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<blockquote data-quote="Beale Knight" data-source="post: 2438810" data-attributes="member: 7033"><p><strong>Deeper into the Temple</strong></p><p></p><p>Ren and Dumb Bear returned to the quarters to find Aneirin and Bessie still fast asleep, and they joined them in slumber. Afternoon was waning when the woke and addressed what to do next. While getting back to the temple was a certainty, there were a few other points that came first on their agenda. </p><p></p><p>First was a visit to the Sons of Lastelle council chambers to ask the question Ren had voiced earlier. </p><p></p><p>“Why aren’t you using those folks at the tonk, the tavern, on the other side of the woods?” he asked. </p><p></p><p>“Bah!” the eldest Son answered. “Those drunken sods are a waste of flesh. Lazy and useless. They are worse than no help.”</p><p></p><p>“Ridiculous,” Aneirin said. “They are warm bodies. If nothing else they could throw rocks at the invaders. You must go and recruit them.”</p><p></p><p>“And how,” the Son retorted with a sour look on his face, “are we to do that when we have barely the manpower to see to our defenses. We can’t risk a troop going throught the woods when they might be ambushed by lizard-men at any moment.”</p><p></p><p>“You’ve got boats,” Bessie said. “Use them.”</p><p></p><p>“They won’t care,” the Son said. “They care only about their drinking.”</p><p></p><p>“We’ll come along and motivate them,” Aneirin said. “Just ready the boats and pilots. We’ll handle the rest. We insist.”</p><p> </p><p>The Sons reluctantly agreed, and a little over an hour later a handful of small boats came ashore near the tonk. The Heroes walked up and strode right inside. There was a little activity; the sun was still up so things were generally quiet. What men were awake stopped what they were doing to stare at the strangers that had returned. </p><p></p><p>Ren banged two metal pots together, making enough of a clatter to stir the rest of them. Without preamble, Aneirin began to speak. “The town is under attack. Vicious lizard-men have broken its defenses and most of their able bodied men are out at sea. They may return home to find it is no longer there. Many women and children and men have already met death at the hands of these inhuman monsters, and those that survive need your help. We, my companions here and I, have already taken the battle to the lizard-men, and have slain many of them. They can be killed and the situation is far from hopeless. But your help is needed. The town needs more defenders and we have brought the call to you!” As he spoke, Aneirin stood as heroically as he knew how, doing his best to present a picture of the noble, inspiring warrior. </p><p></p><p>Someone threw a chunk of cheese at him. “Sod off!” “Yeah, what do we care about what goes on there?” “Them folks ain’t never had nothing to do with us, why should we ought to put ourselves out for them?”</p><p></p><p>Bessie stepped up. “Don’t you see that they’ll just come here when they finish off the town. You won’t be safe.”</p><p></p><p>“We’re safe enough here, always have been.” “Yeah – sounds like you’re just shilling for the Sons.”</p><p></p><p>Ren cleared his throat. “We found out one of the things they want,” he said. “They want your ale. And apparently aren’t too particular if they have to get it out of your blood.” The men in the tavern blinked at Ren, then turned to look at each other, then back at him. Ren continued his lie. “Oh yeah. We found where they wrecked up that place in town with the drink. They weren’t happy with the ale they found there. They’re trying to find out where the good stuff is. The Sons aren’t saying so, I think they’re embarrassed that their town’s attacked because the lizard-men want your ale, and not something more high minded.”</p><p></p><p>“They want – the grog? Our grog?”</p><p></p><p>Ren nodded. “Near as we can tell. And we are obliged to defend the town there. We want to do it by slaying the monsters that are attacking it, but if we have to do it by giving them what they want we’ll do that. It’ll send them right here, but the town’ll be safe for it.” He looked down and shook his head. “Be a shame about all the grog though. What doesn’t get spilt going down the throats of the lizards. Pity really.”</p><p></p><p>Fifteen minutes later the boats were filled with the men from the tonk and headed back to the town. Once they docked, the drunks were handed over to one of the young fighters that had been manning the barricade yesterday. The Maisseners went to check the progress on the gate, and found it impressive. </p><p></p><p>Jon’s team had the doors hammered shut and braced. These would slow down an assault considerably. He proudly showed off the rope and plank method he’d overseen that would let the Heroes ride out over the wall and past the defensive ditch. In a day, he had gone from over his head overwhelmed to an able and clever commander. </p><p></p><p>“And there’s some more good news,” Jon said after the tour. “While you were asleep we saw a flare from the fishing ship. They should be back in town within a day or so.” </p><p></p><p>“Wonderful,” Aneirin said, mentally checking off that last item from the Heroes’ agenda. “With that set, it’s time to get ready for a second assault on the lizard-men’s lair.” Within an hour all their last minute preparations were made and the Heroes were making their way over the town’s wall. </p><p></p><p>“One last thing,” Jon said. He handed two arrows to Aneirin. “These are flares. We’ll be keeping a watch on the wall. Send up one and we’ll take it to mean to expect you coming hard and fast with monsters right behind you. Send up both and we’ll take it to mean things are even worse – we won’t be looking for you.”</p><p></p><p>Aneirin nodded and handed the arrows to Ren. “Hopefully we won’t need to use either.” </p><p></p><p>The ride up the trail into the wooded mountains went quietly. Soon the briarwood barricade was in sight, but before the Heroes could draw close there was a WHOOSH! and the thing went up in flames. </p><p></p><p>”They’re using our own tricks against us,” Ren said. </p><p></p><p>“Ready for attack,” Aneirin said. </p><p></p><p>No attack came. The flames died out leaving a pile of burnt brambles on the path. Ren scouted ahead, but came back reporting nothing. “Looks like they scrambled inside during the fire. This one’ll be tougher I bet.” </p><p></p><p>Carefully, the Heroes rode up to the temple entrance. No ambush came. They lit their lantern and slowly stepped inside. That huge first room was the same as before, still filthy and empty of life. Ren and Aneirin chose to ride their mounts on into the place, just so one wouldn’t have to run back to get them. </p><p></p><p>At the far end of the great entry was the first sign the lizard-men had worked at bolstering their defenses. The door that had been spiked open was shut. It opened with the same ease as before, but this time the Heroes left it free. Off to the right, Bessie pointed out where the rope Ren had tied around the double doors to the west lay in pieces on the floor. </p><p></p><p>Those doors were closed, so Ren dismounted and carefully pushed them open. Aneirin dismounted, but let Dumb Bear took the first step into the room, using his elf sight to peer further than the humans were able. </p><p></p><p>An arrow nearly struck his pointed ears. “There!” Dumb Bear shouted. “Bad!” He pointed to a barricade at the far corner of the room, and Aneirin charged. Dumb Bear roared something else and followed on his heels. Ren stepped close enough to fire a few arrows but it was the two warriors, standing on a hastily made barricade of bones and rubbish, that slaughtered most of the kobolds. Two escaped down the tunnel, which the Heroes packed tight with the garbage to hamper any future efforts by the kobolds to occupy the place.</p><p></p><p>The entire scene replayed itself when the Maisseners investigated the opposite door. It wasn’t until they entered the big pillared hall that they found where something significant had been changed. </p><p></p><p>“There’s light,” Bessie said. Indeed the room was quite well lit. As Aneirin and Dumb Bear carefully stepped in, they could see the entire room perfectly well. Four torches had been attached to each of the four pillars. </p><p></p><p>“Too strange,” Ren said. “They don’t need this kind of light, do they?”</p><p></p><p>“See better,” Dumb Bear said, pointing to his own eyes. </p><p></p><p>“This means they can see us as well,” Aneirin said. “Be ready.”</p><p></p><p>Weapons drawn, the four entered. Sandy’s claws and Avashan’s hooves echoed as they stepped on the smooth floor, but there was no other sound. No ambush came as the Heroes crossed the room. </p><p></p><p>“They’ve closed the door at the back,” Bessie said. “They might be waiting just on the other side.”</p><p></p><p>Aneirin and Ren dismounted and the party assembled in a now-standard formation to open the door. As Ren crouched down at the door handle he noticed something odd. “There’s a wire,” he said as he stood. “They’ve rigged this door.”</p><p></p><p>“Can you dismantle it?” Aneirin asked. </p><p></p><p>Ren looked back at the door, then to the others. “Well, no. I know what I’m doing with some simple hunting traps, but this is more than I’ve ever dealt with.”*</p><p></p><p>The Maisseners discussed a variety of ideas for several minutes, but it was clear that they simply had no delicate way to get around the trap. Finally the decided on a brash method. </p><p></p><p>As the other three took cover with the mounts on the far side of the room, Dumb Bear hoisted the large cauldron from its position between the pillars. He carried it toward the rigged door, judging the distance carefully, then threw it. The cauldron, still mostly full with cold, town-person soup, hit the door handle almost dead on. </p><p></p><p>It was close enough to trigger the trap. </p><p></p><p>The party had expected some sort of fireball blast. What they got was much subtler. From the ceiling an odd power fell. When the powder made contact with the torch flames it hissed and became a gas. The gas billowed throughout the room, catching all the Heroes in its midst. It wasn’t a deadly poison, none of the Maisseners died, but they all coughed and wheezed and hacked for several long minutes. </p><p></p><p>“Trap works pretty good,” Ren said through a cough. </p><p></p><p>Bessie nodded. “We’ll have to give our compliments to the designers. Then kill them.”</p><p></p><p>The party stayed in the room recovering their breath for a few minutes longer, then carried on to the throne room and then deeper into the caves. Their initial impression that the man-made section of the dungeon had ended were quickly proven false. The wide tunnel going into the dark narrowed and its walls became as smooth as those in the first rooms. They heard the sound of flowing water again, and it grew louder as they progressed down the hall. </p><p></p><p>Then they began to hear the sound of heavy breathing.</p><p></p><p>At last they found the source of the water sound, in another smooth walled room the size of a tavern room. Cutting the room in half was a twenty foot wide river, flowing through a squared off ditch that disappeared into the left and right walls. Beyond were a pair of pillars, and then blackness. Their lantern’s light only cast so far. The heavy breathing continued, but from where, and how far away, was still impossible to determine. </p><p></p><p>“Well this is some puzzle,” Ren said. He’d dismounted from Sandy and was standing at the edge of the ditch. </p><p></p><p>“Too much to jump, and the mounts probably couldn’t make it either,” Bessie said. </p><p></p><p>Aneirin stood from where he’d been checking the water’s depth with a spear. “About fifteen feet,” he said. “And flowing too fast for a safe swim.”</p><p></p><p>Ren shook his head. “All this power we got. Strength, stealth, weapons that have been the death of more foes then we can remember, all kinds of supplies for dungeoneering, and here we are stumped by a stretch of water.” He was thinking that just getting across wasn’t the problem. Getting across with everyone and all the gear they’d need – that was the challenge. </p><p></p><p>“Pitons and ropes are going to be our best option,” Aneirin said. </p><p></p><p>“Have we got enough?” Ren asked.</p><p></p><p>Bessie nodded. “Probably, I still have the dwarf spelunking kit, and there should be more on Avarshan.”</p><p></p><p>As the three of them discussed how to go about it, Dumb Bear, bored by the conversation in a language he could barely understand, decided to test the water for himself. He stuck one foot in and there was a sudden screech from upstream. </p><p></p><p>* As a wilderness rogue (from Unearth Arcana), Ren put no points in Disable Device (or Tumble, but that’s another story).</p><p></p><p>Next: Deeper in the Depths - Two Grand Discoveries POST 157</p><p>Soon: “Oh and by the way - - -“</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Beale Knight, post: 2438810, member: 7033"] [b]Deeper into the Temple[/b] Ren and Dumb Bear returned to the quarters to find Aneirin and Bessie still fast asleep, and they joined them in slumber. Afternoon was waning when the woke and addressed what to do next. While getting back to the temple was a certainty, there were a few other points that came first on their agenda. First was a visit to the Sons of Lastelle council chambers to ask the question Ren had voiced earlier. “Why aren’t you using those folks at the tonk, the tavern, on the other side of the woods?” he asked. “Bah!” the eldest Son answered. “Those drunken sods are a waste of flesh. Lazy and useless. They are worse than no help.” “Ridiculous,” Aneirin said. “They are warm bodies. If nothing else they could throw rocks at the invaders. You must go and recruit them.” “And how,” the Son retorted with a sour look on his face, “are we to do that when we have barely the manpower to see to our defenses. We can’t risk a troop going throught the woods when they might be ambushed by lizard-men at any moment.” “You’ve got boats,” Bessie said. “Use them.” “They won’t care,” the Son said. “They care only about their drinking.” “We’ll come along and motivate them,” Aneirin said. “Just ready the boats and pilots. We’ll handle the rest. We insist.” The Sons reluctantly agreed, and a little over an hour later a handful of small boats came ashore near the tonk. The Heroes walked up and strode right inside. There was a little activity; the sun was still up so things were generally quiet. What men were awake stopped what they were doing to stare at the strangers that had returned. Ren banged two metal pots together, making enough of a clatter to stir the rest of them. Without preamble, Aneirin began to speak. “The town is under attack. Vicious lizard-men have broken its defenses and most of their able bodied men are out at sea. They may return home to find it is no longer there. Many women and children and men have already met death at the hands of these inhuman monsters, and those that survive need your help. We, my companions here and I, have already taken the battle to the lizard-men, and have slain many of them. They can be killed and the situation is far from hopeless. But your help is needed. The town needs more defenders and we have brought the call to you!” As he spoke, Aneirin stood as heroically as he knew how, doing his best to present a picture of the noble, inspiring warrior. Someone threw a chunk of cheese at him. “Sod off!” “Yeah, what do we care about what goes on there?” “Them folks ain’t never had nothing to do with us, why should we ought to put ourselves out for them?” Bessie stepped up. “Don’t you see that they’ll just come here when they finish off the town. You won’t be safe.” “We’re safe enough here, always have been.” “Yeah – sounds like you’re just shilling for the Sons.” Ren cleared his throat. “We found out one of the things they want,” he said. “They want your ale. And apparently aren’t too particular if they have to get it out of your blood.” The men in the tavern blinked at Ren, then turned to look at each other, then back at him. Ren continued his lie. “Oh yeah. We found where they wrecked up that place in town with the drink. They weren’t happy with the ale they found there. They’re trying to find out where the good stuff is. The Sons aren’t saying so, I think they’re embarrassed that their town’s attacked because the lizard-men want your ale, and not something more high minded.” “They want – the grog? Our grog?” Ren nodded. “Near as we can tell. And we are obliged to defend the town there. We want to do it by slaying the monsters that are attacking it, but if we have to do it by giving them what they want we’ll do that. It’ll send them right here, but the town’ll be safe for it.” He looked down and shook his head. “Be a shame about all the grog though. What doesn’t get spilt going down the throats of the lizards. Pity really.” Fifteen minutes later the boats were filled with the men from the tonk and headed back to the town. Once they docked, the drunks were handed over to one of the young fighters that had been manning the barricade yesterday. The Maisseners went to check the progress on the gate, and found it impressive. Jon’s team had the doors hammered shut and braced. These would slow down an assault considerably. He proudly showed off the rope and plank method he’d overseen that would let the Heroes ride out over the wall and past the defensive ditch. In a day, he had gone from over his head overwhelmed to an able and clever commander. “And there’s some more good news,” Jon said after the tour. “While you were asleep we saw a flare from the fishing ship. They should be back in town within a day or so.” “Wonderful,” Aneirin said, mentally checking off that last item from the Heroes’ agenda. “With that set, it’s time to get ready for a second assault on the lizard-men’s lair.” Within an hour all their last minute preparations were made and the Heroes were making their way over the town’s wall. “One last thing,” Jon said. He handed two arrows to Aneirin. “These are flares. We’ll be keeping a watch on the wall. Send up one and we’ll take it to mean to expect you coming hard and fast with monsters right behind you. Send up both and we’ll take it to mean things are even worse – we won’t be looking for you.” Aneirin nodded and handed the arrows to Ren. “Hopefully we won’t need to use either.” The ride up the trail into the wooded mountains went quietly. Soon the briarwood barricade was in sight, but before the Heroes could draw close there was a WHOOSH! and the thing went up in flames. ”They’re using our own tricks against us,” Ren said. “Ready for attack,” Aneirin said. No attack came. The flames died out leaving a pile of burnt brambles on the path. Ren scouted ahead, but came back reporting nothing. “Looks like they scrambled inside during the fire. This one’ll be tougher I bet.” Carefully, the Heroes rode up to the temple entrance. No ambush came. They lit their lantern and slowly stepped inside. That huge first room was the same as before, still filthy and empty of life. Ren and Aneirin chose to ride their mounts on into the place, just so one wouldn’t have to run back to get them. At the far end of the great entry was the first sign the lizard-men had worked at bolstering their defenses. The door that had been spiked open was shut. It opened with the same ease as before, but this time the Heroes left it free. Off to the right, Bessie pointed out where the rope Ren had tied around the double doors to the west lay in pieces on the floor. Those doors were closed, so Ren dismounted and carefully pushed them open. Aneirin dismounted, but let Dumb Bear took the first step into the room, using his elf sight to peer further than the humans were able. An arrow nearly struck his pointed ears. “There!” Dumb Bear shouted. “Bad!” He pointed to a barricade at the far corner of the room, and Aneirin charged. Dumb Bear roared something else and followed on his heels. Ren stepped close enough to fire a few arrows but it was the two warriors, standing on a hastily made barricade of bones and rubbish, that slaughtered most of the kobolds. Two escaped down the tunnel, which the Heroes packed tight with the garbage to hamper any future efforts by the kobolds to occupy the place. The entire scene replayed itself when the Maisseners investigated the opposite door. It wasn’t until they entered the big pillared hall that they found where something significant had been changed. “There’s light,” Bessie said. Indeed the room was quite well lit. As Aneirin and Dumb Bear carefully stepped in, they could see the entire room perfectly well. Four torches had been attached to each of the four pillars. “Too strange,” Ren said. “They don’t need this kind of light, do they?” “See better,” Dumb Bear said, pointing to his own eyes. “This means they can see us as well,” Aneirin said. “Be ready.” Weapons drawn, the four entered. Sandy’s claws and Avashan’s hooves echoed as they stepped on the smooth floor, but there was no other sound. No ambush came as the Heroes crossed the room. “They’ve closed the door at the back,” Bessie said. “They might be waiting just on the other side.” Aneirin and Ren dismounted and the party assembled in a now-standard formation to open the door. As Ren crouched down at the door handle he noticed something odd. “There’s a wire,” he said as he stood. “They’ve rigged this door.” “Can you dismantle it?” Aneirin asked. Ren looked back at the door, then to the others. “Well, no. I know what I’m doing with some simple hunting traps, but this is more than I’ve ever dealt with.”* The Maisseners discussed a variety of ideas for several minutes, but it was clear that they simply had no delicate way to get around the trap. Finally the decided on a brash method. As the other three took cover with the mounts on the far side of the room, Dumb Bear hoisted the large cauldron from its position between the pillars. He carried it toward the rigged door, judging the distance carefully, then threw it. The cauldron, still mostly full with cold, town-person soup, hit the door handle almost dead on. It was close enough to trigger the trap. The party had expected some sort of fireball blast. What they got was much subtler. From the ceiling an odd power fell. When the powder made contact with the torch flames it hissed and became a gas. The gas billowed throughout the room, catching all the Heroes in its midst. It wasn’t a deadly poison, none of the Maisseners died, but they all coughed and wheezed and hacked for several long minutes. “Trap works pretty good,” Ren said through a cough. Bessie nodded. “We’ll have to give our compliments to the designers. Then kill them.” The party stayed in the room recovering their breath for a few minutes longer, then carried on to the throne room and then deeper into the caves. Their initial impression that the man-made section of the dungeon had ended were quickly proven false. The wide tunnel going into the dark narrowed and its walls became as smooth as those in the first rooms. They heard the sound of flowing water again, and it grew louder as they progressed down the hall. Then they began to hear the sound of heavy breathing. At last they found the source of the water sound, in another smooth walled room the size of a tavern room. Cutting the room in half was a twenty foot wide river, flowing through a squared off ditch that disappeared into the left and right walls. Beyond were a pair of pillars, and then blackness. Their lantern’s light only cast so far. The heavy breathing continued, but from where, and how far away, was still impossible to determine. “Well this is some puzzle,” Ren said. He’d dismounted from Sandy and was standing at the edge of the ditch. “Too much to jump, and the mounts probably couldn’t make it either,” Bessie said. Aneirin stood from where he’d been checking the water’s depth with a spear. “About fifteen feet,” he said. “And flowing too fast for a safe swim.” Ren shook his head. “All this power we got. Strength, stealth, weapons that have been the death of more foes then we can remember, all kinds of supplies for dungeoneering, and here we are stumped by a stretch of water.” He was thinking that just getting across wasn’t the problem. Getting across with everyone and all the gear they’d need – that was the challenge. “Pitons and ropes are going to be our best option,” Aneirin said. “Have we got enough?” Ren asked. Bessie nodded. “Probably, I still have the dwarf spelunking kit, and there should be more on Avarshan.” As the three of them discussed how to go about it, Dumb Bear, bored by the conversation in a language he could barely understand, decided to test the water for himself. He stuck one foot in and there was a sudden screech from upstream. * As a wilderness rogue (from Unearth Arcana), Ren put no points in Disable Device (or Tumble, but that’s another story). Next: Deeper in the Depths - Two Grand Discoveries POST 157 Soon: “Oh and by the way - - -“ [/QUOTE]
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