoring the energy he had sacrificed to destroy the skeleton.

"This thing is unusual," Kyrsith observed. See was examining the remains of the skeleton. "It bears the unholy symbols of Olidammara, evil patron god of thieves. And it is no mere risen skeleton, but instead a hecueva, a being of disease and unholy blight. They can only be harmed by silver, which is why so few of our blows hurt it. A shame I did not realize it earlier. I fear this adventuring is becoming too much for me -- I should have realized it at once."

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

There was a single door leading from the room, to a passage beyond, which led back to the room in which they had fought the zombies and crabs the night before. There were three other doors leading from the chamber. Two proved to lead to empty store rooms; the third led to a natural stone passage which eventually became a cave network that was 1-2 feet deep in water. They waded, watching the floor and walls carefu8lly for unusual signs or indications of ambush, and eventually came to a deep pool beyond which was a narrow beach.

After a bit of discussion, Thalas agreed to swim to the far side with Athal and Morderas to reconnoiter. Thalas secured his equipment and plunged into the deeper water, struggling with the weight of his equipment. he was normally a strong swimmer, but his also did not normally swim clothed, armed, and armored. he could feel a strong current trying to pull him down, and as he glanced into the water he could see a dark tunnel below the surface. We may have to explore that later.

He pulled himself up on the far beach after a few strokes, noting that beyond about ten feet of sand was a worked sandstone wall in which was set another swollen wooden door. He turned back to the water, looking for the others -- but Athal and Morderas had vanished. Thalas quickly droppped his equipment and unwound the length of rope he carried, throwing it out into the water just as Athal and Morderas popped to the surface. Morderas grabbed the rope and Thalas pulled him in as Athal made it to the beach.

"Current is much stronger than it looks," Athal said sheepishly.

They used the rope to pull the others across, finding to their embarrassment that Korlick's dogpaddle was stronger and more sure than any of their strokes. The others then decided that Thalas shoudl go explroe the underwater tunnel first, before they proceeded.

Thalas reluctantly agreed and stripped down to his shorts, taking a dagger, his spell pouch, and tying a length of rope around his waist. He dove back into the pool, and headed into the tunnel, which immediately became pitch black. After a few moments, Thalas became so confused in the dark that he resurfaced.

"I can't see anything down there!" he said, treading water. The others looked at him helplessly. He shrugged, and dove back down again. The current was still strong, but in the dark he could not make headway. Thalas returned to the beach and admitted defeat. "Hopefully the door will led to a way out," he said. "I can't find the way under water, and we certainly won't get everyone through even if it is a way out. We might try the pool back in the crab chamber to see if it leads out -- we haven't checked that -- if the way ahead fails us."

They turned to confront the door ahead of them.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Morderas forced the door open, then peered into the darkness beyond. An unholy stench rolled out of the room, causing each of them to cough. "There's a body slumped against the far wall," Morderas said. "I'll check it out."

The rougue slipped quietly through the door, and a few moments passed as they heard fumbled searching from beyond. Then there was a gasp, and a thump. Thalas and Arjan jumped into the room, holding a torch aloft, and holding their noses shut.

Morderasa was passed out on the floor, gasping. In the corner was a bloated body that looked as if it had both died of disease and been drowned. It was barely recognizable as human, though an intricate dragon-and-flower tattoo onone shoulder was still legible on the stretched skin. The body wore finely worked leathers, which Morderas had apparently been trying to remove when the stench of the decomposing body overcame him.

"Guess he got what he had coming," Thalas observed to Arjan.

"Morderas, or that guy?" Arjan asked.

Thalas looked around the room, concentrating on magical auras, an noting some coming from beyond the far wall ... and noticing as well that there were discolorations along the stone of the back wall: a secret door!

Morderas came to slowly, and waved a slip of parchment at Thalas as he coughed. Thalas took it, and read:

These bones once be Penkus, so if ye read this, I be dead, laid low by the sick put on me by that foul dead thing! Yet even as me flesh wracks, know t'was not the dead what brought my doom, but one I till recently called friend!

Vathus Vanderboren! Your name fills me with bile! Spineless, treacherous cur! You left us here to die. You left ME here to die, after all what I done t'get ye into the Lotus. Yer designs on the Lady of the Lotus be clear now, and with meself out of the way ... ye doubtless move even now into power, slithering amid my vacancy like a hermit crab in a shell, or a cadaver worm to still warm flesh. CURSE UPON YE!

To th'one what reads this. if ye have any honor or vengeance in yer soul, know that Vanthus must die. He dwells in the lap o' the Lotus below th' Taxidermist's Hall. Seek him there, but 'fore he dies he must ken it were Penkus what undid him and guides yer killing blow.

And if, by some cruel spite of fate, it be ye what reads this, Vanthus, know with certainty I wait for ye in Hell, where I intend t'rival the pit itself in yer torment!

"That corpse is Penkus. Vanthus left him here to die, like us," Thalas said.

"He's on the list," Morderas replied. "At the top."

"Any idea what 'lap o' the Lotus' means?"

Morderas pointed at the tattoo. "Lotus Dragons. Thieve's guild in Sasserine. Very mysterious, very deadly. Flip out and kill you if you look at them cross-eyed."

"What, ninjas and pirates now?" Thalas laughed.

They opened the secret door, and found three locked chests in the chamber beyond. Taking some time, Morderas managed to pry them open, revealling a number of bags of copper, silver, gold, and gems, as well as eight vials of magical potions -- which Thalas sadly could not identify -- a bone shaft that radiated abjuration magic, and a fine jade coffer.

Within the coffer lay a dark gem, and a note labeled "Earth Elemental Gem."

"I've heard of this," Thalas told the others, a bit of his magical training coming to memory. "This gem will summon an earth elemental to do our bidding. We could have it dig us out of here!"

"Maybe we could try swimming out of the crab cave first," Arjan suggested.

They agreed, and trooped back to the crab cave -- using a rope this time to cross the deep pool without risk of drowning. They had to leave the bags of copper behind because of the weight -- a small loss, as Athal pointed out -- but they did divvy up the silver, gold, and gems. The pool in the crab cave proved to have no exit to the bay, so they returned to the shaft below the trap door where Vathus had trapped them the night before.

Thalas grasped the gem in one hand, concentrating, then shattered it. A nimbus of light surrounded him, then seeped into the earth as a gigantic man-shaped thing, made of the very rock itaself, rose silently from the solid rock of the floor. Thalas gestured, concentrating, and the rock creature began tearing at the rock wall, carving handholds in the stone, climbing to the very roof where it thrust open the stone trap door, then vanished. Sunlight poured in with fresh jungle air, and the sounds of squaking parrots could be heard from outside.

"Shall we?" Thalas asked, and they nearly tripped over one another trying to climb out.

"We'd better go tell Lavinia what happened," Athal suggested when they reached the shore, to find that Cheftan's canoe was still safe. "Cocky bastard, that Vanthus. Didn't see fit to sink our boat. Guess he thought he had all the answers. We'll pay him back."

"You guys go," Kyrsith said. "I'm out. This adventuring stuff is not for me. I've learned enough -- I'm sticking to my studies from here out."

"Suit yourself," Morderas replied. They climbed in the canoe and began the trip back to Vanderboren Manor.

As they walked back through the city Morderas remarked: "We should have kept Penkus' head, to give to Vanthus when we find him."

"You're one sick puppy, you know that?" Thalas replied.

Morderas just grinned deep in his hooded cloak.

 

[KingCrab]

Morderasa was passed out on the floor, gasping.

Was it from his recent sex change operation?

Just me being wise. I love the writeups so far. I was waiting to see what you would do with Kyrsith.

 

[KingCrab]

Oh, and I like that you listed Korlic as one of the characters. I've grown attached to playing the wonder dog.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Was it from his recent sex change operation?

Just me being wise. I love the writeups so far. I was waiting to see what you would do with Kyrsith.

Ah, my fingers, they write better humor than I do.

I thought it would be best to "write out" Kyrsith. The sort of in-game handwave we did doesn't quite work for a story hour.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

They returned to Vanderboren Manor and quickly related their tale to Lavinia. She was incredulous.

"I can't believe my brother would do something like that. He is not a murderous rogue. You must be mistaken."

"I can tell you, it takes one to know one," Morderas said, "and he's definitely one murderous rogue. He left us there to die, and I for one plan on getting payback out of his hide."

"He's right, Lavinia." Thalas agreed. "Vathus betrayed and as good as murdered Penkus, then tried to do the same to us. He killed Cheftan right before our eyes. He isn't to be trusted -- and certainly anything he is planning with the Lotus Dragons is not honest work. As much as I am loathe to admit it, I too want to get a piece of Vanthus. Payment be damned; I'll have an explanation for this!"

The others nodded, and so too reluctantly did Lavinia. "Do as you must. My brother has obviously fallen too far to be redeemed. But I would be happier if you did not have to harm him. Please take whatever time you need to rest; the services of my manor are yours for the service you have already rendered."

They happily took advantage of Lavinia's offer, using the manor as a base to rest, refit, and prepare for their next foray. They send the gems and coin out to be changed, dividing them equally amongst the group, though Arjan once again refused his share. Thalas was finally able to get him to accept a healer's kit and a set of leathers for Korlick as a form of payment, but otherwise the rest of the party was happy to accept Arjan's odd attitude toward money and pocket his share.

Several of them took the time to buy new, higher quality weapons, And Thalas happily looked up from his studies the next day -- scribing a magical scroll -- to admire the finely worked glaive that he had purchased with his share of the pirate treasure.

The had an alchemist identify the bone wand and the various potions as well. The included healing draughts, an elixir that would cause one to become invisible, another that toughened the skin into armor, and one that would aid in swimming. They divided these up, and Thalas found himself the recipiet of a magic wand capable of bestowing an armoring enhcantment. It would serve to take the place of his chainmail shirt on the next expedition, allowing him to travel lighter and faster.

They were also joined by Rhiannon, and elven woman Lavinia had hired to replaced the departed Kyrsith. Rhiannon was a priestess of Pelor, radiant god of the sun, and thought she was soft spoken Thalas hoped that she would be as effective in dealing with the restless dead as Kyrsith had been.

After two days of rest and recuperation, they were ready to take on the Lotus Dragons.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

They met a night in a dark alley in the Sunrise district, behind the Taxidermist's Hall. After a bit of discussion they had finally decided that it would be bext to attempt an infiltration of the Lotus Dragon hideout, so they had approached the building some two hours after midnight, when it was hoped that no one would be in the street to oberve them breaking and entering.

Thalas, Arjan, Athal, and Rhiannon waited in a dark alley while Morderas and Quinn slipped around to the back of the Taxidermist's Hall, looking for a way in. Time passed slowly. The district was completely silent, with no pedestrians in the streets. Dark clouds hid the moon, and the streetlamps had not been lit in that part of the district -- perfect for sneaking.

Morderas returned after what felt like an hour, but had probably only been a fwe minutes.

"We're in," he said. "Quinn is keeping watch. We haven't found any way to a basement yet, but it is only a matter of time, and you can help us search."

They followed the rogue to the back of the building, where Morderas had jimmied the lock on the back door. They entered what looked like a storerrom, containing barrels and crates. Morderas an Quinn disappeared up a darkened hallway, leavign the otehr to wait silently in the darkness.

A short time later Quinn returned, motioning the other to follow and keep quiet. He led the way down a darkened hallway, then through what was obviously a well-concelaed door on one wall. Beyond, through a narrow crawlspace, was an open trap door with a ladder leading downward. Torchlight was shining up from below the trapdoor, illuminating Morderas' outline.

"This looks like it," he said simply, pointing downward. Athal led the way down the ladder.

About ten feet down they reached a narrow worked stone hallway with a partly opened door at one end. When the entire party had reached the bottom, Athal, Thalas, and Morderas listened at the doorway. Hearing nothing, they proceeded behind Morderas and Quinn, taking pains to make as little noise as possible.

The passage split beyond the door, and Quinn went left while Morderas went right. Thalas hesitated, then followed Morderas with the rest of the group. They crept along slowly, passing through a narrow chamber and a series of arched doorways. The entire area was well lit and carefully maintained, but was quiet. They followed Morderas to the left around another corner, then halted at an intersection while he went forward to reconnoiter.

Quinn soon returned from scouting the other passage. "This is a big place. I found a dining hall, and a large padded practice room. There's more, but I figured I should come back before we run in to something. Where's Morderas?"

Thalas pointed down the hall. "Scouting."

"Let's hope he restrains his homicidal tendencies," Quinn said. "I had to stop him from killing a sleeping old man upstairs."

Suddenly there was a sound of ringing bells, and a stream of curses came from the hall ahead. Moderas came running back toward them.

"Alarm," he shouted needlessly,"they're after me!" He contonued past, going down an intersecting corridor and out of sight.

Athal stepped forward into the corridor intersection as Thalas unrolled the scroll he'd created. He read the engraved runes, releasing the remainder of the spell he had begun casting the day before where he had prepared it. When he was complete, Athal had grown to eight feet in height, filling the hallway. Athal's arms and sword had lengthened, and he could reach from the intersection all the way to the distant door from which Morderas had come. Thalas was just in time, because two armed and armored mercenaries came barrelling out of the doorway.

The enlarged Athal struck down the first one, and fenced with the second as Thalas released a second spell, spraying a thin slippery liquid on the floor in front of the doorway. The man standing there slipped and fell, and Athal skewered him as he attempted to rise from the evaporating substance.

Quinn, Arjan, and Korlick pounded past, turning to follow Morderas down the unknown corridor. Thalas could hear Arjan begin a magical spell of his own, but he soon became distracted by two more men rushing from the room.

Athal whirled and swung, and with a thrust followed by an overhand chop he cut both men down. Thalas and Athal then moved forward through the doorway, just as they heard growling and snarling coming from down the opposite arm of the corridor.

Inside the room beyond the door, Quinn and Morderas were fighting two more armored men. The room itself was a barrakcs, with two rows of bunks down either wall, perhaps twelve in all. A chest stood at the foot of each bunk, and there were racks for arms and armor on the walls between torch sconces.

Another man went down, and Arjan dodged past, shouting at the last man: "Drop you weapons and surrender!" The man dropped his rapier and put his arms in the air, as Arjan began an impromptu interrogation.

"Where's Vathus!" he asked.

"I don't know what you're taking about."

"He's in the lap pf the Lotus. Where's that?" the green-faced druid asked.

"You're in it. But I don't know any Vanthus."

The interrogation was suddenly cut short by snarling as an enormous wolf bounded into the room from a door at the opposite end. Athal and Thalas were just readying their weapons as Quinn and Morderas scrambled to get clear of the ravening beast.

Korlick, however, had not been caught napping. The dog bounded across a bunk, and entered a whirling, snarlign furball with the wolf. Fur flew as the dog lunged and feinted. Unable to get away, Morderas also fought like a demon, slicing the wolf across one shoulder, and distracting it just long enough for Korlick to dodge in and rip the wolf's throat out. Thw creature collapsed with a final shudder.

"Well, that's that," Moderas said, panting. "Learn anything useful from this one?"

Arjan shook his head. He turned to the prisoner. "We'll set you free, but only if you tell us where ..." He didn't finish, as Morderas ran the prisoner through.

"Boring conversation anyway," Moderas shrugged. Arjan simply wagged his jaw silently, at a loss for words.

His true colors coming out, Thalas though. We should not trust this one. He's a loose catapult on deck. He surveyed the room.

"Morderas," he asked and the others cleaned and sheathed their weapons, "how many of them were there?"

"Seven," Moderas replied curtly.

Thalas counted only six bodies of black-armored men.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Session 4: Exeunt the Dragons

"There's only six here," Thalas pointed out. In the distance, they could hear the sounds of scurrying, booted feet, then all went silent. "So do we defend here, or attack? I say we attack -- get them while they are off balance!"

"We'd better barricade one of the doors," Quinn suggested, "that way we can retreat to this room if we have to."

They quickly piled the bunks against the back door to the room, then readied their weapons and proceeded out into the hallway by which they entered, and followed it in the opposite direction. About fifty feet down the corridor was an open door on the left; glancing down it revealed a short passage that opened into what looked like a mess hall.

"There's a mess hall that way," Quinn said, "and further on a large practice room. I didn't get to explore all of it. Back that way, or do we go on?"

"Wait," Morderas interrupted, "I hear something. There's something making a pounding sound down the hall ahead."

Thalas concentrated, but couldn't hear anything. Athal set out down the hall, though, so he was obliged to follow with Arjan, Korlick, Rhiannon, Morderas, and Quinn following. The passed around a couple of corners, passing through a room that could have been the kennel for a large dog, and then Thalas could hear the pounding of what sounded like a fist against a wall coming to the left of the hallway up ahead. A weak voice called out: "Help me!"

They rushed forward. The hallway beyond the kennel was perhaps fifty feet long, and had a series of small cells on the left side with locked doors that had small barred windows set high up. The pounding and voice came from the first one.

Morderas and Athal conferred, then forced the door open when Morderas proved unable to open the lock. Inside the cell was an elven male who had been stripped and tied. He was a bit bruised, but otherwise not too badly injured. He blinked at the torchlight spilling in from the open doorway.

"Thank you for freeing me!" he said. "My name is Kithkanan. I was looking about the Taxidermists Hall looking for someone, when a couple of masked men grabbed me, hit me over the head, and when I woke up I was stripped of my equipment and found myself down here."

"Did anyone pass by?" Athal asked. "And have you heard of Vanthus Vanderboren? Any idea where he is?"

The elf shook his head. "I haven't been here long, and I don't know anyone here. A man in black did come running by, past my cell, a few minutes ago. But that's it. By the by, do you know Rufus?"

"Rufus?" Morderas asked. "No. Should we?"

"He's who I was looking for," Kithkanan replied, "but it isn't that important now. Can I come with you? I don't know the way out, and I'd hate to run into any more thugs. I'm pretty good in a fight."

Athal looked at the others, then shrugged. "I guess. Here, have a dagger." He passed a weapon to the elf. Another elf ... probably more trustworthy than these other folks we've picked up. We haven't seen any elves among the thugs here. But now we've probably got half the elven population of Sasserine in this party! Better give him something so he doesn't embarrass himself

Thalas considered, then unslung his longbow and quiver. "Here," he said, handing it to Kithkanan. "You can use this until we escape. It'll do you more good than the dagger."

"Thanks," Kithkanan replied in elven. "I will put it to good use."

They continued down the corridor, entering a rectangular chamber just as a man in black was bending over a slight, grey-haired man strapped down on a rack in the corner.

"Save me!" the racked man shouted as the man in black whirled, swinging a red-hot poker in front of him as a sword."

This rescuing people bit is getting to be a habit, Thalas thought as he charged in behind Athal. The thug was quite proficient at dodging Athal's blows, though he was also unable to strike Athal with his poker. At least, he was until Korlick bounded past and ripped the man's throat out with a snarl.

"Best keep that beast well fed, Arjan," Thalas said, "I'd hate to have him come after me. He's a better fighter than you and Morderas combined!"

"Cut me free, my lords," the man on the rack begged. "I'll reward you well if you get me out of here."

"Let's kill him and get going before we get attacked," Morderas suggested, stropping his short sword on his armor.

"No!" Arjan protested.

"I agree with Arjan," Athal added. Kithkanan looked confused.

"We're almost certain to get ambushed any time," Thalas said. "But we can't kill a prisoner in cold blood. We'd best take him along. We don't have time to escort him out."

"No sir, please, take me out of here!" the man begged. "Just back to my home. It isn't far. I'm Kirsh, the silk merchant, and I have shop in the Merchant District. Don't make me stay down here with these thugs!"

"I'll take him out," Athal offered. "It won't take long."

"No, That will just split us up, and you may get ambushed yourself," Thalas countered. "Rhiannon, keep an eye on him, and keep him ut of trouble. We'll keep him with use until we either find Vanthus or find a way out."

Kirsh protested, but Rhiannon took him by the arm and silenced him. The group formed up, but the only exit that could be seen from the torture chamber was a door into a small room that was probably the barracks for the torturer they had killed.

Morderas poked around a bit behind the iron maiden, though, and eventually opened a concealed door behind it. A reek pf stagnant water came from the bricked passage beyond, by Thalas just shrugged and followed the others.

Vanthus has got to be here somewhere. We owe him.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Not far down the passage they entered a circular chamber that had two other hallways radiating from it. A trapdoor was set in the ceiling.

"That might lead up to the street!" Thalas pointed out. "The ceiling height is right. Maybe we can get Kirsh out of here." He used his glaive to knock the trapdoor open, then boosted Morderas up into the dark opening. Morderas disappeared momentarily, then returned.

"It's an alleyway. I'm not sure where, exactly. It's quiet though, and dark."

"Kirsh, we'll lift you up," Thalas began, but was interrupted by both Kirsh and Morderas.

"No my lord," Kirsh protested, "Not some dark alley. I'll just be waylaid by thieves again!"

"I'd rather keep an eye on him until we get the reward he promised, if you're not going to let me kill him," Morderas said.

Kirsh's eyes bugged, and he swallowed and went silent staring at Morderas.

Thalas shrugged. "Whatever."

Quinn returned from scouting the two passages with Kithkanan. "There's another secret door and a wet cave beyond down one; there's another chamber like this down the other. The wet cave had a big pool of water in it and was open to the sky. Doesn't look like anyone is there."

"Must be a storm drain or something," Athal said. They followed the worked passages, slowly descending to a second circular chamber, then a third, which eventually circled back and ended at the wet cave Quinn had discovered earlier.

"Guess this is it," Arjan said. "There must be something important about this place."

The cave was large and oval shaped, with a sandy floor that sloped downward toward the center of the chamber. A circular opening in the ceiling perhaps ten feet across showed dark sky above, and dripped water into the pool. The pool itself was dank, dark, and stagnant. Kithkanan tossed a rock in, which sank with a plop.

"I think we should go back to the main complex," Thalas suggested.

"Wait a sec," Morderas said. "There's something funny about the wall over there." He pointed around the edge of the pool to the right side of the room. He and Athal wandered over to investigate, followed by Quinn. Thalas looked, but saw nothing out of the ordinary -- just a raw stone wall.

Just then, there was a "click" sound, and water began pouring in to the chamber from pipes set high in the walls around the perimeter. It flowed at an incredible rate, almost enough to knock a man down standing in front of the flow. Then the pool became a storm of spray, as an enormous scaled tail thrashed out. As the splash settled, Morderas and Athal could no longer be seen, and Quinn was clamped in the jaws of the largest crocodile he'd ever seen.

Guess those stories mom used to tell about alligators in the sewers were real, Thalas mused. We'd better take this beast down quickly, or it will be a race between him eating us and drowning. He channeled, preparing to strike.

The sound of bowstrings releasing could be heard, but Quinn was still dodging free of the crocodile as Arjan and Korlick distracted the creature. Kirsh cowered back against the wall as Rhiannon darted forward, smashing at the creature with her mace. The room was rapidly filling with water. It was already above the tops of Thalas' boots.

Quinn was weakening, being savaged again by the monster crocodile as he attempted to back out of range of the creature's bite. One of Arjan's spears hung from the creature's side, but it didn't appear to be slowed.

Thalas channeled again, feeling the painful bite of his magic as some of his energy was sucked away to burst as dripping black blood from the blade of his glaive.

"Sasserine and Sunrise!" he shouted, dashing forward and bringing the glaive down overhand with all his might. The bloody blade cleaved down into the creature's scales just behind the head, severing most of the neck. It trashed once, twice, and then was still.

Thalas slumped with fatigue. "Is everyone OK? Where are Athal and Morderas?"

They moved together toward where Quinn was and where Morderas had last been seen. The water continued to flow in, and had reached Thalas' knees.

Athal's head popped -- there was no other way to describe it -- through the wall, and hung there like some sort of wall ornament.

"What are you doing?" he asked. "We're in here -- just defeated three more of the thugs. The wall doesn't actually exist. See? Illusion." He waved his hand in and out of the wall.

Thalas and Quinn closed their eyes and ran at the wall, and just as he expected to strike stone, Thalas stumbled into a large well-lit chamber. Thalas opened his eyes. The room was long and narrow, and where one wall should have been he could see a clear view of the large cave that was quickly filling with water. There were no other exits, but there were a number of barrels and boxes that Morderas was rifling through. Behind the boxes Thalas could see the bodies of three black-armored men.

"We'd better get out quick," Thalas suggested. "That cave is filling up fast."

The others agreed, and they stepped back through the illusory wall into the cave and began wading toward the entrance. The water was neck-deep on Thalas by the time he reached the ascending passage, though once there he quickly got clear of the water. They moved back up the passages and through the secret door, then paused. Everyone was accounted for.

"Back to the mess hall?" Thalas asked. If Vanthus had been there, he was probably long gone by now, but they had to keep looking.

Athal nodded, and they retraced their steps.