Endur's Return to TOEE part 2

[Endur]

The party rests and recuperates in their new unpleasant home.

Belaver, Craven, and Torn receive the spells they prayed for, although they lack access to spell components and divine foci.

Craven heals his wounds using his supernatural Laying on Hands ability and casting the spell Cure Light Wounds.

 

[Endur]

Using his Arcane Sight ability, Kerwyn was able to determine that the ugly old woman has faint arcane and divine spell casting capabilities. Kerwyn was also able to determine that the lever on the wall controls a moderately powerful magical effect.

 

[Endur]

The male gray elven cultist with the long face, the female half-elf cultist, and the old ugly blue-skinned woman appear in the corner near the lever.

The elven cultist speaks,

“I am Varachan. You are no doubt wondering why you are still alive. What possible value you could have to us?

Before most of you were born, the Temple of Elemental Evil outside Nulb was sealed and heroes of Hommlet set watch upon its wards.

“When most of you were but children, Master Hedrack received orders from the Old One to free the Demon Queen bound within the Temple of Elemental Evil outside Nulb. A powerful artifact, containing powers from both the Old One and the Demon Queen, was intended to be used for this purpose.

“A golden orb in the shape of a skull, set with four gems equidistant around the orb.

“We want that orb. And one of you knows where it is.

“Yes, yes, we know the orb was destroyed by the band of heroes that foiled Master Hedrack in the original temple. Canoness Y’Dey, Otto, and Elmo shattered the orb. But we want the pieces of the orb! Where are the remains of the Orb of Golden Death?

”You will tell us what we want to know! Tell us now, and Naquent promises you a quick painless death. Otherwise, you will be tortured until you tell. Until you beg for your own death. And once we have what we seek, your souls will be sacrificed to the Dark Lord.”



Using his arcane sight ability, Kerwyn is able to determine that Varachan does not have any spells memorized and that Naquent has divine spells of moderate power. Both Varachan and Naquent have magical items of moderate power.

Belaver, Kerwyn, and Toriah notice that the ugly old woman is missing her left eye. They thought she had two eyes the last time they saw her.

 

[Endur]

Verachan continues his monologue, "The Glory and Greatness of our leaders' plan depends on obtaining these fragments. So we will obtain the fragments. It is inevitable.

"Do not think that you can escape. Daagra is your jailer, and she has the strength of ten men. Even if you could somehow escape the forcecages, her strong arms would pin you fast.

"Luckily, Naquent's room is right across the hallway from the entrance to jail. Even if you could escape Daagra, you would run right into Naquent's waiting sacrificial knife.

"There is no hope that anyone will come to rescue you. Those who used you and sent you here have forgotten you. Abandon hope and adopt obedience.

"Tell us what we want to know and you will earn the only escape there is from this place, a swift death."

 

[Manzanita]

Torn eyes her captives with venum. "I don't know of this skull you seek. Verachan, how can you trust this cult? You belong to an ancient race wed to this world. This cult would destroy this world. They would lie and betrey anyone to obtain their ends. We are the only ones you can trust in this entire complex. Set us free. We can work with you to do something better!"

 

[Endur]

Naquent smiles and draws her knife after Torn's words. As if she is preparing to cut Torn's throat.

Verachan responds to Torn in a patronizing manner, "Perhaps you did not pay attention when you encountered Gray Elves in the Temple of All Consumption. Yes, we gray elves belong to an ancient race that is wedded to this world. But you humans do not. You humans are a corruption upon this planet. Here we gray elves will find the power to restore the Oerth unto what is once was."

The way Verachan says those words, you get the feeling that he has preached them many times before.

Verachan continues, "Naquent would like to cut your throat this moment. But I am in charge here and not her. And I don't believe your statement that you know nothing of the fragments. You may prefer death to giving up the secret. But I will not let you cheat us of our destiny."

 

[Paxus Asclepius]

Toriah asks Belaver, "Belaver, I want to thank you and th' Gods for returning me to life.
"After th' cultists torture and kill us, will one of the Druids in Hommlet reincarnate th' lot of us back in Hommlet, safe and sound?"

"I'm not sure if any of them can; it is rarely done even by those who have the power. I would prefer not to learn, either way."

 

[Endur]

Toriah responds to Belaver, "I was afraid you would say something like that."

 

[Endur]

After Varachan's monlogue, the three cultists (Varachan, Naquent, and the one-eyed Hag) go pull on the lever in the corner of the room and vanish from sight.

A couple of minutes later, Kerwyn (and all the other contents of his cell, disused bowls, etc.) abruptly disappears from his cell.

Kerwyn reappears in a 60' by 40' stark chamber that has a single closed door for an exit. The room has a large black lever set into the middl eof the floor, standing about four feet high. Around the base of the lever, a 1 foot diamater dial can be adjusted to point to any of twelve numbers. Just behind and to the right and the left of the lever, two 10-foot circles are inscribed into the floor and filled with silver.

Kerwyn finds himself in the left of the 10-foot circles and the dial next to the lever is currently set to the number 8.

Kerwyn finds himself encircled by the ugly hag (who now has two eyes), Varachan, and Naquent. Naquent has her dagger in her hand and the muscles of her hand continue to twitch uncontrollably.

Varachan speaks, "Now, Kerwyn, I know that you are purveyor of fine jewels. The orb of golden death was set with four jewels. If you don't know of it by that name, it was also called YellowSkull, Goldenskull, and Death Orb. Perhaps you could tell me where the jewels are. Don't worry about the Garnet that was the Elemental Gem of Fire. I want to know about the Elemental Gems of Air, Earth, and Water ... one was a Smoky Quartz, one was a Carnelian, and the third was an Aquamarine.
"The destiny of the world depends on your answer.
"I am certain you can give me at least a hint as to where one of the gems might lie."

 

[Endur]

Kerwyn doesn't think he has seen the stones the cultist is talking about. Tulian's Eye, which Final once guarded and is now in the Dragon's Lair, was a diamond.

Kerwyn has probably seen non-magical versions of the gems that the cultist is talking about. But everything the cultist is saying leads Kerwyn to believe that these "elemental gems" have magical powers that are readily appearent.

The cultist, Verachan, seems quite confident that Kerwyn in fact knows where the gems are.

The more Kerwyn thinks about it, the more he considers that he might have heard Elmo or Canoness Y'Dey talking about the Golden Orb of Death when they discussed their conquest of the Temple of Elemental Evil.

Kerwyn remembers that the Gnome Neirethi Poscurian who claimed first share of the loot from the Moathouse (before he was eaten by a giant frog) talked about a jeweled sphere, which some stories said was made of gold or silver or onyx and supposedly belonged to the warlord that commanded the moathouse.