Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="el-remmen" data-source="post: 2820116" data-attributes="member: 11"> Session #80 (part i)The black brackish water in the narrow corridor below came up to Kazrack’s knee.  Something bumped against his leg, and he could see that pieces of bone with still rotting flesh on them floated here or there.  There were more empty niches for the dead high up on either side of the wall.  Metal doors book-ended the corridor.  Martin the Green came down next and Dorn followed.  They went to the left and found the large metal door there to be untrapped and easily opened.Beyond was a room that was about forty feet by eighty feet, and on the far wall they could see the black stone border of some kind of archway or portal etched with golden runes. But the passageway and the runes were obscured by hundreds of pounds of dirt and stone, blocking the way.“Could this be an illusion?” Kazrack asked.  Martin shook his head.  “I don’t think so.”“I remember long ago Finn saying that the evil priest had been using his captives to dig for the door,” Kazrack said. “I thought he had gotten closer than this.” (1)“If I remember correctly, they spent some time covering the portal back up,” Martin said.“It will take a long time to uncover all of this,” Kazrack said.  “Let’s go check the door on the other side.”The other door had a ward upon it as well, and they had no way to dispel it this time.“Well, this settles it,” Kazrack said. “We need to go above and do what we can to get past or defeat those mercenaries.”Martin shook his head.  “That is a bad idea, Kazrack.””And if Roland and D’nar return and are captured?  What then?”“That is unlikely to happen,” Martin explained.  “Ratchis is too deft a woodsman and tracker to not notice the guards, and even if he did not notice, Roland would smell them, and Logan is probably trying to meet up with them as we speak, so he will warn them regardless.”“So we just wait?” Kazrack frowned.“We wait for Roland to contact us magically, that way we can come up with some kind of rudimentary plan to deal with the situation.  In the meantime, I suggest we climb back up to the tunnels and explore and map them the best we can while we wait.”Kazrack reluctantly agreed.--------------------------------------------------As the afternoon grew long, Logan Naismith crept southward keeping a look out for Roland and Ratchis.  Eventually, half a dozen miles from the temple, Roland caught a whiff of the Herman-lander’s scent on the wind and hurried ahead bursting through the brush to surprise his companion.  He nearly got a sword blow to the face for that.”This is no time for playing,” Logan told the panther.  “Those mercenaries I saw in the village have taken possession of the temple,” Logan explained when Ratchis had caught up to them.  “About thirty soldiers, a wizard and two priests.”“Where are the others?” Ratchis asked.“In the catacombs,” Logan replied.  “I didn’t like the idea of being trapped down there so I stayed where I was until I was spotted and then came to find you. Why isn’t Gunthar with you?”“Because he is a moron,” Roland replied, transforming back into human form in order to take part in the conversation.“Did they attack?” Ratchis asked.“Sure as hell, they did,” Logan replied. “Me, anyway.  Luckily those soldiers are really bad shots, but the sorceress hit me with some spell as I fled the place.”“And Richard and his companions?” Roland asked.“Norena never came back, and I guess the rest of them are down in the catacombs as well, but if they are with Martin, Kazrack or Dorn, I have no idea.”They decide to get closer to the temple of Bast and scope out the situation.  Roland transformed back into panther-form, guessing that the Company of the Impervious Ward may not have learned that the Keepers of the Gate had a Bastite among them.They came around from the western side of the temple where the trees were thickest, and most covered in the ash still occasionally billowing out of Greenreed Valley.  Roland took point, creeping beneath the brush a few score yards ahead of Logan and Ratchis.   He smelled someone ahead to the left and then heard voices, so he flattened his feline body down and pulled himself quietly through the brush towards whoever it was.He came upon a tall man in green dusty cloak and studded leather, holding a staff talking with a smaller younger man who also wore studded leather and a leather cap.  The younger man’s back was to Roland, so the Bastite could not see his face, but there was something vaguely familiar about his voice.“I thought you said I would have gotten my money by now.  I thought you said I could trust these Neergaardians…” the young man was saying.  Roland could sense a bit of fear and apprehension in the man’s voice. “So they’re not gonna hurt them or anything, right?  I don’t have anything against them. I just needed the money…”“Yeah, right… Just shut up already,” the other man replied, his eyes shifting from side to side. “I thought I heard something.”Roland froze.  After a few moments, the older man, who appeared to be some kind of scout took off towards the temple, but the younger man remained behind. Roland could now see that there was small camp here in the clearing.  The young man moved over to the other side of the shallow pit where a fire had clearly been the night before and sat on a stump.  He had shaggy brown hair and a weaselly  face.  Roland recognized him as one of the Shepherds, but could not remember his name.The Bastite crept back to his companions and explained what he saw. “So one of Richard’s little friends sold us out,” Logan spat.“We’ll get the story from him,” Ratchis said.  “But we’ll wait for nightfall, and no killing.”  The half-orc looked at Logan.They made their way further north and west and waited for Ra’s Glory to sink behind the valley, and then crept down towards the small camp.  Roland went in first, and the scout, whoever he was, was not around.  The Bastite growled a spell attempting to hold the young man where he stood feeding twigs to a fire, but the spell failed.  He looked up and saw the panther and backed away.“Uh, hello Mister Cat,” the young man said, as Roland crept further into the clearing. “Not afraid of fire?  Are you like,  uh… a magical cat?  Can you talk?”Roland growled in response.“Why not leave me alone, Mister Magical Cat?” he backed to the edge of the clearing and pulled something down over his eyes.  Roland leapt at him, and the young man turned and ran through the trees, dodging root and branch deftly despite the darkness.“Help! Help!” he cried as he ran down the sloping ridge, the panther on his heels.  Roland leapt upon him and the two of them tumbled painfully another thirty feet before coming to a stop with the Bastite holding the young man down, jaws about his neck.“Mister Cat! Mister Cat!  Ah!  Who are you?”“Yell again, you little bastard, and you’ll be singing soprano,” Logan said. He had made his way down the slope, sword drawn.“But… But… But…”Ratchis walked over from the south where he had been waiting to cut him off if needed.  He looked down at the captive and snorted his disgust.  It was Josef Barley-grinder.“Gag him,” the half-orc said.“Ratchis!” Josef said, but that was all he got out clearly..  Logan jammed a rag into the young rogue’s mouth.  “Raffchiff! Riff muh! Rofef! Dish ish uh mushtaesh!”“Let’s get further away in case the scout comes back,” Ratchis said, turning and marching southwest.  “Bring him.”Logan grabbed Josef by the cloak and dragged him up to his feet once Roland got off of him.  “What’s this?” Logan asked as he pulled a pair of brown lenses with cupped metal frames and a leather strap off of Josef’s head.  They were goggles.  He dropped the young man to the ground again and slipped them on.  The night became a world of gray tones, that allowed Logan to see pretty clearly.  “Hey! These are magical! No wonder he didn’t stumble in the dark.” Logan dragged Josef along behind him, enjoying the goggles’ effect.“You’re a priest of Nephthys! You’re not supposed to capture people!” Josef accused when they finally ungagged him about a half mile away from where he had been captured.  They had tied his hands behind his back and placed him with his back to a tree.“We’re only going to hold you for a little while,” Ratchis replied, curtly.“How much did they pay you?’ Logan asked.“Pay me?  I, uh… I don’t know what you’re talking about…” Josef replied.“Roland saw you talking to their tracker. Drop the act,” Logan replied.“How much?” Ratchis asked.“Uh… Two hundred pieces of silver,” Josef replied, meekly. “But… But they haven’t paid me.””So that’s the price you put on betraying someone who saved your life?” Ratchis asked, disgusted.“They weren’t gonna kill him! They were just gonna take him to see the king,” Josef said by way of excuse.“What about the rest of us, you little sh*t?” Logan barked, kicking the young man in the ribs.Ratchis held his arm out in front of Logan to hold him back.“Betraying your friends and not even bright enough to get paid for it,” Logan swore. “This kid makes me sick.”“I’m sorry,” Josef said.  Ratchis had to keep Logan from kicking him again.“What do you think Finn and Carlos would say?” Ratchis asked.“They don’t see things the same, I guess,” Josef replied. “I want to get out of here.  I wanted to make my way back to the coast and buy passage on a ship back to Herman Land, or maybe Thricia… Are you going to let me go?”“Let you go? We should run you through!” Logan sneered.“We’ll let you go at dawn,” Ratchis said.“He’ll go back to the temple and warn them!” Logan said. “I won’t do that! I promise,” Josef cried.“Keep it down!” Ratchis barked, and then turned to Logan. “He will go back to town and continue to help the others, and if we find him near the temple again or talking to any of this mercenary band, then I’ll leave it to you to handle it.  In the meantime, keep those goggles, you can use them, and consider them payment for not killing him.”“But those are mine!” Josef whined.  “I got them off the evil priest when we saved the captured townspeople!”“Count yourself lucky that is all we take,” Ratchis snapped back.  “I will make sure you get them back when this is all said and done.”Logan smirked.Deep beneath the temple of Bast, Martin, Kazrack and Dorn found an isolated spot in a larger cavern, above ground level and made camp the best they could.  They took turns watching as the others slept.Isilem, the 23rd of Keent – 565 H.E.There was no way to know for certain that morning had come down in the tunnels beneath the temple, but Kazrack prayed and prepared his spells, as Martin the Green did as well; Dorn watching over them.“I’m getting us out of here,” Kazrack said when they were done.------------------------------------“I’m really sorry,” Josef said as they cut him free.  “I didn’t know it would turn out this way.”“Just go back to town and remain loyal to Finn and Carlos,” Ratchis reminded the young man. “When we are done here we will do what we can to help you go wherever it is you want to go.”Josef nodded and then took off towards Summit.“You let him off easy,” Logan said.“We are not all granted the same strength,” Ratchis said. “And Nephthys teaches that we should have compassion even to those that wrong us so they may learn the strength of doing good.”Roland and Ratchis discussed what spells to prepare, and the Bastite informed the friar that he planned to use a sending to contact Norena first, in hopes of getting her aid.”What’s your situation? Where’s Richard? Josef sold Martin out.  Need to get rid of hunters. Am with Ratchis and Logan south of temple. Reply.”Like the cry of whippoorwill, Norena’s voice came back half a moment later, whispered in Roland’s ear: ”Scouting orc army approach.  No idea where Richard is.  Will send him a message.  Who’s Josef?  Which hunters? What do you want from me?”“Well, that was useless,” Roland sighed.  He recounted what Norena had answered.  “If Kazrack and Martin are not captured and are still down in the catacombs, how long do you think they’ll wait?” Roland asked.“I think Martin and Kazrack are smart enough to wait for us to contact them somehow before making a move,” Ratchis replied.“Well, Martin is…” Logan said.“I can’t speak for Kazrack.  His decision making processes are inscrutable to me,” Roland said. “He can do anything and have a reason for it.”“There seems to be some logic there, I just haven’t figured it out yet,” Logan said.“Kazrack is logical,” Ratchis said.  “It is just that he thinks in absolutes. He can’t work around that too often.”“Maybe they will find another way out,” Logan said. “If there are natural caves down there it stands to reason there will be more than one way out.”“Yes, but that doesn’t mean it would be easy to find, easy to access, or not many leagues away,” Ratchis said.  “I just hope Gunthar gets back soon.  We can use his help, and I want to cut him off before he goes bumbling into the a temple full of enemies.”“Ah, forget him,” Logan said.“Gunthar has helped us time and again. It would not be right to let him fall into a trap,” Ratchis said.  “We will make our way north of the temple and look for a place where we can spy it from above.”“Shall I contact Martin with my remaining sending and let him know the situation?” Roland asked.“Hold off,” the half-orc said. “I think we may need to contact Gunthar again, but if we wait until later in the day we can save it the spell in case something changes.”Roland nodded.“If the soldiers are still at the temple when we get there then it is likely they have not captured Martin or Kazrack,” Ratchis continued. “They can stay safe in the catacombs until we figure out a way to get them out.”The three members of the Keepers of the Gate made a wide circle westward and then northeastward again, climbing to the rocky plateaus where the ridge met the black flinty foothills of Gothanius’ northern border.-----------------------------------------------------“This looks like it might be a good place,” Kazrack said, as he and Martin the Green and Dorn entered a nearly conical cavern at the end of a series of caverns off a broad natural corridor they thought might lead to the surface.  “We are close to the surface here. I can tell.”Martin the Green cast levitation on Kazrack and sent him to the cavern ceiling nearly fifty feet up.  Floating there, the dwarven rune-thrower called upon his gods to soften earth and stone.  There was crack as tons of sand, earth and stone came raining down into the chamber.  Martin quickly lowered Kazrack and the three of them hurried back to the entrance of the cavern waiting for the dust to settle.  There was now a ragged shaft winding up about six feet where the depth Kazrack had cleared away revealed an open space beyond.  The hole still dropped the occasional rock, and transmuted stone dripped as wet clay, like drool from a lazy mouth.   There was still tons of stone beyond before the surface could be reached.  This process was repeated twice more, but after the third time, the three members of the Keepers of the Gate were force to retreat back even further, fleeing for their lives as a chain reaction of stone and mud came sliding down into the cavern, erupting into a cloud of acrid dust.They waited for a long time in another cavern a few hundred yards down another natural corridor.  Plumes of dust roiled even this far, and they coughed as they waited.  Finally, thinking it had cleared enough and wanting to see if they might be able to reach the surface now, they marched back to the collapsed cavern.  However, as they approached the cavern there was a sound like a stamp and a snort, and the light of Martin’s medallion revealed a hulking form of black stone charging in their direction.   It was in the shape of a great boar, nearly five feet at the shoulder, and its dense body nearly twelve feet long.  It rushed right into Kazrack, knocking the dwarf back, his breast plate crunching painfully. Dorn stepped back and loaded his crossbow letting an ineffectual bolt go. “By the gods! What manner of creature is this?” Kazrack yelled, bring his halberd to bare. “Sagitta Igneus! Martin chanted and two arrows of flame rushed from his outstretched hand.  One flew high as dust flew into the watch-mage’s eye, but the second struck the beast in the flank, scorching its stone body.  “It is an elemental of some kind!” -------------------------------------------Notes:(1) See session #49</blockquote>

Verification