Lazybones
Adventurer
Oh, I don't think you need to be worried about an overcrowded party.Brogarn said:
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
Hey, have you read ahead?Aramis Simara said:
I can promise some... interesting twists ahead with regards to our cleric of Dagos.jfaller said:
For now, another update, and a cliffhanger for Friday that those familiar with the module might see coming.
* * * * *
Chapter 33
THE RESCUERS’ STORY
They made their way back into the main cavern, and continued along the near bank of the stream, staying close to the curving, uneven wall.
“Where are we going, anyway?” Dar asked. Talen, at the front of the company with Krogan, did not acknowledge him or his question, but the fighter Argus turned to him. The man’s eyes continued to nervously scan the darkness as they walked and spoke.
“We made our way here by means of the stream, from another cavern complex a good distance away,” he said. “Aelos called upon the Shining Father to grant us the ability to walk upon the water, so we were able to follow the guidance of his spell to track the marshal’s sword.”
“Allera mentioned that you lost several members of your company,” Varo said.
The fighter, although not yet thirty, looked like a hard man who had seen his share of combat in his career. But the memories that appeared on his face made him look like a frightened child. “It was... grim,” he finally managed.
Aelos, walking further back in the marching order, heard the exchange. “A foul taint hung upon the entire area. It seeped into our bodies, threatening to steal our will. Even the simplest decision made one hesitate, paralyzed by doubt and fear. Only by working together, driving each other on, were we able to press forward at all.”
“The darkness,” Allera said, her voice coming up from behind Aelos. The healer clasped her arms against her body, as if cold. “It surrounded us, ever present, press in. Our light sources were muted... even Aelos’s flame barely allowed us to see a few feet.”
“A powerful effect,” Varo commented. “We have found evidence that the servants of Orcus still maintain a strong presence here.”
Aelos nodded. “We did not encounter any clerics, but did meet up with plentiful numbers of undead. The seeping presence of doom made it difficult for us to fight them. The taint is not as strong here, but I do not look forward to our return to the vicinity of the Well.”
“We slaughtered a pack of ghouls and ghasts, and some black skeletons that were real bastards,” Dar said.
“We fought some of those,” Argus said. “With Aelos keeping them at bay with the power of the Shining Father, we were able to destroy them. But the wights... they got Gresham and K’varon, and later, Davros was claimed by the wraiths...” The man trailed off, his face noticeably pale under his helmet.
“How did you get past Lord Sobol’s garrison?” Varo asked.
“We had a wizard with us,” Aelos said. “The Guild has thrown its lot in with the Duke, but there are still individuals who are sympathetic to the cause of justice. Loren was one such... he cloaked us in a blanket of invisibility, allowing us to sneak past. We could not follow you into the mausoleum...”
“Yeah, some of the Duke’s men found that out the hard way,” Dar interjected.
“...but we had heard the rumors that the Well offered another route of access into the dungeon. It was Talen’s decision to take the chance.”
“What happened to the wizard?” Dar asked.
“In one of the caverns were entered, we were attacked by a flight of dozens of stirges,” Allera said. “Six of them landed on Loren; he was dead within seconds.”
“It sounds like we were not the only ones who experienced difficulties,” Varo said.
“So Tiros was like... what? The leader of the rebellion against the Duke?” Dar asked.
“I would not call it a rebellion, not yet,” Aelos said. “But there are those that resist the tyranny of the Duke’s rule. Tiros, with his standing and reputation, served as a lightning rod around which those souls could rally. He is an inspiring leader.”
“Was,” Dar pointed out.
“He will be again,” Allera said. “Once we get back—”
“What?”
“Their reticence is understandable,” Varo said. “You have only just met us, and it is clear that your movement relies upon secrecy to survive.”
“The Duke’s secret police is very thorough,” Aelos admitted.
“So the government is against you, and the army, and the Guild,” Dar said. “What about the church? There was a cleric of the Shining Father with Sobol, when we were brought here. If the Duke’s such a bad guy, why are your people helping him?”
“It is not as simple as choosing sides,” Aelos began. “There are complicated—” He was interrupted by a soft whistle from Talen, who gestured for them to come forward.
The captain, Krogan, and Shay were standing ahead, at a point where the stream turned and entered an opening in the cavern wall. A rocky overhang protruded out over the opening, but as they got closer, they could see that beyond that obstacle, there was a clearance of a couple of feet or more over the fast-moving water.
“What did you do, crawl over that?” Dar asked.
“The clearance varies, but it is higher for most of the length of the stream,” Talen said. “Aelos, can you enchant us again, or do you need to pray for more spells?”
“I will need to rest before I can cast the spell once more,” the cleric said. “And I will not be able to affect everyone, not with our new members to consider.”
“I will take care of Dar and myself,” Varo said.
“Then we need to find a secure place to rest,” Talen said. “I’d prefer not to remain out here in the cavern, if there is an alternative; if there are any more of those giant worms about, we’d be in big trouble.”
“We had a fairly secure room on the upper level, but the worm collapsed the stairs up quite thoroughly,” Varo said.
“When I was initially scouting about, I thought I saw some openings in the cavern wall on the far side of the stream,” Shaylara said. “One of them might be a corridor exit.”
“All right, let’s check it out,” Talen said. “But everyone, keep your eyes open.”
Shaylara took off her pack and removed a light silk rope. Sliding the pack back on, she retreated from the stream, clearly marking off a running start.
“That’s a pretty good leap,” Dar said. Even at its narrowest, the stream was nearly ten feet across, and the woman was carrying both weapons and gear in addition to her armor.
“Shay’s a pretty good jumper,” Allera said. As they watched, she shot forward, leaping over the water... and landing at least another ten feet beyond it on the far side.
Seeing Dar’s mouth dangling open, she added, “And a bit of a show-off,” with a slight smile.
The scout fixed an end of the rope to a nearby stone column, and tossed the rest back over to the others. Krogan caught the rope, and attached his end to a stalagmite. With the rope securely anchored on both ends, they were all able to cross the stream with little risk other than a moderate dousing. Shaylara leapt over and back to recover the rope, and within a few minutes they were continuing in their exploration of the cavern.
The first cleft that they encountered rapidly narrowed into a dead-end, but the second widened into a navigable passageway. The rough corridor twisted for about fifty feet before culminating in one of the familiar iron-shod wooden doors.
“Be ready for anything,” Dar said. “We’ve learned that doors are trouble, in this place.”
Talen nodded. The passageway was crowded, but Argus and Shaylara unlimbered compact bows and readied arrows, while the captain took up a position beside the door. When the others nodded that they were ready, he thrust the door open and drew back to give the archers a clear line of fire. Behind them, Aelos held his staff up to provide light.
A long, empty hall lay beyond the door. Deep alcoves extended to either side down the length of the hall, and they could see at least two doors from their current vantage. A faint squeaking greeted their entry, but no rats were visible as they warily made their way forward. Some stone fragments and a couple of broken, scattered bones were the only notable additions to the room.
“There’s another door at the far end,” Krogan reported.
“Footprints,” Shay added, bending to examine the floor. “Booted humanoids... not very old.”
“Which way?” Talen asked.
The scout pointed to the nearest of the doors. “They went that way. Came from down the hall.”
“How many?” Dar asked.
Shaylara studied the tracks for a few more seconds. “Five or six,” she said, finally.
Dar looked at Talen. “Well, what do you say, general? Want to crack some heads?”
The captain scowled. He turned to the dwarf. “What do you think, Krogan?”
“Four doors... not a good tactical position. Intruder could come from any direction.”
Talen nodded. “Shay?”
“If we go another way, this party could come up behind us. Might be a good idea to see who they are, anyway.”
Talen nodded. “All right. But I do not want to get too far from the cavern and the stream; remember that our objective is to get out of here. If we run into something we can’t handle, we fall back to the cavern.”
“Run screaming like little girls. Got it, captain,” Dar said. Talen didn’t rise to the bait, instead directing Argus and Shaylara to take up their ready positions in front of the first door.
As the others readied at the door, Allera whispered to Varo, “Is he always such a jerk?”
“On the contrary, I think he’s on good behavior around you women,” the cleric replied. “But he is good in a fight.”
The door opened to reveal another corridor, which continued straight ahead for about thirty feet before ending in a small, irregular room. Shaylara and Krogan went ahead to search, gesturing that the way was clear after just a few seconds. The companions followed to find another door set in the wall to their right just inside the small room. Shaylara indicated that the footprints led directly to that door, using a few simple hand gestures.
Talen nodded, and with his own gestures he set them up again before the door. Dar, hanging back a bit, whispered to Varo, “Several of these guys are military, or former military. Talen, definitely, and most of the others as well. Well, not the girl,” he added, watching Allera standing out of the line of fire, her hands wrapped tightly around the shaft of her shortspear.
“I am not surprised,” Varo said. “Likely they developed their attachment to the marshal during their service together.”
Talen opened the door quietly, revealing a narrow, slightly curving corridor that vanished out of sight to the left. Almost at once, they could hear soft voices from somewhere beyond.
Talen made a few quick gestures. Krogan came forward, creeping silently, while Aelos dropped a small bag over the top of his staff, dousing the light. Varo thrust his torch into a nearby mound of dirt, extinguishing it. A complete darkness enveloped them, and even though they could no longer see the walls, they could feel them pressing in close around them. The room was silent save for the sound of their breathing, and the occasional soft creak of leather.
They waited what seemed like an eternity. When the dwarf’s gravelly voice whispered softly, Dar couldn’t restrain a surprised jump.
“Quiet!” Talen hissed. “Report.”
The others had to strain to hear the dwarf’s soft voice. “Four of them,” he said. “Orcs, clerics by the look of them. Wore robes, but I’d wager there was armor underneath. They’re camping out up in a big room around the bend of the passage, two doors on the far wall. I couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but they seemed nervous about something.”
“Clerics, eh?” Dar whispered. “I have a few words to say to the goons of the Big Bad Nasty.” He came forward, colliding with Argus.
“Hold your ground,” Talen’s voice came from the dark. “We’re not here to kill clerics.”
“If they should learn of our presence here, and escape to share word with their superiors, then we will have a serious problem to contend with,” Aelos said.
Dar was thinking of a gravestone in the valley above, but he said nothing.
“If we can capture one of them, we might be able to learn more about this place,” Shaylara said.
There was a pause. “Well, we doing this, or not?” Dar asked.
“All right,” Talen replied. “Shay, you and Krogan will open with your bows; Dar, Argus, and I will then move in and take them out. The rest of you, follow and give us support. Try to take one alive, if you can. Aelos?”
“I can hold one of them,” the cleric said.
“Right. If you see one stop moving, he’s the prisoner... knock him out and tie him up.”
“What about light?” Shay asked. “Krogan can see fine in the dark, but if Aelos shows his staff, they’ll see us coming from far off.”
“I can cast a light spell on a small object, like a coin,” Varo said. “You can keep it hidden until you are ready to attack, Shaylara, and then toss it into the room. That should surprise them for a moment or two, giving us an added advantage.”
The scout nodded. Talen said, “All right, everyone clear on the plan? Let’s get moving, then. Slow and quiet.”
After Varo cast his spell and gave the glowing silver coin to Shaylara, they moved into the curving passage. Krogan, able to see with his darkvision, helped guide the others, lining them up so that they touched the wall adjacent to the open door. There was a soft click as the dwarf loaded a quarrel into place in his crossbow, then he moved into the corridor, Shaylara right behind him, touching the dwarf’s shoulder. The passage was smooth and narrow. Shaylara and Krogan crept forward, their bows at the ready, the warriors only a few paces behind them.
The corridor straightened out; Krogan could see the room up ahead. But as they moved into position, and Shaylara reached into her pouch for the enchanted coin, they heard sounds of movement.
“We’ve lingered long enough. Let us get this over with,” came a rough voice from ahead, a moment before its owner stepped into view.
Even clad in a flowing black robe, it was obvious that he was lean to the point of being emaciated. His tusks jutted out wide from his elongated jaw; one was broken off a few inches short. His attention was focused away from the corridor, as he talked to his followers.
Krogan touched Shaylara’s hand. The scout closed her hand around the coin, keeping it in the pouch to shield the light from view.
Unfortunately, at that moment, a loud scrape of metal on stone sounded from down the corridor. The cleric’s head came around at the noise, and with his darkvision, could clearly see the two scouts not more than twenty feet away.
“Intruders!” the orc shrieked, clutching at a morningstar hanging under his robes.
Last edited:
