Clearwater Crusaders - City of the Spider Queen (Updated 17th June)
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Eccles
Ragged idiot in a trilby.
Disgruntled, the group continued its adventures through the Underdark. Even Stedd, the Monk was starting to worry about the lack of encounters down this latest tunnel.
After the better part of a day's travelling, the group finally settled on a convenient cavern to rest in. Just as Halbrinn was preparing to create an illusion of the party resting further up the tunnel, Miles heard something.
Back the way they had come, a skittering, clinking, clattering noise.
"What is it?"
"How should I know?"
"You're a divine oracle, you're supposed to be able to find these things out!"
"I keep telling you, I'm just a priest!"
"Yeah, but you want to be an Oracle. So get oracular!"
Shrugging, the arcane casters and Miles left the two clerics in their discussion, and began setting up an ambush on the creature which was coming towards them.
Halbrinn's Persistent Image of the party was replaced by a pair of walls down the centre of the cavern, making it look like a continuation of the same meandering tunnel. Given the gnome's mastery of the illusory arts, even the group which stood watching him cast the spell had trouble persuading themselves that they weren't somehow caught in the walls!
Splitting up, the group waited tensely for whatever it was, and the clattering grew louder and closer.
It paused some distance from the edge of their 'cavern', and a faint snuffling noise could be heard amidst the chitinous clatter. Then the movement continued, and the hideous entity floated into view.
A huge greyish rubbery ball of a body was surrounded by 10 long tentacles, each tipped with a claw and a strange fanged mouth. A large ill-shaped central eye darted in every direction, whilst the tentacles clattered off the floor and the 'walls'. Clearly, the aberation was following their trail. Then, in the centre of the cavern, and plainly fooled by the 'walls', the creature stopped and floated in mid-air.
After the better part of a day's travelling, the group finally settled on a convenient cavern to rest in. Just as Halbrinn was preparing to create an illusion of the party resting further up the tunnel, Miles heard something.
Back the way they had come, a skittering, clinking, clattering noise.
"What is it?"
"How should I know?"
"You're a divine oracle, you're supposed to be able to find these things out!"
"I keep telling you, I'm just a priest!"
"Yeah, but you want to be an Oracle. So get oracular!"
Shrugging, the arcane casters and Miles left the two clerics in their discussion, and began setting up an ambush on the creature which was coming towards them.
Halbrinn's Persistent Image of the party was replaced by a pair of walls down the centre of the cavern, making it look like a continuation of the same meandering tunnel. Given the gnome's mastery of the illusory arts, even the group which stood watching him cast the spell had trouble persuading themselves that they weren't somehow caught in the walls!
Splitting up, the group waited tensely for whatever it was, and the clattering grew louder and closer.
It paused some distance from the edge of their 'cavern', and a faint snuffling noise could be heard amidst the chitinous clatter. Then the movement continued, and the hideous entity floated into view.
A huge greyish rubbery ball of a body was surrounded by 10 long tentacles, each tipped with a claw and a strange fanged mouth. A large ill-shaped central eye darted in every direction, whilst the tentacles clattered off the floor and the 'walls'. Clearly, the aberation was following their trail. Then, in the centre of the cavern, and plainly fooled by the 'walls', the creature stopped and floated in mid-air.
Eccles
Ragged idiot in a trilby.
"Beholder," muttered Stedd. "We're so dead."
The creature whipped around to face the source of the noise, and clawed tentacles shot to the illusory tunnel walls.
Where they stopped, feeling at the apparently solid surface.
Then the group sprang their ambush.
---
An enormous ball of lightning leapt from Rand's fingers at the slightest flexing of his will.
Stedd's reflexes (buoyed enormously by his Boots of Haste and his Ring of Jumping) were faster still, as he blurred across the room in one enormous leap, bringing his elbows down on the creature's side in a terrific Mantis Leap, causing the creature to sag inwardly.
An incantation, and smaller orbs of light leapt from Halbrinn's fingers to slam into the creature, whilst Yvgeny scuttled spider-like across the ceiling to get into a better position. Aeron's first spell caused him to glow with a shimmering nimbus, as his muscles grew with a divine might.
Stunned, the eye-tyrant didn't even notice.
Miles, tumbling nimbly, flanked the orb with Stedd, and his twin blades Scourge and Slayer flashed briefly in the darkness. He cried out as electricity leapt up his swords, but by the time he had realised he was hurt, the beholder-kin was dead.
"Awww," said Yvgeny from the ceiling. Then his eyes bulged as the creature twisted, flexed, swelled, and suddenly exploded in a huge burst of electricity.
Thanks to their superb reflexes, hardly anyone in the group was injured by the electricity, other than Aeron and Rand.
What took them all by surprise, however, was the huge amount of gold and silver which burst from within it, scything through Halbrinn's much maligned tent, and forming piles against the walls of the cavern. Rand ducked, as a steel scroll-tube scythed through the air and slammed into the wall just below his head, and other small golden trinkets flew through the air, showering the adventurers with riches.
---
And thus was born the Pinata of Evil.
The creature whipped around to face the source of the noise, and clawed tentacles shot to the illusory tunnel walls.
Where they stopped, feeling at the apparently solid surface.
Then the group sprang their ambush.
---
An enormous ball of lightning leapt from Rand's fingers at the slightest flexing of his will.
Stedd's reflexes (buoyed enormously by his Boots of Haste and his Ring of Jumping) were faster still, as he blurred across the room in one enormous leap, bringing his elbows down on the creature's side in a terrific Mantis Leap, causing the creature to sag inwardly.
An incantation, and smaller orbs of light leapt from Halbrinn's fingers to slam into the creature, whilst Yvgeny scuttled spider-like across the ceiling to get into a better position. Aeron's first spell caused him to glow with a shimmering nimbus, as his muscles grew with a divine might.
Stunned, the eye-tyrant didn't even notice.
Miles, tumbling nimbly, flanked the orb with Stedd, and his twin blades Scourge and Slayer flashed briefly in the darkness. He cried out as electricity leapt up his swords, but by the time he had realised he was hurt, the beholder-kin was dead.
"Awww," said Yvgeny from the ceiling. Then his eyes bulged as the creature twisted, flexed, swelled, and suddenly exploded in a huge burst of electricity.
Thanks to their superb reflexes, hardly anyone in the group was injured by the electricity, other than Aeron and Rand.
What took them all by surprise, however, was the huge amount of gold and silver which burst from within it, scything through Halbrinn's much maligned tent, and forming piles against the walls of the cavern. Rand ducked, as a steel scroll-tube scythed through the air and slammed into the wall just below his head, and other small golden trinkets flew through the air, showering the adventurers with riches.
---
And thus was born the Pinata of Evil.
Eccles
Ragged idiot in a trilby.
As a result of the number of Rings of Sustenance which they had bought some time ago, hardly any of the group needed any sleep.
The group had long ago forgotten how to tell time, and now decided that morning was whenever Aeron and Yvgeny, the two priests, had finished their prayers.
The morning rituals nearly completed, the Clearwater Crusaders paused only to scoop the last of the gold into various sacks and magical bags before casting their regular array of morning spells. Aeron in particular caused the group to delay for at least a minute in the mornings, as he withdrew 5 wands from a bandanna around his waist, using them to cast protection spells upon himself against every known form of energy.
Invigorated, and healed the previous evening, they strapped on bags, and prepared to set out.
And then it happened.
It felt as though something was crawling across their graves. In fact, as though that something were crawling out of their graves entirely. A shudder passed each member of the group, as they felt something dark and shadowy cross their spirits.
And none of them registered it, except the two priests who felt as though something was being torn from them.
Regrettably, neither of them had the understanding of the magic involved to try to interpret it.
"But you're a priest of Mystra!" Yvgeny muttered at Aeron, who glared back at him.
It took all of Halbrinn's considerable knowledge, and several Detect Magic orisons to figure out what had happened.
Something had just stripped away part of the positive energy plane's connection to the prime material, and that mystical space had been replaced with a strengthened negative plane. This would have the effect of bolstering the undead, and making healing or other positive spells extremely difficult for the two clerics.
With no choice but to continue, the Clearwater crusaders hitched up their backpacks and carried on into the dark tunnels.
The group had long ago forgotten how to tell time, and now decided that morning was whenever Aeron and Yvgeny, the two priests, had finished their prayers.
The morning rituals nearly completed, the Clearwater Crusaders paused only to scoop the last of the gold into various sacks and magical bags before casting their regular array of morning spells. Aeron in particular caused the group to delay for at least a minute in the mornings, as he withdrew 5 wands from a bandanna around his waist, using them to cast protection spells upon himself against every known form of energy.
Invigorated, and healed the previous evening, they strapped on bags, and prepared to set out.
And then it happened.
It felt as though something was crawling across their graves. In fact, as though that something were crawling out of their graves entirely. A shudder passed each member of the group, as they felt something dark and shadowy cross their spirits.
And none of them registered it, except the two priests who felt as though something was being torn from them.
Regrettably, neither of them had the understanding of the magic involved to try to interpret it.
"But you're a priest of Mystra!" Yvgeny muttered at Aeron, who glared back at him.
It took all of Halbrinn's considerable knowledge, and several Detect Magic orisons to figure out what had happened.
Something had just stripped away part of the positive energy plane's connection to the prime material, and that mystical space had been replaced with a strengthened negative plane. This would have the effect of bolstering the undead, and making healing or other positive spells extremely difficult for the two clerics.
With no choice but to continue, the Clearwater crusaders hitched up their backpacks and carried on into the dark tunnels.
Eccles
Ragged idiot in a trilby.
They trudged tirelessly on for many hours more, with Aeron discussing, but never actually casting another Find the Path spell to ensure that they were on the right track. Lesser divination spells were used instead. By Yvgeny, who glared at Aeron all the while.
"You're the one who wants to be a Divine Oracle. Why am I doing this?"
"You're a cleric too, you can cast these spells!"
"Yeah, but I'm a monk - it's not cool for me to ask God questions!"
"Whatever. Keep praying, monk boy."
And so time passed in the Underdark.
---
Over a day later, the tunnel opened out into a truly enormous cavern. The group couldn't see the ceiling without casting spells and flying up to it. They could also hear some sort of tearing squeal of a noise, which was loud enough to make their ears ache.
"Always take the left wall", Rand repeated to himself shepherding the group off in that direction as another squeal in the darkness echoed around the cavern.
---
The vibrations continued as the group edged carefully along the wall, passing strange rock formations and a 10 foot step up onto a higher plateau.
On this new level, the first thing that came into the range of their Goggles of Night was a shaggy carcass, torn open as though smashed into the ground at speed.
"What could do that?" queried Stedd. "We're in so much trouble now. Whatever it is, I say that we should stay well clear of it."
They crept onwards, hugging the left wall, but in the darkness of the cavern, their movements had been detected, and wings flared as two titanic hunting animals leapt from their perches amongst the stalactites.
Moments later, the Crusaders were interrupted in their slow advance, as something swooped briefly into their vision, and screamed at Miles, whose skin was lacerated by the sonic vibrations unleashed. Slayer quivered in his scabbard, and muffled obscenities at the beast through the thick leather.
The creature abruptly pulled up and flew out of sight.
Thinking fast, Yvgeny prayed and a globe of silence surrounded him, protecting him and his companions from any further sonic blasts.
"What are you doing?" Rand, Halbrinn, Miles and Aeron all mouthed at Yvgeny, and each of them paced swifty out of the globe of silence into the cavern beyond.
Which turned out to be a very poor idea, as two of the creatures dived this time. One screamed loudly, causing the adventurers' ears to bleed, whilst the other swooped down and grabbed Aeron in its claws, picking him up easily and disappearing into the darkness.
Looking at one another, the group didn't immediately react, beyond Stedd's preotestations of doom and gloom. Rand concentrated, and a glowing spear appeared suddenly in his hand, ready to impale another creature were it to dive upon him.
Miles, meanwhile, muttered a spell under his breath and a huge pair of bat-wings sprouted from his shoulders. He leapt from the ground and headed off after the menace.
---
Aeron's fate was simple. He was taken up, way up by the creature, to the point that it was dodging in-and-out of the stalactites. Then it released him to fall and go splat on the ground below.
It confused the Yrthak no end that his fall was suddenly arrested by a pair of 3 inch wings which sprouted suddenly from his boot-heels, causing the cleric to hover in mid-air. So it and its brother both dived again, screaming at the hapless hovering cleric.
During this noisy, fast-moving melee, Miles swooped in on his huge dark wings. Stedd ran swiftly over the broken cavern floor, leaping up to attack the creatures when he could. And even Halbrinn, flying swiftly in the form of a pixie after some quick spellwork, flew to join them.
Rand and Yvgeny stood by the wall, wondering what was going to happen to their foolish colleagues.
"You're the one who wants to be a Divine Oracle. Why am I doing this?"
"You're a cleric too, you can cast these spells!"
"Yeah, but I'm a monk - it's not cool for me to ask God questions!"
"Whatever. Keep praying, monk boy."
And so time passed in the Underdark.
---
Over a day later, the tunnel opened out into a truly enormous cavern. The group couldn't see the ceiling without casting spells and flying up to it. They could also hear some sort of tearing squeal of a noise, which was loud enough to make their ears ache.
"Always take the left wall", Rand repeated to himself shepherding the group off in that direction as another squeal in the darkness echoed around the cavern.
---
The vibrations continued as the group edged carefully along the wall, passing strange rock formations and a 10 foot step up onto a higher plateau.
On this new level, the first thing that came into the range of their Goggles of Night was a shaggy carcass, torn open as though smashed into the ground at speed.
"What could do that?" queried Stedd. "We're in so much trouble now. Whatever it is, I say that we should stay well clear of it."
They crept onwards, hugging the left wall, but in the darkness of the cavern, their movements had been detected, and wings flared as two titanic hunting animals leapt from their perches amongst the stalactites.
Moments later, the Crusaders were interrupted in their slow advance, as something swooped briefly into their vision, and screamed at Miles, whose skin was lacerated by the sonic vibrations unleashed. Slayer quivered in his scabbard, and muffled obscenities at the beast through the thick leather.
The creature abruptly pulled up and flew out of sight.
Thinking fast, Yvgeny prayed and a globe of silence surrounded him, protecting him and his companions from any further sonic blasts.
"What are you doing?" Rand, Halbrinn, Miles and Aeron all mouthed at Yvgeny, and each of them paced swifty out of the globe of silence into the cavern beyond.
Which turned out to be a very poor idea, as two of the creatures dived this time. One screamed loudly, causing the adventurers' ears to bleed, whilst the other swooped down and grabbed Aeron in its claws, picking him up easily and disappearing into the darkness.
Looking at one another, the group didn't immediately react, beyond Stedd's preotestations of doom and gloom. Rand concentrated, and a glowing spear appeared suddenly in his hand, ready to impale another creature were it to dive upon him.
Miles, meanwhile, muttered a spell under his breath and a huge pair of bat-wings sprouted from his shoulders. He leapt from the ground and headed off after the menace.
---
Aeron's fate was simple. He was taken up, way up by the creature, to the point that it was dodging in-and-out of the stalactites. Then it released him to fall and go splat on the ground below.
It confused the Yrthak no end that his fall was suddenly arrested by a pair of 3 inch wings which sprouted suddenly from his boot-heels, causing the cleric to hover in mid-air. So it and its brother both dived again, screaming at the hapless hovering cleric.
During this noisy, fast-moving melee, Miles swooped in on his huge dark wings. Stedd ran swiftly over the broken cavern floor, leaping up to attack the creatures when he could. And even Halbrinn, flying swiftly in the form of a pixie after some quick spellwork, flew to join them.
Rand and Yvgeny stood by the wall, wondering what was going to happen to their foolish colleagues.
Eccles
Ragged idiot in a trilby.
Spells blast, and blades flash, and even the intervention of a second yrthak did not stop the group from slaying the one which had taken their comrade away from them.
The second creature fled in disarray, screaming its misery out to the cavern at large.
A scream which was answered by not one, but two booming echoing screams.
---
The group fled back to their comrades at the wall, and began to panic.
"What do we do? What can we do?"
"We're all dead, I tell you. No way out!"
Then, suddenly, a plan began to crystallise.
Flee.
Unwilling to face three flying, sonic-blasting, grabbing yrthaks, the group rapidly cast fly spells on one another, and Aeron intoned the words to a prayer of Find the Path, and the route to "the nearest way out" crystallised in his mind as a set of flashing lights trailing away into the darkness.
Clutching Rand in one hand, and with the effect of a Divine Might still on him, he grabbed up Yvgeny and flew along the path at top speed; the little wings on his boots flailing away madly to keep him airborne.
Halbrinn gave chase on tiny pixie wings, and Miles with his huge bat wings. Stedd simply ran, leapt, and gave chase, trying to keep the others in view and to stay ahead of the monstrous creatures which he knew were bearing down on them.
"No way. There's no way we'll make it", he intoned over and over under his breath.
Aeron lurched, his two companions dangling from his arms beneath him swinging wildly to the side and they hurtled over the ground, around stalacmites, and over a huge rocky outcropping.
They dipped suddenly, and shot towards a crumbling, half-fallen tower. In Aeron's eyes, the flashing lines led straight into the small tower, and ended at a wall there.
Pursued by his comrades, he dropped his two fellows, and tried to work out how a single mould-covered wall could possibly be their way out.
"Get out of the way", squeaked Halbrinn, wizard, locksmith, former cartographer and sometime archaeologist. "There's something under all this mould." His tiny hands scraped at the thick layer, revealing some words.
Outside, the first lance of sound smashed down onto the outside of the tower, shattering rock and sending jagged shards through the darkness. The group ducked reflexively to avoid the blast.
"There! Writing!" Halbrinn squinted at the words in an archaic version of magick. "Abraxis meo... Clean me? What the...?"
A second screaming noise smashed the wooden door into a million splinters.
Rand looked around, and reflexively cast a tiny spell which scoured the wall of all the mould and grime. Abruptly, the wall disappeared behind a shimmering surface of silver.
Another sonic lance smashed into the wall, blasting a hole straight through it.
The group leapt, as one, into the silver surface, and were pulled across dimensions before being deposited, chilled to the bone, on the other side of the portal. Bright light poured down, half-blinding the group as they squinted around themselves.
"It's still active!" Miles shouted at the others and waving in the vague direction of the portal. "They'll be coming through any moment!"
As if to prove something, the silvery wall of the portal bulged as though something was trying to push through from beyond.
"Dirty it!!" Halbrinn (still in the form of a pixie) squeaked at the others, before Rand looked around and scooped up a handful of hot dry dust from the floor.
"Water!", he bellowed at the others, and Yvgeny obliged with a well-timed spell, turning the dust in Rand's hands (and at his feet) into thick gelatinous mud.
With a splat, the mud sailed through the air and splattered against the sides of the portal, which abruptly shut off and turned silent.
The group turned examine their new surroundings...
The second creature fled in disarray, screaming its misery out to the cavern at large.
A scream which was answered by not one, but two booming echoing screams.
---
The group fled back to their comrades at the wall, and began to panic.
"What do we do? What can we do?"
"We're all dead, I tell you. No way out!"
Then, suddenly, a plan began to crystallise.
Flee.
Unwilling to face three flying, sonic-blasting, grabbing yrthaks, the group rapidly cast fly spells on one another, and Aeron intoned the words to a prayer of Find the Path, and the route to "the nearest way out" crystallised in his mind as a set of flashing lights trailing away into the darkness.
Clutching Rand in one hand, and with the effect of a Divine Might still on him, he grabbed up Yvgeny and flew along the path at top speed; the little wings on his boots flailing away madly to keep him airborne.
Halbrinn gave chase on tiny pixie wings, and Miles with his huge bat wings. Stedd simply ran, leapt, and gave chase, trying to keep the others in view and to stay ahead of the monstrous creatures which he knew were bearing down on them.
"No way. There's no way we'll make it", he intoned over and over under his breath.
Aeron lurched, his two companions dangling from his arms beneath him swinging wildly to the side and they hurtled over the ground, around stalacmites, and over a huge rocky outcropping.
They dipped suddenly, and shot towards a crumbling, half-fallen tower. In Aeron's eyes, the flashing lines led straight into the small tower, and ended at a wall there.
Pursued by his comrades, he dropped his two fellows, and tried to work out how a single mould-covered wall could possibly be their way out.
"Get out of the way", squeaked Halbrinn, wizard, locksmith, former cartographer and sometime archaeologist. "There's something under all this mould." His tiny hands scraped at the thick layer, revealing some words.
Outside, the first lance of sound smashed down onto the outside of the tower, shattering rock and sending jagged shards through the darkness. The group ducked reflexively to avoid the blast.
"There! Writing!" Halbrinn squinted at the words in an archaic version of magick. "Abraxis meo... Clean me? What the...?"
A second screaming noise smashed the wooden door into a million splinters.
Rand looked around, and reflexively cast a tiny spell which scoured the wall of all the mould and grime. Abruptly, the wall disappeared behind a shimmering surface of silver.
Another sonic lance smashed into the wall, blasting a hole straight through it.
The group leapt, as one, into the silver surface, and were pulled across dimensions before being deposited, chilled to the bone, on the other side of the portal. Bright light poured down, half-blinding the group as they squinted around themselves.
"It's still active!" Miles shouted at the others and waving in the vague direction of the portal. "They'll be coming through any moment!"
As if to prove something, the silvery wall of the portal bulged as though something was trying to push through from beyond.
"Dirty it!!" Halbrinn (still in the form of a pixie) squeaked at the others, before Rand looked around and scooped up a handful of hot dry dust from the floor.
"Water!", he bellowed at the others, and Yvgeny obliged with a well-timed spell, turning the dust in Rand's hands (and at his feet) into thick gelatinous mud.
With a splat, the mud sailed through the air and splattered against the sides of the portal, which abruptly shut off and turned silent.
The group turned examine their new surroundings...
Eccles
Ragged idiot in a trilby.
The hot sun was beating down, as a wailing ululation echoed from the top of a tower that dragged their eyes skywards. The tower was topped with a strange curving structure, and from behind it flew… a carpet?
Then the people around them started to react, crying out in strange languages, animals brayed and squawked, coins changed hands, and a sea of faces stared at them from the surrounding marketplace and minarets.
"Well, Halbrinn? We ain't in Clearwater anymore," Rand muttered to his wizardly colleague.
---
After some time of confusion and mis-translations, the group eventually cast the right combination of spells, and found a hostelry where they could rest for a time, whilst they traded their enormous collection of goods and arranged for new items to be manufactured.
Despite the recent bad dreams, auguries, prophecies, and the document lost at the bottom of a bag saying that the sinister "Great Revenance" would be taking place within a few days, the group decided that taking a tenday to rest, get to know Calimport, and shop was the right decision. Hearing this, Halbrinn immediately teleported back to Dagger Falls, so as to spend some time with his wife and use the resources in his study.
He was amazed to find that his wife had sold his house, and had moved his study (and the carefully constructed teleport chamber) to a newer, much larger, house. Her sudden largesse was brought on by her discovery of a mystical talking staff in one of the guest rooms, topped by a lump of green rock. This item (an incredibly powerful artifact which had been carried by both Yvgeny and Rand for a time), had attracted the interest of a traveling mage, who had paid her a fortune in silver and gems to buy it from her.
Halbrinn's reaction was initially concern, but the longer he mused over it, the more he thought that it was in improvement. The staff was now someone else's problem, not theirs. Soon thereafter, he forgot all about it.
In Calimport, and outside the area of dark magic, healing was easy, and the group made the most of their time in the rooms of The Sherbet Fountain, where their Landlord was most happy to feed them roasted camel, and pander to their other bizarre requests. (Abdul, their host, was most confused when Miles' first request was for a camel to eat. "But then" he mused, "these infidels are a funny sort. Maybe they eat camels where they come from…")
---
After the tenday had passed, Halbrinn teleported back to The Sherbet Fountain, and the group packed their bags and backpacks (frequently ensorcelled), oiled their weapons (usually enchanted), and heaved their heavy boots (mostly magical) back onto their feet.
Swinging heavy packs onto their backs, they turned for the door, when a brilliant golden light suddenly shone from Aeron's eyes and mouth, and he began to chant in a commanding female voice.
"Weak, unwilling, ALL SHALL RISE
Old and ailed, ALL SHALL RISE
Strong, yet failed, ALL SHALL RISE
Bold, unwary, ALL SHALL RISE
It is coming, ALL SHALL RISE
The time is coming when the strings, steel and hearts of nations shall be found equal. And then shall be found again."
Then, like a dancing doll with its strings suddenly cut, he dropped to the ground.
Then the people around them started to react, crying out in strange languages, animals brayed and squawked, coins changed hands, and a sea of faces stared at them from the surrounding marketplace and minarets.
"Well, Halbrinn? We ain't in Clearwater anymore," Rand muttered to his wizardly colleague.
---
After some time of confusion and mis-translations, the group eventually cast the right combination of spells, and found a hostelry where they could rest for a time, whilst they traded their enormous collection of goods and arranged for new items to be manufactured.
Despite the recent bad dreams, auguries, prophecies, and the document lost at the bottom of a bag saying that the sinister "Great Revenance" would be taking place within a few days, the group decided that taking a tenday to rest, get to know Calimport, and shop was the right decision. Hearing this, Halbrinn immediately teleported back to Dagger Falls, so as to spend some time with his wife and use the resources in his study.
He was amazed to find that his wife had sold his house, and had moved his study (and the carefully constructed teleport chamber) to a newer, much larger, house. Her sudden largesse was brought on by her discovery of a mystical talking staff in one of the guest rooms, topped by a lump of green rock. This item (an incredibly powerful artifact which had been carried by both Yvgeny and Rand for a time), had attracted the interest of a traveling mage, who had paid her a fortune in silver and gems to buy it from her.
Halbrinn's reaction was initially concern, but the longer he mused over it, the more he thought that it was in improvement. The staff was now someone else's problem, not theirs. Soon thereafter, he forgot all about it.
In Calimport, and outside the area of dark magic, healing was easy, and the group made the most of their time in the rooms of The Sherbet Fountain, where their Landlord was most happy to feed them roasted camel, and pander to their other bizarre requests. (Abdul, their host, was most confused when Miles' first request was for a camel to eat. "But then" he mused, "these infidels are a funny sort. Maybe they eat camels where they come from…")
---
After the tenday had passed, Halbrinn teleported back to The Sherbet Fountain, and the group packed their bags and backpacks (frequently ensorcelled), oiled their weapons (usually enchanted), and heaved their heavy boots (mostly magical) back onto their feet.
Swinging heavy packs onto their backs, they turned for the door, when a brilliant golden light suddenly shone from Aeron's eyes and mouth, and he began to chant in a commanding female voice.
"Weak, unwilling, ALL SHALL RISE
Old and ailed, ALL SHALL RISE
Strong, yet failed, ALL SHALL RISE
Bold, unwary, ALL SHALL RISE
It is coming, ALL SHALL RISE
The time is coming when the strings, steel and hearts of nations shall be found equal. And then shall be found again."
Then, like a dancing doll with its strings suddenly cut, he dropped to the ground.
Eccles
Ragged idiot in a trilby.
Aeron was very groggy when he came around, but was in fine health, and the group debated briefly what had happened.
"It can't have been Mystra," opined Aeron cynically. Then he frowned, as he felt something diminish within himself. {DM's note - as a wannabe Divine Oracle, disbelieving his first ever true prophecy led to me punishing Aeron with the loss of his highest two level spells for the day. Harsh, but logical enough}
"I don't care where it came from," Miles stated loudly to the others. "It was only Mystra, and she doesn't matter."
Aeron glanced up to see if Mystra would also punish Miles for his impertinence, and felt quite hurt when the black-clad assassin didn't seem to suffer for what he had said. Then it struck him that as one of Mystra's more powerful agents on earth, maybe it was his function to ensure her faith, rather then her own. Hmmm. He began to consider refusing Miles healing for the near future.
The rest of the group stared blankly at Miles, however. Slandering the gods seemed to be a very ill-omened way of beginning this stage of their adventure.
Miles looked around. "What? I don't believe in her. Well, obviously I know she exists." He waved generally at Aeron, "but just because something exists is no reason to go around believing in it."
It was not shaping up to be the most auspicious day on record for the Clearwater Crusaders.
---
They left The Sherbet Fountain, and headed back to the marketplace they had arrived in ten days ago, but had not been back to since.
Making sure that they traveled only along the higher paths and walls, so as not to associate with vagabonds, thieves, slaves or other 'lower orders', they made good time across the teeming city, and soon stood before the dusty arch which had formed the portal from the Underdark.
"Right," said Halbrinn. "How do we get it open again?"
"Easy," Rand replied, casting a prestidigitation spell to scour the arch free of dust.
Although the archway became cleaner instantly, nothing else happened at all. The group looked at one another nervously.
"Ah. Maybe it won't be that easy."
Closer investigation of the archway showed that there had once been some intricate carvings across the top and sides of the stones. Unable to decipher these writings themselves, the group looked around for paper and charcoal to trace them out onto.
"Here, use this." Miles reached into his backpack and pulled out a heavy spellbook, moving to tear half a dozen pages from the back.
Aeron and Halbrinn just stared at him in frank disbelief.
---
Paper and charcoal were found, and the group gathered quite an audience as they traced the symbols carefully from around the archway.
Still not understanding what they had, they asked for, and received, instructions to a local temple of knowledge. There, they were met by a junior acolyte, and managed to fumble their request (using a large amount of sign language) to speak with the High Priest.
An aged Calimpanni in light robes approached after a few minutes, and gestured at them to speak.
They spoke.
He smiled toothlessly at them and jabbered something in his native tongue at them.
"Right! I've had enough. I'm leaving unless you bring me the HIGH PRIEST, savvy?" Miles erupted in a fury at the old man, who nodded, smiling back at him.
The old man stared at the group, who stared back at him. Finally, he beckoned to a pair of young boys, who brought forwards two flat silver dishes, one partially filled with water, and the other totally empty.
Staring at one another, the group shrugged. The did not have a clue what to do, before Halbrinn dropped a large number of coins in the empty dish. The old man smiled, and sent the buys running back into the depths of the temple whilst he concentrated on a brief prayer, then looked back at the group expectantly.
"Can you understand me now, then?" Miles asked, grumpily.
The man nodded.
"Excellent. So what does this say?" Miles grabbed the sheaf of parchments out of Halbrinn's hands and thrust them at the man.
He looked at the parchments, and then jabbered once again in Calimpanni at the group, smiling broadly.
Miles grasped his sword hilts tightly in frustration, but then watched as the man poured over the documents, calling for several books and scrolls to be brought to him by the boys. He compared scripts at length, boring the adventurers to distraction before he looked up once again and gabbled something at them.
"Have you worked it out?"
"Anjuwallhah ulliathnar!" The man nodded, then sketched on the back of a sheet of parchment an archway, and 6 stickmen. He gestured, as though opening a door, pointing at the arch.
"Yes," Miles responded grumpily. "We know it opens a portal. We want to know how."
The old priest bent over the parchment and sketched in another figure; a four-legged creature which he drew in amongst the stones of the archway. Then he grinned back at the group and drew his thumb across his throat, making a wet tearing sound.
The old priest chuckled.
"It can't have been Mystra," opined Aeron cynically. Then he frowned, as he felt something diminish within himself. {DM's note - as a wannabe Divine Oracle, disbelieving his first ever true prophecy led to me punishing Aeron with the loss of his highest two level spells for the day. Harsh, but logical enough}
"I don't care where it came from," Miles stated loudly to the others. "It was only Mystra, and she doesn't matter."
Aeron glanced up to see if Mystra would also punish Miles for his impertinence, and felt quite hurt when the black-clad assassin didn't seem to suffer for what he had said. Then it struck him that as one of Mystra's more powerful agents on earth, maybe it was his function to ensure her faith, rather then her own. Hmmm. He began to consider refusing Miles healing for the near future.
The rest of the group stared blankly at Miles, however. Slandering the gods seemed to be a very ill-omened way of beginning this stage of their adventure.
Miles looked around. "What? I don't believe in her. Well, obviously I know she exists." He waved generally at Aeron, "but just because something exists is no reason to go around believing in it."
It was not shaping up to be the most auspicious day on record for the Clearwater Crusaders.
---
They left The Sherbet Fountain, and headed back to the marketplace they had arrived in ten days ago, but had not been back to since.
Making sure that they traveled only along the higher paths and walls, so as not to associate with vagabonds, thieves, slaves or other 'lower orders', they made good time across the teeming city, and soon stood before the dusty arch which had formed the portal from the Underdark.
"Right," said Halbrinn. "How do we get it open again?"
"Easy," Rand replied, casting a prestidigitation spell to scour the arch free of dust.
Although the archway became cleaner instantly, nothing else happened at all. The group looked at one another nervously.
"Ah. Maybe it won't be that easy."
Closer investigation of the archway showed that there had once been some intricate carvings across the top and sides of the stones. Unable to decipher these writings themselves, the group looked around for paper and charcoal to trace them out onto.
"Here, use this." Miles reached into his backpack and pulled out a heavy spellbook, moving to tear half a dozen pages from the back.
Aeron and Halbrinn just stared at him in frank disbelief.
---
Paper and charcoal were found, and the group gathered quite an audience as they traced the symbols carefully from around the archway.
Still not understanding what they had, they asked for, and received, instructions to a local temple of knowledge. There, they were met by a junior acolyte, and managed to fumble their request (using a large amount of sign language) to speak with the High Priest.
An aged Calimpanni in light robes approached after a few minutes, and gestured at them to speak.
They spoke.
He smiled toothlessly at them and jabbered something in his native tongue at them.
"Right! I've had enough. I'm leaving unless you bring me the HIGH PRIEST, savvy?" Miles erupted in a fury at the old man, who nodded, smiling back at him.
The old man stared at the group, who stared back at him. Finally, he beckoned to a pair of young boys, who brought forwards two flat silver dishes, one partially filled with water, and the other totally empty.
Staring at one another, the group shrugged. The did not have a clue what to do, before Halbrinn dropped a large number of coins in the empty dish. The old man smiled, and sent the buys running back into the depths of the temple whilst he concentrated on a brief prayer, then looked back at the group expectantly.
"Can you understand me now, then?" Miles asked, grumpily.
The man nodded.
"Excellent. So what does this say?" Miles grabbed the sheaf of parchments out of Halbrinn's hands and thrust them at the man.
He looked at the parchments, and then jabbered once again in Calimpanni at the group, smiling broadly.
Miles grasped his sword hilts tightly in frustration, but then watched as the man poured over the documents, calling for several books and scrolls to be brought to him by the boys. He compared scripts at length, boring the adventurers to distraction before he looked up once again and gabbled something at them.
"Have you worked it out?"
"Anjuwallhah ulliathnar!" The man nodded, then sketched on the back of a sheet of parchment an archway, and 6 stickmen. He gestured, as though opening a door, pointing at the arch.
"Yes," Miles responded grumpily. "We know it opens a portal. We want to know how."
The old priest bent over the parchment and sketched in another figure; a four-legged creature which he drew in amongst the stones of the archway. Then he grinned back at the group and drew his thumb across his throat, making a wet tearing sound.
The old priest chuckled.
Eccles
Ragged idiot in a trilby.
"Where are we going to find a goat to sacrifice then?" Miles asked, staring at the others.
"And what right do we have to take its life?" Yvgeny, priest of the God of mercy was already having difficulties with this idea.
The old Calimpanni priest again grinned toothlessly at the group, and tapped himself on the chest.
"You know?" Miles turned on the priest again. "Let me guess. You have a cousin who owns a goat." Miles was adjusting to the way that Calimport worked surprisingly quickly.
The old man nodded, grinning.
"Very well, old man. Send a runner for the goat, and have them meet us in the marketplace". Handing a few more coins to the priest, the group finally turned and left the temple, making their way through the teeming streets until they stood before the archway in the thronging marketplace. They looked at the crowds, which started to gather to see what the entertaining infidels would try to do this time. Then they looked at the market, with stalls selling parchment, and vegetables, and … animals.
"Oh well. We've already paid for a goat. Might as well wait until it arrives."
"We could buy some blood from someone."
"You guys, I'm really not happy about all this, you know."
"Nonsense. We've spent the money, and we're going to wait for our goat."
"So that we can kill it."
"Exactly."
The sight of infidels bickering served to keep the crowd amused, and the locals became even more curious when, twenty minutes later, a small boy came up to the foreigners, dragging a reluctant, tired, scraggy old goat behind him on a length of tatty rope. He handed the rope to Miles, and then fled back into the crowd to watch.
Miles dragged the unfortunate goat to the archway, and then drew his sword, Slayer.
"Wahey!" The blade cried out as it flew from the scabbard. "Here I am to save the day! What needs killing?"
"That." Miles pointed the sword at the goat.
"A Goat?"
"A Goat."
"Is it the dreaded three-headed goat of Yrrb?"
"Does it look like a three headed goat to you?"
"Perhaps the fire-breathing goat of -"
"Look. We're killing the goat, alright?"
"I am the Slayer of beasts I would remind you. It hardly befits…"
But Slayer was suddenly plunged into the poor animal's neck, and blood fountained across the marketplace. Miles held out the carcass like some obscene water-skin.
"Quick. Everybody hold out your hands."
"I'm not sure that I should be-"
"Hold your hands out, you effeminate waste of a monk, if you ever want to get home!"
Yvgeny cupped his hands and filled them with the blood of the slain goat, and joined the rest of the group in smearing the blood across the sides of the archway, which immediately snapped into silvery light as the portal ignited.
Miles, not bothering to clean his hands, rammed them back into his Gauntlets of Ogre Power, and strode through the gateway, with the rest of the group at his heels.
{DM's note - it was a good job that Miles finally slew the goat and got on with it. Rand was about to use a telekinesis spell to lift the goat over the archway and just tear it limb from limb. Which wouldn't have been very cool, really…}
"And what right do we have to take its life?" Yvgeny, priest of the God of mercy was already having difficulties with this idea.
The old Calimpanni priest again grinned toothlessly at the group, and tapped himself on the chest.
"You know?" Miles turned on the priest again. "Let me guess. You have a cousin who owns a goat." Miles was adjusting to the way that Calimport worked surprisingly quickly.
The old man nodded, grinning.
"Very well, old man. Send a runner for the goat, and have them meet us in the marketplace". Handing a few more coins to the priest, the group finally turned and left the temple, making their way through the teeming streets until they stood before the archway in the thronging marketplace. They looked at the crowds, which started to gather to see what the entertaining infidels would try to do this time. Then they looked at the market, with stalls selling parchment, and vegetables, and … animals.
"Oh well. We've already paid for a goat. Might as well wait until it arrives."
"We could buy some blood from someone."
"You guys, I'm really not happy about all this, you know."
"Nonsense. We've spent the money, and we're going to wait for our goat."
"So that we can kill it."
"Exactly."
The sight of infidels bickering served to keep the crowd amused, and the locals became even more curious when, twenty minutes later, a small boy came up to the foreigners, dragging a reluctant, tired, scraggy old goat behind him on a length of tatty rope. He handed the rope to Miles, and then fled back into the crowd to watch.
Miles dragged the unfortunate goat to the archway, and then drew his sword, Slayer.
"Wahey!" The blade cried out as it flew from the scabbard. "Here I am to save the day! What needs killing?"
"That." Miles pointed the sword at the goat.
"A Goat?"
"A Goat."
"Is it the dreaded three-headed goat of Yrrb?"
"Does it look like a three headed goat to you?"
"Perhaps the fire-breathing goat of -"
"Look. We're killing the goat, alright?"
"I am the Slayer of beasts I would remind you. It hardly befits…"
But Slayer was suddenly plunged into the poor animal's neck, and blood fountained across the marketplace. Miles held out the carcass like some obscene water-skin.
"Quick. Everybody hold out your hands."
"I'm not sure that I should be-"
"Hold your hands out, you effeminate waste of a monk, if you ever want to get home!"
Yvgeny cupped his hands and filled them with the blood of the slain goat, and joined the rest of the group in smearing the blood across the sides of the archway, which immediately snapped into silvery light as the portal ignited.
Miles, not bothering to clean his hands, rammed them back into his Gauntlets of Ogre Power, and strode through the gateway, with the rest of the group at his heels.
{DM's note - it was a good job that Miles finally slew the goat and got on with it. Rand was about to use a telekinesis spell to lift the goat over the archway and just tear it limb from limb. Which wouldn't have been very cool, really…}
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