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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mortepierre" data-source="post: 2025372" data-attributes="member: 9765">Sorry folks, life has been hectic lately and I am a bit behind in my updates <grumbles>1.4 Desperate Measures:Eirak was swearing loudly.. again. Come to think of it, he had been swearing for the past hour, almost from the moment they had discovered they were trapped inside the vault.Siubhan was meditating quietly, sitting cross-legged on the floor, while Kalveig was pacing back and forth in front of her, trying to come up with a solution.Pelrind was studying the door and its stone lintel. He didn’t have much hope of discovering a flaw in their design but at least it kept his mind busy.As for Musadoc, he was exploring thoroughly the first part of the vault, in case they had missed something.. anything at all.As time passed, however, the companions had to admit there was no easy way out anywhere in sight.“I tell ye, it’s that dead bugger who’s responsible! He planned it from the start. ‘Treasure hoard’ my arse! T’was a damn trap, that’s what it was!”Kalveig turned to Eirak. “But it makes no sense! Why would he give away the keys to the vault, seemingly at random, just to trap some unknown persons in it after his death?”“On the contrary, it makes a lot of sense.” Pelrind’s face, for once, betrayed concern. “Think about it. He admitted in his will that he had committed something bad, possibly involving his wife. Let’s say he locked her inside the vault - for whatever reason. The word we found scribbled on the wall behind the second door seems to support that hypothesis. At the time, he sought to prevent anyone from discovering what he had done, so he gave the four keys to different persons and sent them away. As time went by, however, he came to realize that there was still a chance those persons could come together and open the vault, hence unveiling his dirty little secret.So, he decides to take the initiative. Instead of waiting for them to show up, he actually makes sure they will show up.. but on his terms. He knows the reputation of his family’s fortune has spread far and wide, thus ensuring greed would override any concern the ‘heirs’ could possibly harbor about what awaits them in the vault. Once they are inside, he is certain they will open the second door.. which will automatically close the first for good. Now, the keys are all inside the vault too, so nobody can rescue the ‘heirs’ or open it again. His secret is finally safe.”“But the mayor and his elven friend know what’s in the will too, don’t they? So, they do know about his secret” interjected Kalveig.“Ah but they only know he has a secret. They are ignorant of what it is exactly and since the trade agreement the region has with Suress depends on the NeMoren’s good name, they won’t dare besmirch it. I have to admit, it was rather clever of him.”Eirak swore. “Rotten pumice! The elf be right! If only I could get my hands on that Paytro..”“If we die here, you’ll get your wish soon enough..” remarked Kalveig sarcastically. “But, in any case, I hope to stand before Maal long enough to insure that man gets his just ‘reward’ in the afterlife.”“Wait, I think you’re all burying us a wee bit fast.” Musadoc was rubbing his chin, seemingly pondering something. “Remember how ‘pristine’ the vault looked when we opened the first door? What’s beyond the second door didn’t look the same at all. Fungi means humidity, which means water. And the air didn’t smell stale either. I could be wrong, but I believe the second part of the vault is no longer as ‘secure’ as it used to be...”“Oooh, of course!” Pelrind slapped his forehead. “I must be weary indeed not to have jumped to the same conclusion sooner. Our young friend is quite correct; there might yet be a way out for us. I suggest we open the second door again and explore what lies beyond. At worst, it will give us something to do, and at best.. well, who knows what we may find?”No one having a better idea, they all agreed but Siubhan insisted on getting some sleep first. She had used almost all her power on Eirak and Pelrind after the battle against the ‘necromental’. If they were about to explore new - and thus potentially dangerous - areas, she wanted to be able to heal them. Besides, most of them had considerably exerted themselves during this first day so they were all in need of rest.They retired to Rontra’s Chapel, the most secure room in their point of view, and spent the night there. All except Eirak, that is. The stubborn dwarf refused to set foot inside again and, instead, camped in the corridor just beyond the entrance.Luckily, nothing came disturb their sleep (17).**Fully rested, the companions quickly ate what little food they had (18) and prepared themselves for the task ahead. Before opening the second door, Siubhan invoked Morwyn’s favor upon Eirak again (19). After what she had witnessed the previous day, she wasn’t inclined to take any chance...The first problem they faced was to decide what to do with the calisil. On one hand, leaving it behind meant the door would still be open if they had to retreat in a hurry. On the other, if they carried it with them, they would have constant access to a powerful light source that consumed neither air nor oil. In the end, caution won the day and they chose to leave it behind to insure steady access to the first part of the vault.The area beyond the second door proved to be somewhat disappointing, the corridor quickly reaching an intersection. One branch continued straight ahead, while the other led right. Taking the former, they soon reached a second intersection. They couldn’t continue directly ahead, for that part of the corridor had caved in. According to Musadoc, it would take some expert miners to dig through the rubble. Moreover, he advised not to attempt it without some sort of props to shore up the walls. Taking left wasn’t possible either. A massive pit stretched across the corridor at this point. It extended ten feet in every direction, leaving no space between the pit and the walls. They couldn’t even see the bottom as it disappeared into the darkness!Since none of them fancied jumping over the pit and no amount of searching turned up any mechanical mean of bypassing the obstacle, they wisely retraced their steps to the first intersection and went right this time.They found a small stairway leading away (and down) from the corridor to a room smelling of lichen and fungus. Once a wine cellar, its racks were now all but empty. A small pool of stagnant murky brown water filled a corner, apparently the result of seepage. The only occupant was a rather large frog that mistook Musadoc for an insect as it immediately attempted to gobble him up! Unfortunately for the hungry batrachian, the halfling proved to be made of sterner stuff than the average giant cave cricket as he managed to defend himself long enough for Kalveig and Eirak to step in and finish the beast.Pelrind’s remark about how their problem of food shortage was now solved failed to amuse anyone, including the halfling for once!**Pain! He couldn’t open his upper eyes anymore without experiencing it.The cursed midget that had wounded him by sheer luck had paid the price for his folly. Rending him apart had been most satisfying, albeit short-lived. His companions had quickly disappeared in the galleries as the cowardly rats that they were. He almost followed them to lay waste to their warren but the pain stopped him in his tracks.His claws, sharp and powerful, tore reflexively a chunk of rock from the wall as the unfamiliar sensation coursed through his nerves.By the Fiery One! He hadn’t endured such wound in decades! How could such a measly stick of wood hurt so much!?He tried to pluck the offending object but the sharp pain that resulted immediately from the attempt convinced him it was a bad idea.Rage built up in him. He needed to make others suffer as he himself was suffering.Suddenly, he felt it. Vibrations propagating through the bedrock. They were minute but, to his acute senses, they spoke volumes. Bipedal creatures were in the cave-that-wasn’t-a-cave, and coming closer to his tunnels. They weren’t midgets, nor the walking-sticks that annoyed him so much.Perfect. He would take it out on them.He began moving towards them, earth and stone yielding easily at his touch.**After dealing with the frog, the companion had returned to the corridor and continued forward. They had soon reached a corner (going left) beyond which the hallway was blocked by another cave-in. This time, however, there was also a rough tunnel leading through a nearby wall. Its opening was jagged, and a lot of small stones covered the floor.Musadoc shook his head. “T’is the same as in the other corridor. We would need several days to clear the rubble away, and the ceiling doesn’t look very safe. We ought to go back to the pit and explore its depth by tying all our ropes together. Maybe it connects to a cavern or something?”Pelrind was examining the tunnel. “I wonder what kind of creature dug that. The marks on the walls indicate that what- or whoever did it didn’t resort to conventional tools. It’s too big for a badger or a mole, even one of the big ones. Intriguing...”“Big ones?” wondered aloud Siubhan. “Exactly how big can they grow?”“Pretty big. Up to the size of a horse, I would say.” Pelrind couldn’t help but grin a bit as the priestess turned pale.“Don’t worry lady. Back at home, we use giant moles to help us in the mines. They are pretty harmless if you keep them well-fed. Giant badgers now, that’s a different story and-” Musadoc broke off, his ears having registered a suspicious noise. “Pelrind, did you catch that?”The elf nodded and put his hand against a wall, closing his eyes to concentrate. “Something moving through the rock.. something big..”No sooner had the words left his mouth that the wall burst open behind them and a nightmarish creature appeared in a cloud of dust and an avalanche of debris. Bulky and powerfully built, vaguely humanoid, it looked like a giant insect that would have learnt to walk on its hind legs. Its low, rounded head was dominated by a massive pair of mandibles and two big compound eyes, while its body was almost entirely covered by chitinous plates.Each of the companion reacted differently to it.To Eirak, the thing was the living embodiment of the Kun-Orun, nameless terror born from Rontra’s bosom. His legs started shaking and if his courage hadn’t been bolstered earlier by Siubhan he would probably have fled.Musadoc blanched. He looked at the beast goggle-eyed and fear made him stutter. “Un.. Undra.. Undrathar! (20)”Kalveig stepped protectively in front of Siubhan, clearly aware that he stood no chance but unwilling to desert his charge. “By the White Lady! A living weapon of the Gods’ War!?!”The priestess, reacting instinctively, invoked Morwyn’s protection over herself. Instantly, she was encased in a column of pure white light.As for Pelrind, he was torn between amazement and panic. A Burrower! His master had told him about that species but he hadn’t expected to meet one any time soon.For a few seconds, there was silence.. and then the creature roared a challenge.Weirdly, instead of immediately attacking them, the beast ‘gazed’ at them intently. Something must have been wrong because the only consequence was that it roared again – apparently in pain this time – and clutched its head.Pelrind, who knew something of their foe’s peculiar anatomy, squinted until he discerned a broken spear point lodged firmly in-between a secondary pair of eyes above the (insect-like) first. Those were tightly shut, the way you close your eyes when they hurt. “WAIT! It’s wounded! Maybe if we help it won’t attack us?”“What?! Ye’ve got to be kiddin’ me!” Eirak wasn’t going to come anywhere near the beast if he could help it. The last time the elf had tried to solve a situation peacefully, he had ended up buried alive. He wasn’t eager to repeat the experience.The pain was driving the creature mad. Its mandibles opened and closed reflexively, and it charged the companions.Its hammer-like left fist drove Kalveig to his knees in one hit. The man’s shield had buckled under the impact!Its other claw lifted Eirak from the ground in a vicious backhanded blow.It bent forward, ready to cleave Siubhan in two with its mandibles but seemed to hesitate at the last moment when they touched the pillar of light surrounding her. Musadoc used the respite to charge the beast and hit it in the right leg. Alas, his pickaxe bounced off the chitin ineffectively.Pelrind sighed. Another occasion to add to his knowledge gone because of flaring tempers. Well, now that the damage was done, he had no choice but to help his companions. Although, knowing something of the creature’s sheer physical power, he doubted they would survive the encounter. Stepping forward, he raised his hands toward the beast’s head and invoked the power of the Earth’s Blood. Instantly, a cone of searing flames shot out of his fingertips, engulfing the beast whose body – ironically enough – shielded Kalveig and Siubhan from the fire.The creature roared in agony. Not only had the flames burnt it, but the wooden spear point stuck in its head was now on fire as well!It whirled around like a mad dervish, its arms flailing. As luck would have it, one caught Pelrind square in the chest. The elf was thrown a good 10 feet away and, before passing out, his last thought was that, given how often he had been ‘flying’ recently, he should really have specialized in aeromancy!Meanwhile, Eirak was on his feet again. He swiftly ducked under the beast’s arms and delivered a hit to the joint between two chitinous plates on the rear left leg. Though his aim was true, it lacked his usual strength (21) and failed to penetrate.. albeit not by much.Musadoc was at his wit’s end. Pelrind out of action – again! Siubhan, useless. Kalveig, trying to get his second wind. Eirak, attacking but – evidently – without success. He groaned and prepared to ask for Anwyn’s strength. He didn’t delude himself into thinking it would allow him to kill the beast but maybe it would buy him a few precious seconds. His medallion started to glow...As for the creature, its uncoordinated movements had succeeded where his previous attempts had failed. The spear point had finally come loose! As its charred remains fell to the ground, the beast opened its upper eyes wide and gazed at the priestess and her defender. At about the same time, the light protecting Siubhan disappeared, leaving her defenseless.Kalveig’s body went limp, and he started to babble incoherently, drool dribbling from the corner of his mouth.Terror blossomed in Siubhan’s eyes and she tried to flee down the corridor past the beast, unable to control herself anymore. As she did so, she turned her back to the creature who used the opportunity to strike her nastily from behind. Her body collapsed to the floor, a red spot blossoming rapidly on the back of her white robe.Eirak struck the beast again and, again, failed to wound it. It turned on him, its gaze catching him straight in the eyes. The dwarf stiffened and slowly turned toward Musadoc. He growled and raised his axe. Before he could attack the halfling though, the creature struck him from behind too. Amazingly, he didn’t fall immediately, taking two steps toward Musadoc, driven by a supernatural desire to harm him, before his strength failed and he collapsed.The halfling could feel raw energy coursing through his veins. The world slowed down around him and he managed to resist the beast’s gaze by a supreme effort of will. Still, he didn’t see how he could possibly vanquish that soulless monster.. unless...A desperate idea germinated in his mind.He raised his pickaxe, as if preparing to fight, and started to charge the monster. The latter crouched and raised his claws, ready to grab and rend the halfling the minute he came within range. Yet, at the last second, Musadoc threw his weapon at the beast – distracting it momentarily – and darted on the side, rolling under a massive arm that missed him by less than an inch.The halfling ran as fast as his legs would carry him, experiencing a feeling of déjà vu (22). Despite the throbbing of his heart that filled his ears, he could hear the creature running after him, its claws digging gouges in the walls as they tried to grab their elusive prey. Down the corridor he ran, back toward the first part of the vault. As he passed the niche holding the calisil, he was half-tempted to snatch it but gave up the idea. By the time the door closed, the monster would have gone through. Besides, he wanted it to follow him...Finally, the intersection came in sight. He turned right. The doorway was almost in range, the door wide open as they had left it. He gathered the last of his strength and dove forward into the room, sliding over the obsidian floor. Behind him, the beast lunged forward.. and was immediately engulfed by white-hot flames (23) that translated the wrath of a god for a being that was the antithesis of all that is good and just.The Undrathar screamed as holy fire consumed him, both divine punishment and funeral pyre. When it was over, not even ashes remained to desecrate the holy chapel...**********(17) Luckily indeed, given they didn’t bother to take turn watching for trouble! Of course, from their point of view (and limited understanding of the layout of the place), there didn’t seem to be anything that could still threaten them at this point. They were wrong, but that would become obvious soon enough...(18) Another disappointment: none of them had brought more than one day’s worth of rations. They had thought they could get out of the vault at any time, and so some of their supplies were quite limited. At least, Kalveig had brought enough oil to light their way for three days straight (albeit only because he had originally planned to throw it on nasty critters!)(19) Remove Fear actually, and Eirak made his save, again. By this time, however, he was already ‘enjoying’ a nice -2 penalty to all his attack rolls (see the Rogues Gallery for details).(20) Literally: “Tunnel-Scourge” in Halfling.(21) Remember that -2 to all attack rolls? <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":]" title="Devious    :]" data-shortname=":]" /> (22) To know why, see Prelude - part 3.(23) The direct consequence of the Forbiddance spell. The monster failed its save and took 12d6 damage. I must say, I was floored. I had totally failed to predict that kind of use for what had been intended only as a safe haven. Moreover, that the idea came from a player who was still pretty much a newbie really struck me as extraordinary. The funniest part was that, in the module, the Undrathar was supposed to be only a tool to scare players. He would attack 1d3 rounds and then leave. But when Pelrind’s spell destroyed the spear point that was bugging it so much, things changed. If not for Musadoc, it would have ended up as a TPK.**********</blockquote>

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