Dungeon of the Fire Opal, part V

[Taz]

“If I remember correctly, the witch was sent here to recruit that dragon. Maybe I should reread those passages and compare them with the pictures we found here.”

If noone objects, Taz will pull out the diary and begin to reread it, looking for a connection between the witch or her dark master and these devilish figures on the bas-reliefs.

“Did we check the whole area now? Where might that stone be? Doh! Looks like we have to search really careful again, that could take many hours. Maybe we have overlooked some secret room.”

OOC: Here's the old information from the diary for your convenience...

Times passes.

The witch burns and Taz reads.

The book is half spellbook, half journal. Taz can't read all of it, because some part, mostly at the start, is written in Infernal runes.

Taz gets the impression that the witch wasn't from this world, and that she began writing in Draconic runes after having come to Faerun and met a group of people. She then became part of this 'organization' (which is not named in the journal, but is sometimes referred to as 'The Cult'.).

The journal then chronicles things she did for them, especially for someone name 'Whisper'. All of it took place on the Dragon Coast. It was mostly errand work and such, and you get the impression she wasn't very highly placed in that organization.

At the end, she describes receiving a 'holy mission' from someone referred to as 'Brimstone'. She was to go to the ruins of the Monastery of the Opal Fist and find a red dragon wyrmling there. She was also to recruit it for the organization and was assisted in this by 2 imps that where provided to her by Whisper. She later discovered that the dragon in question was in fact an Abyssal dragon and that she and the imp couldn't get anywhere with it, due to its 'chaotic' and 'destructive' nature, as she puts it.

This was when they found and hired a pair of lizardfolk trainers, named Vaasta and Shengam, to approach the beast and tame it a bit. They had more success. They were progressing nicely when a group of meddling adventurers happened upon their setup, drove off the lizardfolk and killed the dragons and one imp.

The witch vows vengeance on you as the final line of her journal.

Oh, and her name was Skazzyg.

It's hard to get more precise details, however, as the witch was prone to change language frequently, even sometimes in mid-phrase.

If you have any precise questions, ask away...

 

[HeavyG]

“Did we check the whole area now? Where might that stone be? Doh! Looks like we have to search really careful again, that could take many hours. Maybe we have overlooked some secret room.”

At this point, I realize I may have misled you.

When I said the corridor turned east, which would connect with the former eastbound corridor, it was true, but I neglected to mention that if you looked around the corner, you would see there's another corridor going south. But now I see that you might think that your character did in fact look there to confirm that the corridor was the same one as before when it wasn't the case.

Anyway, looking around the corner reveals the following situation.

So there are two places left unexplored : that corridor and the south-bound corridor near the entrance. Both are marked "here" on the map. The red arrows indicate the two rooms you explored last.

 

[HeavyG]

Note also that the previous map is not in combat-scale, so it might not match exactly previous maps.

"Ya, but what did Taz say about the stories of the monks?

Weren't they good at one time?

Wasn't it Murhid that knew things about the monastery ?


Here's what Archibald said to the party :

“Through magical means beyond your comprehension, I have found such a gem. About 20 years ago, there was a group of monks known as the Order of the Opal Fist whose most sacred relic was a fire opal carved in the shape, and the size of, a fist. These monks dwelled in a monastery in the mountains to the south-west of Teziir. They kept to themselves, with very little presence in the surrounding lands. I do not know what happened to them, but their monastery was destroyed at that time.”

“I would like you to go there and retrieve the gem that is supposed to lie there still. The monks are all dead, so they certainly do not need it. And I cannot go myself because there are … things … in this house that required my daily attention. A gem of that size is worth about 7000 pieces of gold, but at that price, you would not be able to sell it easily or quickly, nor at full price. I intend to give you the full 7000 gold pieces if you bring me the gem. Provided you all accept, it would mean 1000 pieces of gold each, plus whatever you find in the Monastery ruins. Quite a fortune.”

Ah, found it. Here's what Murhid knew :

Murhid - You have heard of the Order of the Opal Fist before. They were very secretive, even for monks, and did not welcome strangers at all in their monastery. A long time ago, a group of Monks of the Sun Soul sought shelter at that monastery for a night while travelling through the region and they were refused access, even though the weather outside was dangerously cold and rainy. They probably had something to hide.

And here's what he told the party :

"I am sorry Kytess my travels only extend as far as The Snowflake Mountains and The Shining Planes." With a Short pause he adds
"Though I have heard of this Opal Fist, if they still occupy the area It would be safe as not to trust them when first encountered." Then adds a small nod, to say goodnight
He then heads to the area for tonights lodging. Gathers all of his belongings making sure they are all secure (to prevent theft). The hood of his coat soon covers his head with a flick from his wrist, he makes his way quietly to the front entrance and slips out into the commotion of the night.

 

[Jalon Odessa]

While his companions continue their discussion, Jalon moves to the front of the party, and begins leading the way to an unexplored corridor.

[OOC: Jalon moves to O5 as soon as everyone's ready to progress, Heavy G.]

 

[Taz]

OOC: Ahhh... Yes you got that right, I thought the two corridors would connect with no further exit! What's that other area we left unexplored? That must be near the ghost, right?

Taz keeps up with Jalon to explore the big room.

 

[Taz]

OOC: Ahhh (again)... I was under the impression, that the secret door at F7 (new map) connects to the southbound corridor in the C column (new map also)! And thanks, Heavy G, for reposting Murhid's information about the monastary, the whole picture surely makes more sense to me now, since I had already forgotten about Murhid's warning!

“I hope the monks didn't trade their most precious possession with those vile creatures they seem to have allied with. But Archibald was rather sure about the gem being here, wasn't he?”

Taz takes on a rather thoughtful look.

“That might be a little far of a stretch, but could the 'fire opal' been the dragon hatchling's egg? This would be a connection to the witch we encountered here. Maybe it's just a coincidence, tho, and she's nothing to do with the creatures that corrupted the monks who lived here. Well, the fire opal was described to us like a gem, so that's probably just some silly thought!”

She shrugs and follows Jalon's lead to the entry of the big room.

 

[HeavyG]

Jalon moves to the mouth of the corridor, with the rest of the party close by.

Peeking around the corner, he sees a hallway with doors on both side, and no immediate danger.

A more careful look using Taz's light reveals a 10'wide corridor littered with jumbled refuse. Six doors (three on each side) line the 70' long corridor that seems to end up in a room.

The doors themselves are large and wooden, with no handle on the outside. They alternate : one to the left, one to the right, one to the left... Some stand very slightly ajar.

The underfoot clutter seems to consist mainly of decades-old decomposing bodies. Near the mouth of the corridor is one large, strange bone, poking out from the mess. The bone seems inscribed with evil-looking runes.

As you see all that, Taz's light pales gradually, plunging the far reaches of the corridor in darkness. Then, a sound like some glass shattering pierces the silence of the dark, dank dungeon, coming from the room ahead.

 

[Taz]

Taz mumbles quietly to herself. “It must be creatures, or danger...”

Then a little louder. “Shhh... there seems to be something ahead.”

She takes out one of her silvered daggers and gets ready.

 

[Sollir Furryfoot]

"Sure thing..." Sollir grabs his shortbow and follows behind Taz, his eyes darting from left to right and up to down...

 

[reapersaurus]

Ubaar's normally jovial manner immediately goes razor-straight with the presence of menace...

He unsheathes his greatsword and shifts his vision to the dark range, now that the light from Taz's vial stopped illuminating the corridor.

He smells the air to see what information it may obtain about the coming foe, peering into the dark...