Travels through the Wild West: the Isle of Dread
Lazybones
Adventurer
Book III, Part 28
“I think we’re going to have to be very careful from here on out,” Cal said sagely.
“I’m sorry I didn’t think to use the spell before,” Dana said.
“Don’t worry,” Cal replied. “There’s no way you could have guessed—any of us could have guessed—what was in the box.”
Dana nodded, but she didn’t seem entirely convinced. Her gaze traveled briefly to the area around the altar, where tiny pieces of the statue were still visible, with an occasional stray gemstone or piece of silver filigree catching the light of their small lamp. She shuddered, even at the vague memory of the whispers she’d heard in her mind when she’d looked upon the thing.
They were spread out in the room that contained the altar and the box that had held the statue. After Lok had pushed Benzan aside and destroyed the statue with a single powerful blow of his axe, Dana had used a spell to detect for evil. A faint taint did hang in the air around the sundered remnants of the statue, but that hint quickly faded. Delem detected for magic and reported the same thing—there had been magic in the strange statue, but its destruction caused it to fade away into nothingness.
“I wonder what that thing was?” Elly asked, not for the first time. None of them could answer, but they felt uneasy even thinking about the thing. Had it been a creature like that depicted that had spoken to them in their thoughts? What would have happened, had Lok not destroyed it?
Yet even with the uncomfortable afterthoughts of their encounter, they had elected still to set up camp here, in this place. They’d already checked the area beyond the far door, and found only a short corridor that ended in a complete and impassible collapse. Benzan and Lok thoroughly checked the altar-room for any other traps or secret passages, but found nothing. That left only the flooded lower level, but none of them felt particularly eager to head in that direction. They ultimately decided that they would rest and allow the spellcasters to regain their spells, then, in the morning, Ruath would cast an augury to determine if the lower level was their best course. She would also pray for a spell that would duplicate the power of Benzan’s ring, enabling most of them to walk upon the surface of the water for a time.
“I can only affect six, though, with the spell,” she warned. “Someone’s going to have to get wet.”
And so they set up camp. Those who hadn’t fallen into the flooded room dug out dry garments for Lok, Cal, and Delem to use until their clothes had a chance to dry out. Once Cal’s final sunrod burned out they switched to a lamp taken from the bag of holding—at least they had plenty of oil in their stores, thanks to Lok’s foresight in stocking the magical bag. They had sufficient foodstuffs for several days, thanks to the generous people of Mantru, and after closing the door that led back into the rest of the complex almost all the way they set watches and drifted off to an uneasy rest.
Nothing troubled their sleep, and once the “night” had passed they breakfasted and engaged in light talk while the spellcasters replenished their magic. Ruath cast her augury, calling upon Tymora’s guidance, and the others gathered around to await the result.
“Weal and woe,” she told them. “A mixed reading, and a mixed result, if we explore the lower level.”
“That sounds about right for us,” Benzan commented. “But we haven’t found any sign of this Well of Worlds up on this level, though, so I guess it’s down into the depths.”
“I’ll cast the spell of water walking once we’re back at the collapsed corridor,” Ruath said. “The spell will last for about an hour, so we should be quick in our explorations. And one person will not be affected.”
Benzan looked immediately at Varrus, but Elly interjected, “I suppose I can get a little wet—I’m a pretty good swimmer, if it comes to it.”
“Are you sure?” Benzan asked. “I’m taller—I could loan you the ring…”
“I think your skills are more valuable to the group,” Elly broke in. “You should be more mobile, in case we run into trouble. I’ll be fine,” she insisted.
“Take my cloak,” Dana offered. “It has a minor magic about it, and will help protect you against the cold of the water.”
“Thank you,” Elly said. She took the offered garment and pulled it on over her tunic—once again ragged after the last tenday’s travel, the spun flax stained red once again with the blood from the arrow she’d taken to her shoulder.
“All right then, everyone ready?” Cal asked. Once everyone had nodded, they moved out again, ready for the next stage of their search for the way back home.
* * * * *
Within a few minutes they had reached the site of the collapse, with the flooded chamber quiet below them. They had already agreed that they would leave the rope crossing the gap to the far side of the corridor, and add another length dangling into the room below, in case they needed to make a quick retreat from the lower level. Benzan dropped down first, using his ring to walk on the surface of the water and checking quickly to make sure that there were no immediate threats in the room or in the corridor beyond the open door. Once he’d given the all clear, Ruath cast her spell, and they quickly lowered themselves down to the dark surface of the water. Rather than rely entirely on their lantern, which could easily be doused if they encountered a hazard, the spellcasters had memorized several light spells, the first of which Cal cast upon the top of Elly’s spear to brighten their way. Cal had also taken the precaution of surrounding himself, Delem, and Dana with mage armor from his wand.
Elly was the last one down, handing her lighted spear to Varrus to carry so that she could keep her hands free, and after she’d dropped fully into the water they started out into the corridor, Benzan again taking the lead. The passageway beyond the stone door had a lower ceiling, the damp lichen-encrusted stone just over five feet above the level of the water, so the taller companions had to keep their heads low as they made their way deeper into the complex. The light of Cal’s spell reflected off the rippling surface of the water and the slick walls, giving the whole area an almost surreal tinge.
“Are you all right? Is the water too cold?” Delem asked Elly as she swam along beside the water-walkers.
“No, I’m fine—I barely feel it,” the young woman responded. “It must be the magic of Dana’s cloak.”
“See anything, Benzan?” Cal asked, his voice pitched low just in case the areas ahead were occupied.
“There’s alcoves set off with bars along the corridor,” Benzan reported. “Rusted pretty well through—probably cells, I’d guess.”
“So this is a prison, then?” Dana ventured.
“Let’s just make our search and keep on,” Cal said. “We’ve only got an hour until Ruath’s spell gives out, and I don’t still want to be standing on this water when it does.”
“The corridor forks ahead, heading to the left and right,” the tiefling reported from the head of the column. He walked ahead to the intersection, glancing quickly down each of the two passages. To the left, the corridor continued for some distance and then turned right, while to the right, the corridor soon culminated in another stone door.
“Let’s check out that door,” Cal suggested, and they headed in that direction. They’d barely covered a few feet, however, when a sudden cry from behind drew their attention back.
“What is it, Elly?” Delem asked, as the young woman bobbed in the water beside him with a frightened expression on her face.
“Something hit my leg!” she said. “There’s something in the water here!”
“Probably just a fish,” Ruath said, but they all spent a few anxious moments looking into the dark water, while Elly waited with a decidedly anxious expression. Varrus thrust his spear into the water, but even with its glow they could see make out little detail about what might lie under the waters.
After a long minute had passed, and no danger presented itself, they decided to continue toward the door.
“Sorry, guys,” Elly said.
“Don’t be,” Cal replied. “I admit, if I was in water up to my neck, I’d be a little spooked if something bumped into me, too.”
Benzan had already crossed to the door, and was checking the exposed portion for traps. “I don’t think it’s watertight,” he said. “Whatever’s beyond is probably flooded as well.”
“Can you open it?” Cal asked.
“It’ll be tough, without leverage,” Benzan said. “Hopefully, the hinge mechanism hasn’t rusted.”
“These doors are on stone pivots,” Lok said, as he moved up to help. “Whoever designed them, and this place, knew their stonework. I’m surprised this level has held up as well as it has, with all the flooding.”
Working together, Lok and Benzan were able to push off against the jam of the door and work the heavy portal open enough for them to move into the area beyond.
Their light revealed a large square chamber, easily sixty feet on a side, its ceiling a cracked dome that rose to a point some twenty feet above the level of the water. The faded remains of what might have once been decorative frescoes could just be seen on portions of the dome and that part of the walls visible above the waterline. A single exit could also be seen, a wide set of stairs that appeared to rapidly culminate in a complete collapse that formed a jagged wall of rubble.
“I wonder what this place was,” Dana said, following Benzan and Lok as they cautiously moved into the room.
“Whatever it was, it looks like a dead end now,” Benzan said.
Elly was the nearly the last to enter, ahead of only Delem. As she moved into the room, however, she stumbled forward, briefly dipping under the water as she loudly splashed about with her hands. Delem tried to grab for her, but she fell deeper into the room, evading his grasp.
“Elly, are you all right?” Benzan asked, rushing back toward the door while the others moved to help the woman.
“The floor of this room—it must be lower than that in the corridor,” Ruath said, realizing what had happened. Elly quickly recovered, managing to tread water even with the drag of her clothes and equipment, and Delem was already helping her back toward the higher ground behind the door.
Dana, however, had caught sight of another danger. “Look out!” she cried in warning, pointing to where a small triangular fin briefly broke the surface of the water halfway across the room, heading swiftly in their direction.
Then it dipped again below their sight—heading directly for Elewhyn.
“I think we’re going to have to be very careful from here on out,” Cal said sagely.
“I’m sorry I didn’t think to use the spell before,” Dana said.
“Don’t worry,” Cal replied. “There’s no way you could have guessed—any of us could have guessed—what was in the box.”
Dana nodded, but she didn’t seem entirely convinced. Her gaze traveled briefly to the area around the altar, where tiny pieces of the statue were still visible, with an occasional stray gemstone or piece of silver filigree catching the light of their small lamp. She shuddered, even at the vague memory of the whispers she’d heard in her mind when she’d looked upon the thing.
They were spread out in the room that contained the altar and the box that had held the statue. After Lok had pushed Benzan aside and destroyed the statue with a single powerful blow of his axe, Dana had used a spell to detect for evil. A faint taint did hang in the air around the sundered remnants of the statue, but that hint quickly faded. Delem detected for magic and reported the same thing—there had been magic in the strange statue, but its destruction caused it to fade away into nothingness.
“I wonder what that thing was?” Elly asked, not for the first time. None of them could answer, but they felt uneasy even thinking about the thing. Had it been a creature like that depicted that had spoken to them in their thoughts? What would have happened, had Lok not destroyed it?
Yet even with the uncomfortable afterthoughts of their encounter, they had elected still to set up camp here, in this place. They’d already checked the area beyond the far door, and found only a short corridor that ended in a complete and impassible collapse. Benzan and Lok thoroughly checked the altar-room for any other traps or secret passages, but found nothing. That left only the flooded lower level, but none of them felt particularly eager to head in that direction. They ultimately decided that they would rest and allow the spellcasters to regain their spells, then, in the morning, Ruath would cast an augury to determine if the lower level was their best course. She would also pray for a spell that would duplicate the power of Benzan’s ring, enabling most of them to walk upon the surface of the water for a time.
“I can only affect six, though, with the spell,” she warned. “Someone’s going to have to get wet.”
And so they set up camp. Those who hadn’t fallen into the flooded room dug out dry garments for Lok, Cal, and Delem to use until their clothes had a chance to dry out. Once Cal’s final sunrod burned out they switched to a lamp taken from the bag of holding—at least they had plenty of oil in their stores, thanks to Lok’s foresight in stocking the magical bag. They had sufficient foodstuffs for several days, thanks to the generous people of Mantru, and after closing the door that led back into the rest of the complex almost all the way they set watches and drifted off to an uneasy rest.
Nothing troubled their sleep, and once the “night” had passed they breakfasted and engaged in light talk while the spellcasters replenished their magic. Ruath cast her augury, calling upon Tymora’s guidance, and the others gathered around to await the result.
“Weal and woe,” she told them. “A mixed reading, and a mixed result, if we explore the lower level.”
“That sounds about right for us,” Benzan commented. “But we haven’t found any sign of this Well of Worlds up on this level, though, so I guess it’s down into the depths.”
“I’ll cast the spell of water walking once we’re back at the collapsed corridor,” Ruath said. “The spell will last for about an hour, so we should be quick in our explorations. And one person will not be affected.”
Benzan looked immediately at Varrus, but Elly interjected, “I suppose I can get a little wet—I’m a pretty good swimmer, if it comes to it.”
“Are you sure?” Benzan asked. “I’m taller—I could loan you the ring…”
“I think your skills are more valuable to the group,” Elly broke in. “You should be more mobile, in case we run into trouble. I’ll be fine,” she insisted.
“Take my cloak,” Dana offered. “It has a minor magic about it, and will help protect you against the cold of the water.”
“Thank you,” Elly said. She took the offered garment and pulled it on over her tunic—once again ragged after the last tenday’s travel, the spun flax stained red once again with the blood from the arrow she’d taken to her shoulder.
“All right then, everyone ready?” Cal asked. Once everyone had nodded, they moved out again, ready for the next stage of their search for the way back home.
* * * * *
Within a few minutes they had reached the site of the collapse, with the flooded chamber quiet below them. They had already agreed that they would leave the rope crossing the gap to the far side of the corridor, and add another length dangling into the room below, in case they needed to make a quick retreat from the lower level. Benzan dropped down first, using his ring to walk on the surface of the water and checking quickly to make sure that there were no immediate threats in the room or in the corridor beyond the open door. Once he’d given the all clear, Ruath cast her spell, and they quickly lowered themselves down to the dark surface of the water. Rather than rely entirely on their lantern, which could easily be doused if they encountered a hazard, the spellcasters had memorized several light spells, the first of which Cal cast upon the top of Elly’s spear to brighten their way. Cal had also taken the precaution of surrounding himself, Delem, and Dana with mage armor from his wand.
Elly was the last one down, handing her lighted spear to Varrus to carry so that she could keep her hands free, and after she’d dropped fully into the water they started out into the corridor, Benzan again taking the lead. The passageway beyond the stone door had a lower ceiling, the damp lichen-encrusted stone just over five feet above the level of the water, so the taller companions had to keep their heads low as they made their way deeper into the complex. The light of Cal’s spell reflected off the rippling surface of the water and the slick walls, giving the whole area an almost surreal tinge.
“Are you all right? Is the water too cold?” Delem asked Elly as she swam along beside the water-walkers.
“No, I’m fine—I barely feel it,” the young woman responded. “It must be the magic of Dana’s cloak.”
“See anything, Benzan?” Cal asked, his voice pitched low just in case the areas ahead were occupied.
“There’s alcoves set off with bars along the corridor,” Benzan reported. “Rusted pretty well through—probably cells, I’d guess.”
“So this is a prison, then?” Dana ventured.
“Let’s just make our search and keep on,” Cal said. “We’ve only got an hour until Ruath’s spell gives out, and I don’t still want to be standing on this water when it does.”
“The corridor forks ahead, heading to the left and right,” the tiefling reported from the head of the column. He walked ahead to the intersection, glancing quickly down each of the two passages. To the left, the corridor continued for some distance and then turned right, while to the right, the corridor soon culminated in another stone door.
“Let’s check out that door,” Cal suggested, and they headed in that direction. They’d barely covered a few feet, however, when a sudden cry from behind drew their attention back.
“What is it, Elly?” Delem asked, as the young woman bobbed in the water beside him with a frightened expression on her face.
“Something hit my leg!” she said. “There’s something in the water here!”
“Probably just a fish,” Ruath said, but they all spent a few anxious moments looking into the dark water, while Elly waited with a decidedly anxious expression. Varrus thrust his spear into the water, but even with its glow they could see make out little detail about what might lie under the waters.
After a long minute had passed, and no danger presented itself, they decided to continue toward the door.
“Sorry, guys,” Elly said.
“Don’t be,” Cal replied. “I admit, if I was in water up to my neck, I’d be a little spooked if something bumped into me, too.”
Benzan had already crossed to the door, and was checking the exposed portion for traps. “I don’t think it’s watertight,” he said. “Whatever’s beyond is probably flooded as well.”
“Can you open it?” Cal asked.
“It’ll be tough, without leverage,” Benzan said. “Hopefully, the hinge mechanism hasn’t rusted.”
“These doors are on stone pivots,” Lok said, as he moved up to help. “Whoever designed them, and this place, knew their stonework. I’m surprised this level has held up as well as it has, with all the flooding.”
Working together, Lok and Benzan were able to push off against the jam of the door and work the heavy portal open enough for them to move into the area beyond.
Their light revealed a large square chamber, easily sixty feet on a side, its ceiling a cracked dome that rose to a point some twenty feet above the level of the water. The faded remains of what might have once been decorative frescoes could just be seen on portions of the dome and that part of the walls visible above the waterline. A single exit could also be seen, a wide set of stairs that appeared to rapidly culminate in a complete collapse that formed a jagged wall of rubble.
“I wonder what this place was,” Dana said, following Benzan and Lok as they cautiously moved into the room.
“Whatever it was, it looks like a dead end now,” Benzan said.
Elly was the nearly the last to enter, ahead of only Delem. As she moved into the room, however, she stumbled forward, briefly dipping under the water as she loudly splashed about with her hands. Delem tried to grab for her, but she fell deeper into the room, evading his grasp.
“Elly, are you all right?” Benzan asked, rushing back toward the door while the others moved to help the woman.
“The floor of this room—it must be lower than that in the corridor,” Ruath said, realizing what had happened. Elly quickly recovered, managing to tread water even with the drag of her clothes and equipment, and Delem was already helping her back toward the higher ground behind the door.
Dana, however, had caught sight of another danger. “Look out!” she cried in warning, pointing to where a small triangular fin briefly broke the surface of the water halfway across the room, heading swiftly in their direction.
Then it dipped again below their sight—heading directly for Elewhyn.
Thorntangle
First Post
The DM taketh away the red shirt and giveth it right backLazybones said:
Lazybones
Adventurer
Heh--it would have been funny to see Varrus's reaction if Benzan had suggested that the sailor be the swimmer... clearly there's no love lost between those two!
Aargh! Work's insanely busy this week for once, but luckily this relatively brief (for me) update was just about ready to go... We're approaching the big finale of the Isle, and Kelemvor's crew is going to be busy!
* * * * *
Book III, Part 29
Elly swam quickly toward the exit, but weighed down by her clothes and the tunic of mail she wore, she made slow progress through the dark water. Suddenly, she lurched, and let out a cry of pain as something slammed into her side.
“Something bit me!” she cried, thrashing as she broke the contact and lurched for the open portal now just a few feet away.
While the others tried in vain to detect the submerged attacker—or attackers—Benzan darted across the surface of the water to where Varrus stood by idly. “Give me that!” he said, tearing the lighted spear from his grasp. Rushing to Elly’s side, he stabbed the spear into the water. The light revealed a dark shadow twisting through the water toward the bleeding woman, and without hesitation Benzan thrust the spear into it.
“There’s more of them!” Benzan warned the others, detecting several other shadows in the murky water. One he saw, was swimming swiftly upward through the water, toward… Ruath.
“Watch out, Ruath!” he yelled, but Lok, with his darkvision, had detected it as well. The snub-head of a shark erupted from the water, seeking Ruath’s legs with its snapping, tooth-filled maw, but it caught only air as the genasi lifted the halfling from the air and placed her down behind him. He tried to slam it with his axe, but by the time he could get the weapon into play the shark had already sunk beneath the surface of the waters.
Delem, his own powers useless against an underwater adversary, moved to Elly’s aid. Grabbing onto her arms, he lifted her up out of the water—and sank into it himself for every inch she rose, for their combined weight exceeded the power of Ruath’s spell.
Cal saw what was happening, and even as he quietly admired the young man’s bravery he was rushing to aid him against the attacking sharks. As he caught sight of one shark charging the final distance toward Elly and Delem, Cal bent low and plunged a wand under the water, firing a color spray into the oncoming creature’s face. The shark twisted around in the display of colored lights, and then swam awkwardly off, confused.
Benzan, meanwhile, continued to press his target, stabbing the shark again by using the full length of the spear as it tried to detach itself and swim deeper away. The shark shuddered, twisting in the water while its blood formed an obscuring cloud around it. That blood drew the attention of one of its fellows, the one that had tried to bite Ruath, and it darted eagerly for its crippled ally as it bled out its last from Benzan’s spear.
Apparently there were only the three sharks, for there were no more attacks as Dana and Delem helped Elly through the doorway back into the corridor outside. Dana cast a spell of healing on the injured sailor, who had not been too seriously hurt in the brief confrontation. Benzan guarded the narrow opening of the doorway once they had all retreated, but apparently the sharks had decided they’d had enough—or maybe they were satisfied to feed on their slain fellow—for they did not approach again.
“Well, now what?” Varrus asked, with a covert look at Benzan, though he did not request the spear back.
“Looks like we head back the other way,” Cal started to suggest, but Benzan forestalled him. “Wait a minute,” he said. “I caught a glimpse of something in the corner of that room, and I’d like to check it out.”
“What, go back in there with those sharks?” Varrus said. “You’re crazy, warrior.” The look that briefly crossed his face after he spoke suggested that he almost regretted his hasty words, but Benzan paid him no heed.
“The spell of water-walking isn’t going to last much longer,” Cal said. “And Varrus is right—those sharks are still a threat. I only stunned the one, and the other might consider the one you killed just an appetizer.”
“I know,” Benzan said. “But I’ve got a feeling that there’s something important in that room that we’re missing. Just give me a few minutes.”
“All right,” Cal said. “Delem, you, Ruath, and Varrus stay here with Elly, and watch the door. Lok, and I will go with Benzan and check out his ‘feeling’.”
The others nodded, and as they prepared to reenter the room Ruath cast a light spell on a coin and dropped it into the water by the door, so that any sharks trying to make it through would be visible.
“Come on, couldn’t you have used a pebble?” Benzan said with regret, as the glowing coin fell beneath the surface of the water. His friends only exchanged a wry look and shook their heads, following the tiefling, still clutching the glowing spear, back into the room.
The surface of the water was quiet, the sharks apparently content with their meal as Benzan led them along the wall toward the northwestern corner of the room. He dipped his spearhead below the surface of the water, and they all could see that the floor rose in that corner, with stone steps rising up until the floor was only five or six feet below the level of the water once again.
“Ah, see it?” Benzan said, poking the spear a little deeper into the water.
“It looks like… a giant clam?” Cal said, trying to resolve the object resting atop the dais under the water. Once the ripples caused by their passage across the water’s surface began to fade, he could see that it was in fact such a creature, it’s great shell easily a man’s height around, sitting half-open beneath the waters.
“Odd, for such a thing to just be sitting here,” Lok said.
“Hey, I didn’t put it there,” Benzan said. “But I’m going to check it out.”
“What do you mean?” Cal said, but it became clear what Benzan had in mind as the tiefling handed the spear to Lok and then tugged off one of his gloves, revealing the hand holding the ring of water walking. “I don’t generally agree with Varrus, but are you crazy?”
“I say it’s not a clam, but an oyster,” Benzan replied. At Cal’s perplexed look, he added, “What, don’t you know where pearls come from?”
“Careful,” Lok said. “If that shell comes down on you, there’s no way you’ll be able to break free.”
“I’ll manage,” the tiefling said with a grin. Then he removed the ring, and handed it to Cal.
Immediately the tiefling sank beneath the surface of the water, his mithral armor dragging him rapidly down to the floor of the dais. The top of his head just cleared the water, and he took a deep breath before ducking underwater and moving in the direction of the clam.
Lok, meanwhile, took the spear and pointed it in the direction of the sharks, in case they decided to return. He saw nothing moving out in the room; however, he did observe something out of the corner of his eye, something unusual about the stonework along the wall of the room. He noted the place but kept the information for later, focusing his attention for now on the risky adventure of his friend.
The water suddenly stirred around the submerged clam as its massive upper shell snapped suddenly shut. Cal and Lok ducked low, trying to see beneath the rippling surface of the water, and let out a combined sigh of relief as Benzan’s head appeared above the waves in front of them.
“Well?” Cal asked. The tiefling grinned, and held up his hand.
Cradled there was a massive black pearl, easily the size of his fist.
Benzan took back his ring from Cal, and again rose above the surface of the water. Lok, however, had already turned toward the wall of the room, and was examining the stonework there.
“What is it?” Cal asked, noticing his friend’s distraction. In answer, Lok tugged at the edge of what looked like a solid stone block—and a part of the wall reluctantly pulled away, revealing another water-filled passageway beyond.
“Secret door,” Lok said.
Aargh! Work's insanely busy this week for once, but luckily this relatively brief (for me) update was just about ready to go... We're approaching the big finale of the Isle, and Kelemvor's crew is going to be busy!
* * * * *
Book III, Part 29
Elly swam quickly toward the exit, but weighed down by her clothes and the tunic of mail she wore, she made slow progress through the dark water. Suddenly, she lurched, and let out a cry of pain as something slammed into her side.
“Something bit me!” she cried, thrashing as she broke the contact and lurched for the open portal now just a few feet away.
While the others tried in vain to detect the submerged attacker—or attackers—Benzan darted across the surface of the water to where Varrus stood by idly. “Give me that!” he said, tearing the lighted spear from his grasp. Rushing to Elly’s side, he stabbed the spear into the water. The light revealed a dark shadow twisting through the water toward the bleeding woman, and without hesitation Benzan thrust the spear into it.
“There’s more of them!” Benzan warned the others, detecting several other shadows in the murky water. One he saw, was swimming swiftly upward through the water, toward… Ruath.
“Watch out, Ruath!” he yelled, but Lok, with his darkvision, had detected it as well. The snub-head of a shark erupted from the water, seeking Ruath’s legs with its snapping, tooth-filled maw, but it caught only air as the genasi lifted the halfling from the air and placed her down behind him. He tried to slam it with his axe, but by the time he could get the weapon into play the shark had already sunk beneath the surface of the waters.
Delem, his own powers useless against an underwater adversary, moved to Elly’s aid. Grabbing onto her arms, he lifted her up out of the water—and sank into it himself for every inch she rose, for their combined weight exceeded the power of Ruath’s spell.
Cal saw what was happening, and even as he quietly admired the young man’s bravery he was rushing to aid him against the attacking sharks. As he caught sight of one shark charging the final distance toward Elly and Delem, Cal bent low and plunged a wand under the water, firing a color spray into the oncoming creature’s face. The shark twisted around in the display of colored lights, and then swam awkwardly off, confused.
Benzan, meanwhile, continued to press his target, stabbing the shark again by using the full length of the spear as it tried to detach itself and swim deeper away. The shark shuddered, twisting in the water while its blood formed an obscuring cloud around it. That blood drew the attention of one of its fellows, the one that had tried to bite Ruath, and it darted eagerly for its crippled ally as it bled out its last from Benzan’s spear.
Apparently there were only the three sharks, for there were no more attacks as Dana and Delem helped Elly through the doorway back into the corridor outside. Dana cast a spell of healing on the injured sailor, who had not been too seriously hurt in the brief confrontation. Benzan guarded the narrow opening of the doorway once they had all retreated, but apparently the sharks had decided they’d had enough—or maybe they were satisfied to feed on their slain fellow—for they did not approach again.
“Well, now what?” Varrus asked, with a covert look at Benzan, though he did not request the spear back.
“Looks like we head back the other way,” Cal started to suggest, but Benzan forestalled him. “Wait a minute,” he said. “I caught a glimpse of something in the corner of that room, and I’d like to check it out.”
“What, go back in there with those sharks?” Varrus said. “You’re crazy, warrior.” The look that briefly crossed his face after he spoke suggested that he almost regretted his hasty words, but Benzan paid him no heed.
“The spell of water-walking isn’t going to last much longer,” Cal said. “And Varrus is right—those sharks are still a threat. I only stunned the one, and the other might consider the one you killed just an appetizer.”
“I know,” Benzan said. “But I’ve got a feeling that there’s something important in that room that we’re missing. Just give me a few minutes.”
“All right,” Cal said. “Delem, you, Ruath, and Varrus stay here with Elly, and watch the door. Lok, and I will go with Benzan and check out his ‘feeling’.”
The others nodded, and as they prepared to reenter the room Ruath cast a light spell on a coin and dropped it into the water by the door, so that any sharks trying to make it through would be visible.
“Come on, couldn’t you have used a pebble?” Benzan said with regret, as the glowing coin fell beneath the surface of the water. His friends only exchanged a wry look and shook their heads, following the tiefling, still clutching the glowing spear, back into the room.
The surface of the water was quiet, the sharks apparently content with their meal as Benzan led them along the wall toward the northwestern corner of the room. He dipped his spearhead below the surface of the water, and they all could see that the floor rose in that corner, with stone steps rising up until the floor was only five or six feet below the level of the water once again.
“Ah, see it?” Benzan said, poking the spear a little deeper into the water.
“It looks like… a giant clam?” Cal said, trying to resolve the object resting atop the dais under the water. Once the ripples caused by their passage across the water’s surface began to fade, he could see that it was in fact such a creature, it’s great shell easily a man’s height around, sitting half-open beneath the waters.
“Odd, for such a thing to just be sitting here,” Lok said.
“Hey, I didn’t put it there,” Benzan said. “But I’m going to check it out.”
“What do you mean?” Cal said, but it became clear what Benzan had in mind as the tiefling handed the spear to Lok and then tugged off one of his gloves, revealing the hand holding the ring of water walking. “I don’t generally agree with Varrus, but are you crazy?”
“I say it’s not a clam, but an oyster,” Benzan replied. At Cal’s perplexed look, he added, “What, don’t you know where pearls come from?”
“Careful,” Lok said. “If that shell comes down on you, there’s no way you’ll be able to break free.”
“I’ll manage,” the tiefling said with a grin. Then he removed the ring, and handed it to Cal.
Immediately the tiefling sank beneath the surface of the water, his mithral armor dragging him rapidly down to the floor of the dais. The top of his head just cleared the water, and he took a deep breath before ducking underwater and moving in the direction of the clam.
Lok, meanwhile, took the spear and pointed it in the direction of the sharks, in case they decided to return. He saw nothing moving out in the room; however, he did observe something out of the corner of his eye, something unusual about the stonework along the wall of the room. He noted the place but kept the information for later, focusing his attention for now on the risky adventure of his friend.
The water suddenly stirred around the submerged clam as its massive upper shell snapped suddenly shut. Cal and Lok ducked low, trying to see beneath the rippling surface of the water, and let out a combined sigh of relief as Benzan’s head appeared above the waves in front of them.
“Well?” Cal asked. The tiefling grinned, and held up his hand.
Cradled there was a massive black pearl, easily the size of his fist.
Benzan took back his ring from Cal, and again rose above the surface of the water. Lok, however, had already turned toward the wall of the room, and was examining the stonework there.
“What is it?” Cal asked, noticing his friend’s distraction. In answer, Lok tugged at the edge of what looked like a solid stone block—and a part of the wall reluctantly pulled away, revealing another water-filled passageway beyond.
“Secret door,” Lok said.
Lazybones
Adventurer
Book III, Part 30
Conscious of the minutes ticking away on Ruath’s spell, they moved quickly to relocate into the corridor beyond the secret door. After checking to make sure that the corridor was clear, at least as far as he could tell, Benzan loaned his ring again to Cal, who moved to get the others. The use of the ring was able to get Elly safely past the sharks and all of them were soon gathered in the space beyond the stone panel. Elly started to take off the ring to return it to Benzan, but he raised a hand to forestall her.
“You hold onto it for a while,” he said. “The chill in the water doesn’t bother me that much.”
Still holding the spear, Benzan led the way again down the new passageway, which was about ten feet across. Almost immediately after leaving the secret door behind the passageway turned sharply to the north.
After traveling a short distance, the light revealed a series of rough openings, just over a foot in diameter, along both sides of the corridor just above the water level. Lok walked over to the nearest and bent low to look into it, rattling his axe into the opening to see if there was anything stirring within. After he withdrew the weapon they listened, but only the faint sound of water dripping on stone answered them.
“That doesn’t mean they’re empty,” Cal cautioned them, as they started down the corridor again. Ahead, a stone’s throw distant, they could just make out a door ahead, at the end of the passageway.
“Uh oh,” Benzan said, an instant before the rest of them heard the sound: a rustling that seemed to come from all of the openings at once, followed by a squeaking noise moments before a small horde of giant rats appeared and attacked.
Their attackers were no ordinary rodents; these creatures were easily three feet in length, bigger and heavier than Cal and Ruath, and they leapt into the water without reluctance, their muscular limbs carrying them swiftly toward the nearest of the companions.
But these intruders were no strangers to battle, and treading atop the surface of the water, they were able to bring their full strength to bear. The only person at a disadvantage was Benzan, and as a trio of rats swam at him he suddenly darted beneath the surface of the water, pushing ahead with a strong kick-off that propelled him a goodly distance ahead of the pursuing creatures. As he broached the water’s surface again he was already bringing up the spearhead to meet the first oncoming rat, and stabbed it deep in its chest with the shining bronze head. The rat squirmed and squeaked in pain, but still thrashed ahead through the water as it tried to reach him.
“Tougher than you look,” Benzan commented, giving ground as the rats continued swimming toward him. “Hey, a little help over here!” Benzan shouted to his companions.
The rats were having little luck against the rest of the group. Lok strode right into the first cluster of swimming rats, his axe wreaking havoc among them. Behind him, Dana, Delem, and Cal provided support with their crossbows, shooting the rats as they swam diligently toward them. One reached Dana and tried to nip at her leg, but she nimbly darted aside. Although agile swimmers, the rats found it difficult to keep up with foes that could walk upon the surface of the water as if it was a sound floor beneath.
Benzan, meanwhile, found himself pushed all the way back to the door, with three rats, including the injured one, still rushing toward him. Suddenly, though, he rose up out of the water, levitating straight upward to rest up against the ceiling of the corridor while the rats could only squeak at him in frustration.
“Sorry, fellas,” he said, as he stabbed one with his sword.
Back on the far end, meanwhile, the companions had made short work of the other rats, Lok taking the highest tally by slaying five of the wretched creatures. None of them had been hit. Wary for more attackers from the small openings, they moved to join Benzan, who was just finishing off the last of his attackers from above with his sword.
“Everything under control here?” Cal asked.
“Yeah, no thanks to you guys,” Benzan said, still hovering against the ceiling, water dripping in runnels from his soaked clothes.
“Hey, you were the one who darted up ahead,” the gnome countered. “If you’re ready, why don’t you come down from there, and we can move on?”
“Hold on a moment,” Benzan said. As his companions waited expectantly, he sheathed his sword, and then, with an expectant look on his face, slowly removed his hand from the hilt. After a moment his expression eased, and a wide grin crossed his face.
“Okay…” Cal said. “What’s the joke?”
“I didn’t fall,” Benzan replied. “The power of the sword works even when I’m not holding it. Could be useful information, I’d say.”
“True, but while you’re hovering there, Ruath’s spell is rapidly running out for the rest of us,” Cal said. “We’d better get moving—if we don’t find any sign of the Well soon, then we’ll have to turn back and try again tomorrow.”
In response Benzan’s face took on a brief look of concentration, and he sank back down into the water. The door at the end of the corridor took a brief effort for them to force it open, finally revealing another square chamber beyond. An identical stone door was the only exit, in the far wall. With the room half-flooded, there were no clues as to what purpose the place might have once served.
Benzan led the way again, moving slowly through the water while his companions covered him from behind. The tiefling had only reached the halfway point across the floor, however, when he stumbled on something submerged under the water, and they all heard an audible click that seemed to come from within the wall to their left.
“Oh, I don’t like the sound of…”
Benzan’s statement was cut off as a gout of burning flames erupted as a slick atop the surface of the water, spreading rapidly out from the western wall. The companions retreated hastily as the flames filled the room with thick smoke, causing their eyes to tear up and their lungs to burn. Benzan, caught on the edges of the flames, immediately darted underwater, coming up a short distance ahead near the far door.
“We’ve got to get out of here!” Cal yelled, prodding several of the others to retreat back through the partly open door back into the corridor.
“Benzan!” Elly shouted, although the sound was muffled slightly by the angry roar of the flames. The slick of burning oil had spread through the center of the chamber, and the smoke had cut off their view of the tiefling.
“I’ll get him,” Lok said, and just like that he ran across the room, leaping over a narrow stretch of flames. He emerged from the smoke to see the tiefling pushing on the stone door, which thus far seemed to be resisting his efforts.
“It’s stuck!” he said, as he saw Lok approach. “No, wait, there it…”
He was again cut off as the door suddenly pivoted wide open, revealing another corridor beyond.
A corridor that was not flooded.
Or at least, hadn’t been up to that moment.
Benzan and Lok were driven roughly forward on the rush of water as it flowed into the dry corridor. Benzan almost managed to regain his footing against the deluge, but then the force of the water hurled him hard against a grillwork of heavy bronze bars that formed a vertical barrier across the corridor about ten feet beyond the door. The water continued to pour through the bars down the passage, where a natural stone staircase headed down to a still lower level a short distance beyond the portcullis. All of Benzan’s efforts were focused on keeping his head up as the onrushing flow continued to batter him down. He felt the grate shudder from another impact, and looked over to see Lok in similar difficulty, although the genasi’s strength and compact form made it easier for him to weather the crush of the water.
The surge continued for nearly a full minute, but then it finally began to ease up as all of the water that had been in the room and the passageway beyond flowed through the grille and down the stairs. As Benzan straightened, his body bruised and battered by the beating he’d taken, he could see a dense pall of steam clouding the stairs and the passageway ahead, which indicated to him that wherever the water had gone, it was hot there.
“Is everyone okay?” Cal asked. Benzan was surprised to see him just an arm length’s away, the gnome a sodden ball lying at the base of the grille. The rest of the companions were scattered in the rest of the corridor and around the doorway of the room, more than one groaning at the rough treatment they’d suffered in the sudden rush of water. At least the flames of the oil slick had been extinguished in the deluge, leaving one small blessing.
“What… what happened?” Elly asked, shaking her head where an ugly bruise was already forming across her temple. Ruath and Varrus were jumbled together in the open doorway, and disentangled themselves slowly, shaken but not seriously hurt.
“Dana, Delem?” Cal said, when he realized that the two weren’t in the corridor with them.
“We’re all right,” Dana’s voice came in reply from deeper in the room. A few moments later she and the sorcerer appeared in the doorway, soaked but hale.
“Elly’s hurt,” Cal said, “And it looks like Benzan took a bit of a beating.”
“I’m okay,” the tiefling said, his pride hurting more than anything else. None of the others chastised him for opening the door, however, as they gathered their gear and their wits and the clerics tended to those who were injured.
Within a few minutes they were ready to head out again. Although they were wet, tired, and somewhat battered, each of them felt a strange sense of anticipation, an almost tangible feeling that they were close to their final destination. Working together, Lok and Benzan were able to lift the heavy bronze grate enough for them all to slip past. There was another stone door in the side of the corridor, but wary of unleashing another flood of water, they bypassed that portal for now and headed down the stairs. The continuing steam from below made it difficult to see, and the rough-hewn steps were slick with water, but they pressed on cautiously and soon emerged into a large cavern.
The thickly cloying currents of steam that ran up into the stairway from below made it impossible to discern any details about the cavern, but it was evident that the place was of considerable size. They had nearly reached the floor of the cavern, cautiously watching their steps on the slick stone of the stair, before the cloud of steam cleared enough for them to examine the cavern more closely.
The cavern was one huge open space, a bubble in the rock under the island. Their light sources only brightened a small portion of its expanse, but what they could see was enough to give them all pause. Most of the cavern floor was taken up by a harsh landscape of bubbling mud, pools of boiling water, and ledges and terraces formed by the gradual accumulation of minerals on the rough stone edges around the walls. Tenuous pathways formed of mineral crusts created a maze of sorts through the central area of the room, connecting the different ledges and terraces around the edges. Geysers of hot mud and steaming water shot high up into the air periodically, indicating that the elemental energies at work under the volcano were not entirely dormant, at least not in this place. Occasionally they could make out flashes of ruddy light in the rear of the chamber as the movements of water and mud brought superheated liquid and air to the surface, followed moments later by an energetic burst of spray or another geyser.
“Nice place,” Benzan quipped. “Why do I have the feeling that we are going to find the Well of Worlds on the other side of… that?”
“There’s still some more areas on the upper level that we haven’t fully explored,” Elly ventured.
“The water-walking spell has expired,” Ruath said. “I can pray again for it tomorrow, but we might as well look around while we’re down here.”
“Trust to luck?” Cal said to her, and the halfling cleric finally nodded, her lips twisting in only the faintest hint of a smile. Even so, Cal was glad to see it.
“I can feel… something here, a source of power,” Dana said, her eyes growing slightly out of focus as if she was seeing something beyond the confines of the cavern. “There are currents of energy here, can’t you feel them?”
“I can feel that this place gives me the creeps,” Benzan said. “Let’s find what we can and get out of here.” The tiefling checked his bow and sword and moved out into the lead, heading for the base of the stairs below them.
The others followed close behind, ready for anything.
Or so they thought.
Conscious of the minutes ticking away on Ruath’s spell, they moved quickly to relocate into the corridor beyond the secret door. After checking to make sure that the corridor was clear, at least as far as he could tell, Benzan loaned his ring again to Cal, who moved to get the others. The use of the ring was able to get Elly safely past the sharks and all of them were soon gathered in the space beyond the stone panel. Elly started to take off the ring to return it to Benzan, but he raised a hand to forestall her.
“You hold onto it for a while,” he said. “The chill in the water doesn’t bother me that much.”
Still holding the spear, Benzan led the way again down the new passageway, which was about ten feet across. Almost immediately after leaving the secret door behind the passageway turned sharply to the north.
After traveling a short distance, the light revealed a series of rough openings, just over a foot in diameter, along both sides of the corridor just above the water level. Lok walked over to the nearest and bent low to look into it, rattling his axe into the opening to see if there was anything stirring within. After he withdrew the weapon they listened, but only the faint sound of water dripping on stone answered them.
“That doesn’t mean they’re empty,” Cal cautioned them, as they started down the corridor again. Ahead, a stone’s throw distant, they could just make out a door ahead, at the end of the passageway.
“Uh oh,” Benzan said, an instant before the rest of them heard the sound: a rustling that seemed to come from all of the openings at once, followed by a squeaking noise moments before a small horde of giant rats appeared and attacked.
Their attackers were no ordinary rodents; these creatures were easily three feet in length, bigger and heavier than Cal and Ruath, and they leapt into the water without reluctance, their muscular limbs carrying them swiftly toward the nearest of the companions.
But these intruders were no strangers to battle, and treading atop the surface of the water, they were able to bring their full strength to bear. The only person at a disadvantage was Benzan, and as a trio of rats swam at him he suddenly darted beneath the surface of the water, pushing ahead with a strong kick-off that propelled him a goodly distance ahead of the pursuing creatures. As he broached the water’s surface again he was already bringing up the spearhead to meet the first oncoming rat, and stabbed it deep in its chest with the shining bronze head. The rat squirmed and squeaked in pain, but still thrashed ahead through the water as it tried to reach him.
“Tougher than you look,” Benzan commented, giving ground as the rats continued swimming toward him. “Hey, a little help over here!” Benzan shouted to his companions.
The rats were having little luck against the rest of the group. Lok strode right into the first cluster of swimming rats, his axe wreaking havoc among them. Behind him, Dana, Delem, and Cal provided support with their crossbows, shooting the rats as they swam diligently toward them. One reached Dana and tried to nip at her leg, but she nimbly darted aside. Although agile swimmers, the rats found it difficult to keep up with foes that could walk upon the surface of the water as if it was a sound floor beneath.
Benzan, meanwhile, found himself pushed all the way back to the door, with three rats, including the injured one, still rushing toward him. Suddenly, though, he rose up out of the water, levitating straight upward to rest up against the ceiling of the corridor while the rats could only squeak at him in frustration.
“Sorry, fellas,” he said, as he stabbed one with his sword.
Back on the far end, meanwhile, the companions had made short work of the other rats, Lok taking the highest tally by slaying five of the wretched creatures. None of them had been hit. Wary for more attackers from the small openings, they moved to join Benzan, who was just finishing off the last of his attackers from above with his sword.
“Everything under control here?” Cal asked.
“Yeah, no thanks to you guys,” Benzan said, still hovering against the ceiling, water dripping in runnels from his soaked clothes.
“Hey, you were the one who darted up ahead,” the gnome countered. “If you’re ready, why don’t you come down from there, and we can move on?”
“Hold on a moment,” Benzan said. As his companions waited expectantly, he sheathed his sword, and then, with an expectant look on his face, slowly removed his hand from the hilt. After a moment his expression eased, and a wide grin crossed his face.
“Okay…” Cal said. “What’s the joke?”
“I didn’t fall,” Benzan replied. “The power of the sword works even when I’m not holding it. Could be useful information, I’d say.”
“True, but while you’re hovering there, Ruath’s spell is rapidly running out for the rest of us,” Cal said. “We’d better get moving—if we don’t find any sign of the Well soon, then we’ll have to turn back and try again tomorrow.”
In response Benzan’s face took on a brief look of concentration, and he sank back down into the water. The door at the end of the corridor took a brief effort for them to force it open, finally revealing another square chamber beyond. An identical stone door was the only exit, in the far wall. With the room half-flooded, there were no clues as to what purpose the place might have once served.
Benzan led the way again, moving slowly through the water while his companions covered him from behind. The tiefling had only reached the halfway point across the floor, however, when he stumbled on something submerged under the water, and they all heard an audible click that seemed to come from within the wall to their left.
“Oh, I don’t like the sound of…”
Benzan’s statement was cut off as a gout of burning flames erupted as a slick atop the surface of the water, spreading rapidly out from the western wall. The companions retreated hastily as the flames filled the room with thick smoke, causing their eyes to tear up and their lungs to burn. Benzan, caught on the edges of the flames, immediately darted underwater, coming up a short distance ahead near the far door.
“We’ve got to get out of here!” Cal yelled, prodding several of the others to retreat back through the partly open door back into the corridor.
“Benzan!” Elly shouted, although the sound was muffled slightly by the angry roar of the flames. The slick of burning oil had spread through the center of the chamber, and the smoke had cut off their view of the tiefling.
“I’ll get him,” Lok said, and just like that he ran across the room, leaping over a narrow stretch of flames. He emerged from the smoke to see the tiefling pushing on the stone door, which thus far seemed to be resisting his efforts.
“It’s stuck!” he said, as he saw Lok approach. “No, wait, there it…”
He was again cut off as the door suddenly pivoted wide open, revealing another corridor beyond.
A corridor that was not flooded.
Or at least, hadn’t been up to that moment.
Benzan and Lok were driven roughly forward on the rush of water as it flowed into the dry corridor. Benzan almost managed to regain his footing against the deluge, but then the force of the water hurled him hard against a grillwork of heavy bronze bars that formed a vertical barrier across the corridor about ten feet beyond the door. The water continued to pour through the bars down the passage, where a natural stone staircase headed down to a still lower level a short distance beyond the portcullis. All of Benzan’s efforts were focused on keeping his head up as the onrushing flow continued to batter him down. He felt the grate shudder from another impact, and looked over to see Lok in similar difficulty, although the genasi’s strength and compact form made it easier for him to weather the crush of the water.
The surge continued for nearly a full minute, but then it finally began to ease up as all of the water that had been in the room and the passageway beyond flowed through the grille and down the stairs. As Benzan straightened, his body bruised and battered by the beating he’d taken, he could see a dense pall of steam clouding the stairs and the passageway ahead, which indicated to him that wherever the water had gone, it was hot there.
“Is everyone okay?” Cal asked. Benzan was surprised to see him just an arm length’s away, the gnome a sodden ball lying at the base of the grille. The rest of the companions were scattered in the rest of the corridor and around the doorway of the room, more than one groaning at the rough treatment they’d suffered in the sudden rush of water. At least the flames of the oil slick had been extinguished in the deluge, leaving one small blessing.
“What… what happened?” Elly asked, shaking her head where an ugly bruise was already forming across her temple. Ruath and Varrus were jumbled together in the open doorway, and disentangled themselves slowly, shaken but not seriously hurt.
“Dana, Delem?” Cal said, when he realized that the two weren’t in the corridor with them.
“We’re all right,” Dana’s voice came in reply from deeper in the room. A few moments later she and the sorcerer appeared in the doorway, soaked but hale.
“Elly’s hurt,” Cal said, “And it looks like Benzan took a bit of a beating.”
“I’m okay,” the tiefling said, his pride hurting more than anything else. None of the others chastised him for opening the door, however, as they gathered their gear and their wits and the clerics tended to those who were injured.
Within a few minutes they were ready to head out again. Although they were wet, tired, and somewhat battered, each of them felt a strange sense of anticipation, an almost tangible feeling that they were close to their final destination. Working together, Lok and Benzan were able to lift the heavy bronze grate enough for them all to slip past. There was another stone door in the side of the corridor, but wary of unleashing another flood of water, they bypassed that portal for now and headed down the stairs. The continuing steam from below made it difficult to see, and the rough-hewn steps were slick with water, but they pressed on cautiously and soon emerged into a large cavern.
The thickly cloying currents of steam that ran up into the stairway from below made it impossible to discern any details about the cavern, but it was evident that the place was of considerable size. They had nearly reached the floor of the cavern, cautiously watching their steps on the slick stone of the stair, before the cloud of steam cleared enough for them to examine the cavern more closely.
The cavern was one huge open space, a bubble in the rock under the island. Their light sources only brightened a small portion of its expanse, but what they could see was enough to give them all pause. Most of the cavern floor was taken up by a harsh landscape of bubbling mud, pools of boiling water, and ledges and terraces formed by the gradual accumulation of minerals on the rough stone edges around the walls. Tenuous pathways formed of mineral crusts created a maze of sorts through the central area of the room, connecting the different ledges and terraces around the edges. Geysers of hot mud and steaming water shot high up into the air periodically, indicating that the elemental energies at work under the volcano were not entirely dormant, at least not in this place. Occasionally they could make out flashes of ruddy light in the rear of the chamber as the movements of water and mud brought superheated liquid and air to the surface, followed moments later by an energetic burst of spray or another geyser.
“Nice place,” Benzan quipped. “Why do I have the feeling that we are going to find the Well of Worlds on the other side of… that?”
“There’s still some more areas on the upper level that we haven’t fully explored,” Elly ventured.
“The water-walking spell has expired,” Ruath said. “I can pray again for it tomorrow, but we might as well look around while we’re down here.”
“Trust to luck?” Cal said to her, and the halfling cleric finally nodded, her lips twisting in only the faintest hint of a smile. Even so, Cal was glad to see it.
“I can feel… something here, a source of power,” Dana said, her eyes growing slightly out of focus as if she was seeing something beyond the confines of the cavern. “There are currents of energy here, can’t you feel them?”
“I can feel that this place gives me the creeps,” Benzan said. “Let’s find what we can and get out of here.” The tiefling checked his bow and sword and moved out into the lead, heading for the base of the stairs below them.
The others followed close behind, ready for anything.
Or so they thought.
Broccli_Head
Explorer
Can't wait until the "or so they thought" is revealed.
No deaths in several posts....does that mean a few in the next one?
No deaths in several posts....does that mean a few in the next one?
Lazybones
Adventurer
Horacio and Broccli_Head (and you lurkers too who keep reading): thanks guys! And now it's time for the climactic scene of Book III... (it required several takes, and went way over budget, but boy, was it worth it!)
[cue dramatic music, please]
* * * * *
Book III, Part 31
Cautiously the companions moved out into the vast open space of the underground cavern. The air was hot and tinged with a faint hint of sulfur, making even just breathing an effort. The stone surface of the floor at the end of the stairs formed a slightly sloping ledge that culminated in the edge of the pits of boiling mud and water a stone’s throw away. The ledge was white with calcified mineral deposits, and was slick, forcing them to make their way with great care. Steam still rose from the ground around them where the water from above had slushed over the hot surface on its way to rejoin the bubbling pools at the edge of the ledge.
The only apparent route ahead lay to the right along the edge of the cavern, where a narrow ledge ran out over the boiling mass below. Benzan probed ahead carefully with the magical spear, testing the strength and stability of the ground beneath them. The light that Cal had placed on the spearhead had faded, but Benzan’s eyes needed no illumination to guide his steps. Their magic-users had studied many such light spells that morning, however, and several magical glows among the other companions provided sufficient brightness for the others to clearly see where they were going.
Soon the ledge gave way to a pathway fashioned of mineral-encrusted stone that led out over the mud flats and boiling pools, forming a corridor just a few feet above the steaming cauldron to each side. Benzan regarded the path dubiously, but it supported both the prodding of his spear and the weight of his person, and he reported to the others that the route was sound.
“Looks like there’s a number of these pathways across,” he told them, his vision extending past the radius of their lights to see well into the depths of the chamber. The raised areas divided the floor of the room into numerous separate depressions where the boiling mud and geyser springs lay. Even he could not see the far wall, however, or determine how deeply the cavern extended into the bedrock of the island.
“All right, let’s go, then,” Cal suggested, “but keep a space between you, and watch for any dangerous spots in the path. All this activity might have undermined the stone separating the different pools.”
Lok had taken a length of rope from his bag of holding, and tucked it into his belt. Elly noticed it, and said, “Should we tie ourselves together, in case someone slips?”
Cal considered the idea. “I don’t think so—that might work against us as well as for us. Keep the rope handy, though, in case there is a mishap.”
They spread out in a line after Benzan as the tiefling led them into the depths of the chamber. At places they could see great pillars where dripping stalactites had finally reached stalagmites rising up from the floor, and other strange formations created by the accumulation left by the flows of mineral-rich water over long periods of time. Soon they had left the reassuring presence of the cavern wall behind them, and they moved into the vast open core of the place. The ceiling formed a bubble far above them, beyond the range of both their lights and Benzan and Lok’s darkvision.
Soon the twisting course of the pathway led them to a relatively flat space of open stone, perhaps twenty feet across. They gathered there, each fighting against the potent smells that caused their vision to swim and their heads to pound. From their vantage several additional raised stone pathways running above the pits ran out in several directions, dividing the roiling pools around them into numerous discrete areas. Benzan thought he caught a glimpse of the far side of the cavern from the edge of the stone island, but before he could report that discovery to the others, he felt a strange sensation pass through him.
Benzan, a voice said within his mind, a voice cloying and luring and somehow… familiar… Why do you seek to avoid your destiny? Come to us, child of the outer realms, come to us…
The world seemed to spin around him slightly, and he was only faintly aware of someone calling his name. Then, however, awareness cut through the haze overlaying his thoughts like a sharp knife, and both the sensation and the voice vanished. He could feel, however, a faint buzzing noise in the back of his mind, driving away the alien tinge, and felt a familiar presence at his side, calling him back to his duty.
“What is it, Benzan?” he heard the other voice again—Cal’s voice, familiar and friendly, trusting. Not like the phantom that had twice now tried to sway him.
“They’re here, close…” he said in dawning horror, realizing now what the source of the voices was. “The things—the statue—they’re here!”
Even as he turned to warn his friends, though, he saw it. Nearly covered over in hot mud, its form immersed in the roiling pool, a man-sized form that was both familiar and utterly alien at the same time, a form that they’d all seen once before. It was a replica of the statue they’d destroyed in the chamber above, only this one was moving, and living. It wasn’t far, maybe thirty feet away, but the boiling mud formed an effective moat between it and the party.
The kopru… Benzan thought, although how he knew its name was utterly beyond him.
The sight of the thing nearly stole his will to act, and as its bulbous eyes met his he momentarily felt small, insignificant in the face of an ancient and alien intelligence. The emotion passed quickly, though, and as he thought of it manipulating him and his friends through its mental whispers that feeling of helplessness was replaced by anger, and he reached for his bow.
“There—kill it!” he yelled in warning, gesturing toward the creature even as his fingers dipped into his quiver for an arrow.
Delem was just a short distance away, next to the reassuring solidity of Lok. He heard Benzan’s warning and followed the tiefling’s gaze toward the form half-hidden in the mud. Without the tiefling’s enhanced senses, he couldn’t mark clearly what it was, but he knew Benzan well enough to trust his instincts. The sorcerer opened himself to his magic, calling upon the words that would invoke a stream of fire to destroy whatever it was, whatever threatened him and his companions.
Lost in his magic, he didn’t notice when Lok turned slowly around to face him, a strange look on his face.
A few steps further back, Cal couldn’t fully see what was going on along the farther edge of the platform. He saw Benzan stop, heard him say something that was lost over the noise of the cavern around them. Lok, too, had stopped, and behind him Delem, the sorcerer’s tall form blocking Cal’s view. Behind him, Varrus, Ruath, and Elly were gathered back in the center of the stone island, while Dana, who had been bringing up the rear, was still standing along the edges of the path over which they’d just come. Even as Cal started to move around Delem, however, Benzan shouted a clear warning, gesturing toward a patch of mud a short distance ahead of him and to the right. Almost immediately Cal heard chanting coming from Delem, and Cal quickly moved to join his companions against whatever threat lurked.
For some reason, however, Lok was just standing there, hesitating. Then he turned, and Cal’s eyes widened when he saw the unfamiliar look in the genasi’s eyes.
“Lok, what are you…”
He didn’t get to finish his statement as Lok swept his mighty axe around, the gleaming blade leaving a sparkling trail of frost-flakes in its wake. Reflex took over for thought as Cal reached out and pulled at Delem’s cloak, drawing him suddenly back. The action saved the unaware sorcerer from what could only have been a killing blow, but even so the head of the weapon drew a deep gash in Delem’s side, releasing a spray of frozen red droplets into the air as the two fell back.
Benzan’s eyes were drawn away from his target by the sounds of battle behind him, and they widened in horror as he watched Lok strike down Delem. He took a step toward them before he realized that there was little he could do against the genasi, save shoot him with the very arrow he was holding. Understanding of what was happening drew his anger back to the creature still visible just a short distance away, and in one smooth motion he drew, sighted, and fired.
The arrow slammed into the creature hard, the powerful pull of Benzan’s bow driving the missile deep into its shoulder. It reared back in obvious pain, and Benzan could hear an echoing roar from Lok, confirming the link between the monster and his friend’s inexplicable actions. Benzan reached for another arrow, trying to outrace the deadly workings of his own comrade’s axe.
After knocking down Delem, Lok did not hesitate in his attack, barreling forward into the midst of his friends. Delem staggered into Cal, who was desperately trying to reach for one of his wands while keeping the sorcerer from falling into the boiling springs next to the path. Lok followed and struck again, hitting Delem once more with a blow that cut deep into his back and knocked him roughly prone, his lifeblood pouring freely out onto the already slick stone. Even as Cal lifted his wand of color spray, Lok brought his blade back in his typically deadly backstroke, the lower edge of the weapon clipping Cal’s shoulder and knocking him roughly aside. Cal felt pain tear through him as the magical chill of the weapon cut him to the bone, and as he staggered he slipped on the wet rock and fell. He would have slid into the boiling mud if Elly hadn’t grabbed onto him and pulled him back up to the surface of the path.
“What’s happening?” Elly cried, her voice riding a knife’s edge of panic.
“Something’s controlling him!” Cal shouted, almost unable to hear his own voice over the pounding of his blood in his ears. The gnome looked up, fighting through the pain of his wound, and saw that Ruath had stepped calmly forward, striding over the prone form of Delem to confront the raging and deadly genasi.
“Ruath, no!” Cal cried, the halfling’s slight form seeming insignificant indeed against the elemental power of the heavily armored genasi warrior.
But even as Lok raised his axe to strike down the cleric, she raised a hand and called upon the power of Tymora to dispel the fell power that was controlling their friend. The Lady’s Luck was with her, for the energies of her spell were released the barest instant before the point of no return, and as the strange glow in Lok’s eyes faded the axe’s arc changed and the weapon sliced harmlessly—if only by barest inches—above the halfling’s head.
Benzan fired again, hesitating only to set another missile to his bowstring as he sent arrow after arrow into his target with deadly accuracy. Already two arrows jutted from its body, and while a third had been turned by its thick, leathery skin, it was clear that the attacks were having an effect. The creature was giving ground, swimming through the hot mud with little difficulty, but Benzan continued to track it, scoring another hit on its flank as it tried to escape. The mud pits were chaotic and active, but apparently not especially deep.
Intent on his enemy, Benzan didn’t see the form that charged at him from behind.
“Benzan, look out!” Dana cried. But it was too late for him to do anything as Varrus slammed hard into him, the burly sailor’s momentum carrying them both off of the path and into the boiling mud below.
Delem stirred, feeling the familiar tingle of Kossuth’s divine power sending life back into his ravaged body. He was still weak, but he fought through that weakness as the divine energy renewed him and brought him back to consciousness. When he saw Lok standing just a few feet away he felt a current of fear run through him, but he belatedly realized that the genasi was no longer attacking, and in fact was helping Elly pull Cal back up from the brink of the platform up to his feet. He sensed rather than saw the motion within the mud pits a short distance away, a reminder of where the true threat lay.
It took him an effort to stand, but he managed to do so. Instead of calling upon healing magic to steady himself, he drew upon the more primal side of his power, the raging elemental fury that burned deep within his soul. He could see the creature swimming through the mud, several of Benzan’s arrows stuck within it. It had drawn off some distance, but now it was coming closer again, its opponents thrown into confusion by its mental assault. Benzan had stopped firing, but Delem focused on the creature, calling on the flames.
A stream of fire crossed from his hand and engulfed the thing, the tendrils of flame eagerly sweeping around its form. When they had faded, however, the thing was still there, unharmed, and too late Delem realized his mistake.
Fool! The thing lives in boiling mud! he berated himself mentally. He was momentarily at a loss, then reached for an item that had laid forgotten in his pouch since their defeat of the minotaur and his pirates a month and more past.
Benzan felt hot pain all over his body as the searing mud and boiling water splashed all around him. The mud buoyed him somewhat, keeping him from going completely under, but that was little comfort as the sizzling liquid quickly soaked through his garments and scalded his skin underneath. His natural resistance offered some protection against the heat, but it was clear that even he wouldn’t last long in this mess.
Varrus still clung to him, the sailor thrashing as the boiling spring scorched his unprotected flesh. His weight and flailing legs threatened to drag both of them under the surface, but Benzan managed to twist free enough to drive an elbow into the man’s face, loosening his grasp enough for Benzan to draw away from the hapless sailor. He immediately plunged his hand into the boiling water, ignoring the pain as he reached for the hilt of his sword. He knew that the power was waiting for his command, but he still had to touch the weapon to initiate its magic.
It came at his touch, however, and he quickly rose up out of the pit, the hot mud releasing him reluctantly with a harsh sucking sound. Even as he started to levitate up into the air, however, he suddenly lurched to a stop. The tiefling looked down to see Varrus clinging to his legs. The man’s eyes were wide with pain and terror, the magical domination of the kopru broken in the face of his immanent death.
“Please, help me!” the man cried, his grip tightening even as his weight started to drag Benzan back down into the blistering mix of mud and water.
Although Delem’s magical attack had been unsuccessful, his companions quickly joined in assisting him against the creature. Lok drew out his powerful longbow from his bag of holding, and after quickly stringing the weapon sent his first arrow darting toward the partially submerged kopru. The arrow struck true, thudding into the creature’s chest, and it let out a cry that was purely inhuman agony. Even as the genasi continued the barrage Dana had rushed to aid Benzan, who was struggling with Varrus in the mud pit a half-dozen paces away, well out of their reach. Dana’s face twisted in frustration as she regarded the swirling mix of mud and water, the heat rushing up to reach her even atop the solid perch of the stone. Even as she considered a dangerous course to aid the tiefling, however, she saw another dark form rise up out of the mud a short distance away, on the other side of the stone island to her left. The hackles rose up on her neck as she realized that the shadowy form was a second creature, close enough so that Dana could see its milky white eyes blink as it stared at her. The intelligence in those eyes was otherworldly, but the malevolence there was plain to see.
“There’s another one!” she cried in warning, reaching for her crossbow, cursing as she fumbled with her injured hand.
After freeing Lok of the first kopru’s sinister enchantment, Ruath had turned immediately to Cal, calling forth a powerful spell to heal his injury. The halfling turned next to Delem, but Dana’s cry forestalled her. Cal looked at her, and at Elly, hovering just a few feet behind the two short folk, her own crossbow clutched in shaking hands.
“Go,” he told them, “help Benzan—I’ll aid Lok and Delem.” As the two women rushed to Dana’s aid, Cal turned to his embattled friends.
Having already witnessed the mental prowess of these strange adversaries, Cal doubted that his illusions would have much effect on them. Realizing that their mental power was their most dangerous weapon, he reached down into a pouch and took out a wand that he had not used since purchasing it back in Memnon. He had faith in his own and Delem’s ability to resist the weird pull of the creatures’ call, but Lok had already proven himself vulnerable, and Ruath’s spell of dispel magic did not confer a lasting resistance. He stepped up and called upon the power of the wand, laying a protective ward on the genasi that would hopefully bolster his own resistance against the power of mental domination exercised by their opponents. That done, he turned to another talent that could bolster his friends against these enemies. Fighting down his own fears, he began to sing, a rousing song of camaraderie and unity against dark foes. The song was his own, with many of its examples from their own adventures, stories of terrible enemies defeated through common action. He felt his heart lift as he loaded his trusty crossbow, moving up beside Delem as the sorcerer fired magic missiles from a wand at the hideous form of the kopru. The creature’s mental probes found only determined resistance against its ready and aware foes, and it turned to retreat once again. But the deadly barrage from its enemies continued unabated, and finally as an arrow, magic missile, and crossbow bolt each struck home in rapid succession it let out a final cry and sagged into a motionless lump that slowly sank beneath the surface of the mud.
Benzan felt the heat rise up through his legs as Varrus pulled him back down into the boiling pool. A gout of steam rose up from a nearby geyser, scalding both of them but doing nothing to loosen the desperate sailor’s grip. His skin was already red and peeling, his face a mask of pain as his eyes locked onto Benzan’s again.
“Please…”
Benzan twisted, pulling one leg free, and with a swift motion slammed his boot down into the man’s face.
Varrus crumpled and screamed, falling back into the scalding mud. Released of the man’s grasp, Benzan levitated quickly up into the air, away from the roiling surface of the pit. He’d dropped his bow when Varrus had hit him, and without the ability to move laterally, it seemed that for the moment at least, he was out of the fight.
Ruath and Elly moved to join Dana as she faced off against the second creature. Dana finally managed to get a bolt loaded into her bow, but her shot went wide, splashing harmlessly into the mud. Elly, too, fired, but her missile glanced off the creature’s thick hide, also to no effect. The creature took the three of them in, its dark gaze seeing deep into their very souls.
Dana felt a tingle along the edges of her perceptions, an intrusion that sought to lull her mind with whispered promises and twisted words. Dana’s mind, however, was fortified both by the strength of will and divine grace common to all of Selûne’s clergy, and the discipline instilled by her monastic training. Beyond that, her more recent calling as a mystic wanderer made her all but immune to the mental domination of the kopru, and its attempt to seize control of her slid off her mind like water running off of stone.
Ruath stepped forward, her mouth twisting in disgust at the evil represented in the form of the monstrosity before her. Two spells burned in her memory, divine magic that would aid against such an abomination. The first was a protective ward, much like the one that Cal had placed upon Lok, except that its power would surround her and those around her with aid against the attacks and mental powers of the creature. But confronted by the evil of the creature, Ruath chose to attack, beginning an intricate summoning that would bring an ally to fight against the creature. The spell was a more powerful version of the spell she used to bring the celestial badgers, and in fact she’d initially memorized it to call upon a massive dire badger to aid her and her companions in their battles. In this context, however, another sort of ally was called for, and she cast her perceptions out to the elemental planes, using Tymora’s power to draw upon a creature that could confront the kopru on its own ground.
It was a fateful choice.
Elly came up behind Ruath, her unloaded crossbow falling forgotten to the stone along with the bolt she’d taken from her quiver. Dana sensed something and started to turn, but she could not react in time to stop the half-elven woman from picking up Ruath, and hurling her bodily into the pit of bubbling mud directly ahead of them.
Directly toward the waiting arms of the kopru.
“Elly—what—” Dana began, but even as the words faltered she already understood, her thoughts catching up to the reality of what had happened. She had to defend herself, however, as Elly drew her cutlass and came at her, lunging clumsily with the weapon.
Ruath screamed as she splashed into the boiling water and mud, the hot liquid drawing painful burns across her exposed skin. She tried to fight through the pain, focusing her not-inconsiderable will upon the task of retreating back to the edge of the stone platform, just a few yards away. But the mud clung to her, slowing her movements, and the weight of her chain shirt and pack tugged her down until she was almost completely submerged. She could see Elly and Dana fighting, the monk trying to take down the controlled half-elf without seriously harming her. Ruath knew that the true danger lay behind her, but she refused to look back, pushing herself slowly toward the safety that remained mockingly out of reach.
Then she could sense the form looming behind her, and knew it was too late.
The two battles on the opposite sides of the stone island had taken place in the same moments of time, each group of three companions facing one of the deadly creatures. Benzan, now hovering a spear’s length over the battlefield, out above one of the mud pits, found himself in the middle, safe for the moment but unable to intervene. He saw that Lok, Cal, and Delem had the first kopru well in hand, the creature failing as the companions’ attacks continued to ravage it. He watched with horror, however, as Elly tossed Ruath toward the second creature, and for a moment he nearly tossed aside his sword, willing to fall back down into the mud in order to reach the battle. He looked up, considering levitating to the top of the cavern and then using the ceiling to adjust his position back over the stone island, but that would take far too long, he knew.
Then an idea came to him, and without hesitation he started to put it into action.
Ruath turned bravely to face the kopru, drawing her mace up out of the sticking mud and thrusting it up into the puckered mouth of the creature. The blow actually did some damage, but it was not enough to stop it as it lunged into her, its long tentacles lashing around her body. The halfling woman screamed as the tentacles wrapped around her and crushed her, the thin claws at the tip of each tentacle digging into her flesh and tearing the skin underneath.
Dana spun into a low sweeping kick that knocked Elly off of her feet, sending her cutlass flying. Dana immediately turned back to where Ruath had fallen under the attacking form of the creature, but was brought up short as the tenacious sailor grabbed at her ankle. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that Lok, Cal, and Delem were coming, finally, and she prayed that they would not be too late to help Ruath.
“I’m sorry,” she said, as she slammed her fist down into Elly’s face, knocking her unconscious.
Benzan felt the surge of magic fill him as he completed his spell. As it had with his bow, the kopru that was ravaging Ruath seemed to grow suddenly larger in his sight, until each tiny twitch in its muscles seemed to stand out to his enhanced perceptions. With a snap of his wrist his arm came forward, launching his scimitar in an end-over-end motion at the creature. The preternatural anticipation granted by the spell of true strike enabled the otherwise unwieldy missile to fly true to its target, and the magically keen weapon tore into the kopru’s body at the precise moment that it reared up in the mud, dragging Ruath’s struggling form with it. It writhed in pain as it clutched at the curved blade that stuck through its chest and out its back, trying to draw it out with its webbed hands.
But before it could draw out Benzan’s blade, a long arrow slammed into the creature’s throat, drawing a sibilant gurgle from it. Lok and the others had arrived to aid their companions. Delem, his face a pale mask as he struggled against the serious injuries he still bore, fired another magic missile from the wand, which blasted another small opening in its body. Cal rushed forward, but it wasn’t clear what he could do to aid Ruath. The kopru had turned away and was even now trying to retreat, bearing Ruath along with it.
Dana finally tore free from Elly’s unconscious grip and ran forward. She called upon the magical power of Selûne, feeling the divine energies fill her, increasing her speed dramatically. Without hesitation she leapt out over the pit, landing in the mud a dozen yards short of where the kopru was lurching awkwardly away. Ignoring the burning pain that savaged her, the young woman splashed through the mud and water and started closing the gap between them.
Lok, meanwhile, kept up his barrage, striking the creature again, this time in the back. Another arrow went wide, narrowly missing, but the creature was already failing from the effects of its wounds. Cal turned his attention to Delem, who fired off one more magic missile before he sagged wearily to the ground, the loss of blood from his wounds finally threatening to overcome him again.
The creature sensed Dana coming toward it and turned to face her. The young woman felt a momentary wave of mental energies wash over her, but the creature’s attack was ineffective. She prepared to strike at it even as it released Ruath and started to lash its tentacles out at her, but before they could meet another arrow caught it solidly in the head, and with a final halting screech it fell over backward into the mud, dead.
Without a pause Dana dove for Ruath, grabbing the unmoving halfling as she started to slip under the surface of the mud. She grabbed onto Ruath and managed to turn back toward the stone island. Her skin felt like it was on fire, and she felt light-headed from the heat and the gases that filled the air around her, but she determinedly started pushing her way through the boiling pool back toward the others. The stone platform seemed miles away, however, and she could feel herself growing weaker with each passing instant.
“Dana! Grab the rope!” Cal yelled, as Lok hurled a length of rope out toward her. It landed close enough by for her to lunge out for it, and grab it with her good hand. She was barely able to maintain her grip on Ruath, held under her other arm, as the rope grew taut and Dana felt herself sliding rapidly over the mud toward the others.
When Lok pulled her to the edge of the stone platform, Cal and Benzan were there to pull her up. Delem had finally been able to toss another rope to Benzan, drawing him over to the edge of the platform so he could levitate back down to them. They dragged her and Ruath onto an open space of stone, which steamed as the hot mud from their bodies splashed on the wet rock. Dana felt herself sagging into unconsciousness, but forced herself to cling to awareness until Cal had examined Ruath.
“She’s dead,” she heard the gnome say, and then she herself fell away into blackness.
[cue dramatic music, please]
* * * * *
Book III, Part 31
Cautiously the companions moved out into the vast open space of the underground cavern. The air was hot and tinged with a faint hint of sulfur, making even just breathing an effort. The stone surface of the floor at the end of the stairs formed a slightly sloping ledge that culminated in the edge of the pits of boiling mud and water a stone’s throw away. The ledge was white with calcified mineral deposits, and was slick, forcing them to make their way with great care. Steam still rose from the ground around them where the water from above had slushed over the hot surface on its way to rejoin the bubbling pools at the edge of the ledge.
The only apparent route ahead lay to the right along the edge of the cavern, where a narrow ledge ran out over the boiling mass below. Benzan probed ahead carefully with the magical spear, testing the strength and stability of the ground beneath them. The light that Cal had placed on the spearhead had faded, but Benzan’s eyes needed no illumination to guide his steps. Their magic-users had studied many such light spells that morning, however, and several magical glows among the other companions provided sufficient brightness for the others to clearly see where they were going.
Soon the ledge gave way to a pathway fashioned of mineral-encrusted stone that led out over the mud flats and boiling pools, forming a corridor just a few feet above the steaming cauldron to each side. Benzan regarded the path dubiously, but it supported both the prodding of his spear and the weight of his person, and he reported to the others that the route was sound.
“Looks like there’s a number of these pathways across,” he told them, his vision extending past the radius of their lights to see well into the depths of the chamber. The raised areas divided the floor of the room into numerous separate depressions where the boiling mud and geyser springs lay. Even he could not see the far wall, however, or determine how deeply the cavern extended into the bedrock of the island.
“All right, let’s go, then,” Cal suggested, “but keep a space between you, and watch for any dangerous spots in the path. All this activity might have undermined the stone separating the different pools.”
Lok had taken a length of rope from his bag of holding, and tucked it into his belt. Elly noticed it, and said, “Should we tie ourselves together, in case someone slips?”
Cal considered the idea. “I don’t think so—that might work against us as well as for us. Keep the rope handy, though, in case there is a mishap.”
They spread out in a line after Benzan as the tiefling led them into the depths of the chamber. At places they could see great pillars where dripping stalactites had finally reached stalagmites rising up from the floor, and other strange formations created by the accumulation left by the flows of mineral-rich water over long periods of time. Soon they had left the reassuring presence of the cavern wall behind them, and they moved into the vast open core of the place. The ceiling formed a bubble far above them, beyond the range of both their lights and Benzan and Lok’s darkvision.
Soon the twisting course of the pathway led them to a relatively flat space of open stone, perhaps twenty feet across. They gathered there, each fighting against the potent smells that caused their vision to swim and their heads to pound. From their vantage several additional raised stone pathways running above the pits ran out in several directions, dividing the roiling pools around them into numerous discrete areas. Benzan thought he caught a glimpse of the far side of the cavern from the edge of the stone island, but before he could report that discovery to the others, he felt a strange sensation pass through him.
Benzan, a voice said within his mind, a voice cloying and luring and somehow… familiar… Why do you seek to avoid your destiny? Come to us, child of the outer realms, come to us…
The world seemed to spin around him slightly, and he was only faintly aware of someone calling his name. Then, however, awareness cut through the haze overlaying his thoughts like a sharp knife, and both the sensation and the voice vanished. He could feel, however, a faint buzzing noise in the back of his mind, driving away the alien tinge, and felt a familiar presence at his side, calling him back to his duty.
“What is it, Benzan?” he heard the other voice again—Cal’s voice, familiar and friendly, trusting. Not like the phantom that had twice now tried to sway him.
“They’re here, close…” he said in dawning horror, realizing now what the source of the voices was. “The things—the statue—they’re here!”
Even as he turned to warn his friends, though, he saw it. Nearly covered over in hot mud, its form immersed in the roiling pool, a man-sized form that was both familiar and utterly alien at the same time, a form that they’d all seen once before. It was a replica of the statue they’d destroyed in the chamber above, only this one was moving, and living. It wasn’t far, maybe thirty feet away, but the boiling mud formed an effective moat between it and the party.
The kopru… Benzan thought, although how he knew its name was utterly beyond him.
The sight of the thing nearly stole his will to act, and as its bulbous eyes met his he momentarily felt small, insignificant in the face of an ancient and alien intelligence. The emotion passed quickly, though, and as he thought of it manipulating him and his friends through its mental whispers that feeling of helplessness was replaced by anger, and he reached for his bow.
“There—kill it!” he yelled in warning, gesturing toward the creature even as his fingers dipped into his quiver for an arrow.
Delem was just a short distance away, next to the reassuring solidity of Lok. He heard Benzan’s warning and followed the tiefling’s gaze toward the form half-hidden in the mud. Without the tiefling’s enhanced senses, he couldn’t mark clearly what it was, but he knew Benzan well enough to trust his instincts. The sorcerer opened himself to his magic, calling upon the words that would invoke a stream of fire to destroy whatever it was, whatever threatened him and his companions.
Lost in his magic, he didn’t notice when Lok turned slowly around to face him, a strange look on his face.
A few steps further back, Cal couldn’t fully see what was going on along the farther edge of the platform. He saw Benzan stop, heard him say something that was lost over the noise of the cavern around them. Lok, too, had stopped, and behind him Delem, the sorcerer’s tall form blocking Cal’s view. Behind him, Varrus, Ruath, and Elly were gathered back in the center of the stone island, while Dana, who had been bringing up the rear, was still standing along the edges of the path over which they’d just come. Even as Cal started to move around Delem, however, Benzan shouted a clear warning, gesturing toward a patch of mud a short distance ahead of him and to the right. Almost immediately Cal heard chanting coming from Delem, and Cal quickly moved to join his companions against whatever threat lurked.
For some reason, however, Lok was just standing there, hesitating. Then he turned, and Cal’s eyes widened when he saw the unfamiliar look in the genasi’s eyes.
“Lok, what are you…”
He didn’t get to finish his statement as Lok swept his mighty axe around, the gleaming blade leaving a sparkling trail of frost-flakes in its wake. Reflex took over for thought as Cal reached out and pulled at Delem’s cloak, drawing him suddenly back. The action saved the unaware sorcerer from what could only have been a killing blow, but even so the head of the weapon drew a deep gash in Delem’s side, releasing a spray of frozen red droplets into the air as the two fell back.
Benzan’s eyes were drawn away from his target by the sounds of battle behind him, and they widened in horror as he watched Lok strike down Delem. He took a step toward them before he realized that there was little he could do against the genasi, save shoot him with the very arrow he was holding. Understanding of what was happening drew his anger back to the creature still visible just a short distance away, and in one smooth motion he drew, sighted, and fired.
The arrow slammed into the creature hard, the powerful pull of Benzan’s bow driving the missile deep into its shoulder. It reared back in obvious pain, and Benzan could hear an echoing roar from Lok, confirming the link between the monster and his friend’s inexplicable actions. Benzan reached for another arrow, trying to outrace the deadly workings of his own comrade’s axe.
After knocking down Delem, Lok did not hesitate in his attack, barreling forward into the midst of his friends. Delem staggered into Cal, who was desperately trying to reach for one of his wands while keeping the sorcerer from falling into the boiling springs next to the path. Lok followed and struck again, hitting Delem once more with a blow that cut deep into his back and knocked him roughly prone, his lifeblood pouring freely out onto the already slick stone. Even as Cal lifted his wand of color spray, Lok brought his blade back in his typically deadly backstroke, the lower edge of the weapon clipping Cal’s shoulder and knocking him roughly aside. Cal felt pain tear through him as the magical chill of the weapon cut him to the bone, and as he staggered he slipped on the wet rock and fell. He would have slid into the boiling mud if Elly hadn’t grabbed onto him and pulled him back up to the surface of the path.
“What’s happening?” Elly cried, her voice riding a knife’s edge of panic.
“Something’s controlling him!” Cal shouted, almost unable to hear his own voice over the pounding of his blood in his ears. The gnome looked up, fighting through the pain of his wound, and saw that Ruath had stepped calmly forward, striding over the prone form of Delem to confront the raging and deadly genasi.
“Ruath, no!” Cal cried, the halfling’s slight form seeming insignificant indeed against the elemental power of the heavily armored genasi warrior.
But even as Lok raised his axe to strike down the cleric, she raised a hand and called upon the power of Tymora to dispel the fell power that was controlling their friend. The Lady’s Luck was with her, for the energies of her spell were released the barest instant before the point of no return, and as the strange glow in Lok’s eyes faded the axe’s arc changed and the weapon sliced harmlessly—if only by barest inches—above the halfling’s head.
Benzan fired again, hesitating only to set another missile to his bowstring as he sent arrow after arrow into his target with deadly accuracy. Already two arrows jutted from its body, and while a third had been turned by its thick, leathery skin, it was clear that the attacks were having an effect. The creature was giving ground, swimming through the hot mud with little difficulty, but Benzan continued to track it, scoring another hit on its flank as it tried to escape. The mud pits were chaotic and active, but apparently not especially deep.
Intent on his enemy, Benzan didn’t see the form that charged at him from behind.
“Benzan, look out!” Dana cried. But it was too late for him to do anything as Varrus slammed hard into him, the burly sailor’s momentum carrying them both off of the path and into the boiling mud below.
Delem stirred, feeling the familiar tingle of Kossuth’s divine power sending life back into his ravaged body. He was still weak, but he fought through that weakness as the divine energy renewed him and brought him back to consciousness. When he saw Lok standing just a few feet away he felt a current of fear run through him, but he belatedly realized that the genasi was no longer attacking, and in fact was helping Elly pull Cal back up from the brink of the platform up to his feet. He sensed rather than saw the motion within the mud pits a short distance away, a reminder of where the true threat lay.
It took him an effort to stand, but he managed to do so. Instead of calling upon healing magic to steady himself, he drew upon the more primal side of his power, the raging elemental fury that burned deep within his soul. He could see the creature swimming through the mud, several of Benzan’s arrows stuck within it. It had drawn off some distance, but now it was coming closer again, its opponents thrown into confusion by its mental assault. Benzan had stopped firing, but Delem focused on the creature, calling on the flames.
A stream of fire crossed from his hand and engulfed the thing, the tendrils of flame eagerly sweeping around its form. When they had faded, however, the thing was still there, unharmed, and too late Delem realized his mistake.
Fool! The thing lives in boiling mud! he berated himself mentally. He was momentarily at a loss, then reached for an item that had laid forgotten in his pouch since their defeat of the minotaur and his pirates a month and more past.
Benzan felt hot pain all over his body as the searing mud and boiling water splashed all around him. The mud buoyed him somewhat, keeping him from going completely under, but that was little comfort as the sizzling liquid quickly soaked through his garments and scalded his skin underneath. His natural resistance offered some protection against the heat, but it was clear that even he wouldn’t last long in this mess.
Varrus still clung to him, the sailor thrashing as the boiling spring scorched his unprotected flesh. His weight and flailing legs threatened to drag both of them under the surface, but Benzan managed to twist free enough to drive an elbow into the man’s face, loosening his grasp enough for Benzan to draw away from the hapless sailor. He immediately plunged his hand into the boiling water, ignoring the pain as he reached for the hilt of his sword. He knew that the power was waiting for his command, but he still had to touch the weapon to initiate its magic.
It came at his touch, however, and he quickly rose up out of the pit, the hot mud releasing him reluctantly with a harsh sucking sound. Even as he started to levitate up into the air, however, he suddenly lurched to a stop. The tiefling looked down to see Varrus clinging to his legs. The man’s eyes were wide with pain and terror, the magical domination of the kopru broken in the face of his immanent death.
“Please, help me!” the man cried, his grip tightening even as his weight started to drag Benzan back down into the blistering mix of mud and water.
Although Delem’s magical attack had been unsuccessful, his companions quickly joined in assisting him against the creature. Lok drew out his powerful longbow from his bag of holding, and after quickly stringing the weapon sent his first arrow darting toward the partially submerged kopru. The arrow struck true, thudding into the creature’s chest, and it let out a cry that was purely inhuman agony. Even as the genasi continued the barrage Dana had rushed to aid Benzan, who was struggling with Varrus in the mud pit a half-dozen paces away, well out of their reach. Dana’s face twisted in frustration as she regarded the swirling mix of mud and water, the heat rushing up to reach her even atop the solid perch of the stone. Even as she considered a dangerous course to aid the tiefling, however, she saw another dark form rise up out of the mud a short distance away, on the other side of the stone island to her left. The hackles rose up on her neck as she realized that the shadowy form was a second creature, close enough so that Dana could see its milky white eyes blink as it stared at her. The intelligence in those eyes was otherworldly, but the malevolence there was plain to see.
“There’s another one!” she cried in warning, reaching for her crossbow, cursing as she fumbled with her injured hand.
After freeing Lok of the first kopru’s sinister enchantment, Ruath had turned immediately to Cal, calling forth a powerful spell to heal his injury. The halfling turned next to Delem, but Dana’s cry forestalled her. Cal looked at her, and at Elly, hovering just a few feet behind the two short folk, her own crossbow clutched in shaking hands.
“Go,” he told them, “help Benzan—I’ll aid Lok and Delem.” As the two women rushed to Dana’s aid, Cal turned to his embattled friends.
Having already witnessed the mental prowess of these strange adversaries, Cal doubted that his illusions would have much effect on them. Realizing that their mental power was their most dangerous weapon, he reached down into a pouch and took out a wand that he had not used since purchasing it back in Memnon. He had faith in his own and Delem’s ability to resist the weird pull of the creatures’ call, but Lok had already proven himself vulnerable, and Ruath’s spell of dispel magic did not confer a lasting resistance. He stepped up and called upon the power of the wand, laying a protective ward on the genasi that would hopefully bolster his own resistance against the power of mental domination exercised by their opponents. That done, he turned to another talent that could bolster his friends against these enemies. Fighting down his own fears, he began to sing, a rousing song of camaraderie and unity against dark foes. The song was his own, with many of its examples from their own adventures, stories of terrible enemies defeated through common action. He felt his heart lift as he loaded his trusty crossbow, moving up beside Delem as the sorcerer fired magic missiles from a wand at the hideous form of the kopru. The creature’s mental probes found only determined resistance against its ready and aware foes, and it turned to retreat once again. But the deadly barrage from its enemies continued unabated, and finally as an arrow, magic missile, and crossbow bolt each struck home in rapid succession it let out a final cry and sagged into a motionless lump that slowly sank beneath the surface of the mud.
Benzan felt the heat rise up through his legs as Varrus pulled him back down into the boiling pool. A gout of steam rose up from a nearby geyser, scalding both of them but doing nothing to loosen the desperate sailor’s grip. His skin was already red and peeling, his face a mask of pain as his eyes locked onto Benzan’s again.
“Please…”
Benzan twisted, pulling one leg free, and with a swift motion slammed his boot down into the man’s face.
Varrus crumpled and screamed, falling back into the scalding mud. Released of the man’s grasp, Benzan levitated quickly up into the air, away from the roiling surface of the pit. He’d dropped his bow when Varrus had hit him, and without the ability to move laterally, it seemed that for the moment at least, he was out of the fight.
Ruath and Elly moved to join Dana as she faced off against the second creature. Dana finally managed to get a bolt loaded into her bow, but her shot went wide, splashing harmlessly into the mud. Elly, too, fired, but her missile glanced off the creature’s thick hide, also to no effect. The creature took the three of them in, its dark gaze seeing deep into their very souls.
Dana felt a tingle along the edges of her perceptions, an intrusion that sought to lull her mind with whispered promises and twisted words. Dana’s mind, however, was fortified both by the strength of will and divine grace common to all of Selûne’s clergy, and the discipline instilled by her monastic training. Beyond that, her more recent calling as a mystic wanderer made her all but immune to the mental domination of the kopru, and its attempt to seize control of her slid off her mind like water running off of stone.
Ruath stepped forward, her mouth twisting in disgust at the evil represented in the form of the monstrosity before her. Two spells burned in her memory, divine magic that would aid against such an abomination. The first was a protective ward, much like the one that Cal had placed upon Lok, except that its power would surround her and those around her with aid against the attacks and mental powers of the creature. But confronted by the evil of the creature, Ruath chose to attack, beginning an intricate summoning that would bring an ally to fight against the creature. The spell was a more powerful version of the spell she used to bring the celestial badgers, and in fact she’d initially memorized it to call upon a massive dire badger to aid her and her companions in their battles. In this context, however, another sort of ally was called for, and she cast her perceptions out to the elemental planes, using Tymora’s power to draw upon a creature that could confront the kopru on its own ground.
It was a fateful choice.
Elly came up behind Ruath, her unloaded crossbow falling forgotten to the stone along with the bolt she’d taken from her quiver. Dana sensed something and started to turn, but she could not react in time to stop the half-elven woman from picking up Ruath, and hurling her bodily into the pit of bubbling mud directly ahead of them.
Directly toward the waiting arms of the kopru.
“Elly—what—” Dana began, but even as the words faltered she already understood, her thoughts catching up to the reality of what had happened. She had to defend herself, however, as Elly drew her cutlass and came at her, lunging clumsily with the weapon.
Ruath screamed as she splashed into the boiling water and mud, the hot liquid drawing painful burns across her exposed skin. She tried to fight through the pain, focusing her not-inconsiderable will upon the task of retreating back to the edge of the stone platform, just a few yards away. But the mud clung to her, slowing her movements, and the weight of her chain shirt and pack tugged her down until she was almost completely submerged. She could see Elly and Dana fighting, the monk trying to take down the controlled half-elf without seriously harming her. Ruath knew that the true danger lay behind her, but she refused to look back, pushing herself slowly toward the safety that remained mockingly out of reach.
Then she could sense the form looming behind her, and knew it was too late.
The two battles on the opposite sides of the stone island had taken place in the same moments of time, each group of three companions facing one of the deadly creatures. Benzan, now hovering a spear’s length over the battlefield, out above one of the mud pits, found himself in the middle, safe for the moment but unable to intervene. He saw that Lok, Cal, and Delem had the first kopru well in hand, the creature failing as the companions’ attacks continued to ravage it. He watched with horror, however, as Elly tossed Ruath toward the second creature, and for a moment he nearly tossed aside his sword, willing to fall back down into the mud in order to reach the battle. He looked up, considering levitating to the top of the cavern and then using the ceiling to adjust his position back over the stone island, but that would take far too long, he knew.
Then an idea came to him, and without hesitation he started to put it into action.
Ruath turned bravely to face the kopru, drawing her mace up out of the sticking mud and thrusting it up into the puckered mouth of the creature. The blow actually did some damage, but it was not enough to stop it as it lunged into her, its long tentacles lashing around her body. The halfling woman screamed as the tentacles wrapped around her and crushed her, the thin claws at the tip of each tentacle digging into her flesh and tearing the skin underneath.
Dana spun into a low sweeping kick that knocked Elly off of her feet, sending her cutlass flying. Dana immediately turned back to where Ruath had fallen under the attacking form of the creature, but was brought up short as the tenacious sailor grabbed at her ankle. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that Lok, Cal, and Delem were coming, finally, and she prayed that they would not be too late to help Ruath.
“I’m sorry,” she said, as she slammed her fist down into Elly’s face, knocking her unconscious.
Benzan felt the surge of magic fill him as he completed his spell. As it had with his bow, the kopru that was ravaging Ruath seemed to grow suddenly larger in his sight, until each tiny twitch in its muscles seemed to stand out to his enhanced perceptions. With a snap of his wrist his arm came forward, launching his scimitar in an end-over-end motion at the creature. The preternatural anticipation granted by the spell of true strike enabled the otherwise unwieldy missile to fly true to its target, and the magically keen weapon tore into the kopru’s body at the precise moment that it reared up in the mud, dragging Ruath’s struggling form with it. It writhed in pain as it clutched at the curved blade that stuck through its chest and out its back, trying to draw it out with its webbed hands.
But before it could draw out Benzan’s blade, a long arrow slammed into the creature’s throat, drawing a sibilant gurgle from it. Lok and the others had arrived to aid their companions. Delem, his face a pale mask as he struggled against the serious injuries he still bore, fired another magic missile from the wand, which blasted another small opening in its body. Cal rushed forward, but it wasn’t clear what he could do to aid Ruath. The kopru had turned away and was even now trying to retreat, bearing Ruath along with it.
Dana finally tore free from Elly’s unconscious grip and ran forward. She called upon the magical power of Selûne, feeling the divine energies fill her, increasing her speed dramatically. Without hesitation she leapt out over the pit, landing in the mud a dozen yards short of where the kopru was lurching awkwardly away. Ignoring the burning pain that savaged her, the young woman splashed through the mud and water and started closing the gap between them.
Lok, meanwhile, kept up his barrage, striking the creature again, this time in the back. Another arrow went wide, narrowly missing, but the creature was already failing from the effects of its wounds. Cal turned his attention to Delem, who fired off one more magic missile before he sagged wearily to the ground, the loss of blood from his wounds finally threatening to overcome him again.
The creature sensed Dana coming toward it and turned to face her. The young woman felt a momentary wave of mental energies wash over her, but the creature’s attack was ineffective. She prepared to strike at it even as it released Ruath and started to lash its tentacles out at her, but before they could meet another arrow caught it solidly in the head, and with a final halting screech it fell over backward into the mud, dead.
Without a pause Dana dove for Ruath, grabbing the unmoving halfling as she started to slip under the surface of the mud. She grabbed onto Ruath and managed to turn back toward the stone island. Her skin felt like it was on fire, and she felt light-headed from the heat and the gases that filled the air around her, but she determinedly started pushing her way through the boiling pool back toward the others. The stone platform seemed miles away, however, and she could feel herself growing weaker with each passing instant.
“Dana! Grab the rope!” Cal yelled, as Lok hurled a length of rope out toward her. It landed close enough by for her to lunge out for it, and grab it with her good hand. She was barely able to maintain her grip on Ruath, held under her other arm, as the rope grew taut and Dana felt herself sliding rapidly over the mud toward the others.
When Lok pulled her to the edge of the stone platform, Cal and Benzan were there to pull her up. Delem had finally been able to toss another rope to Benzan, drawing him over to the edge of the platform so he could levitate back down to them. They dragged her and Ruath onto an open space of stone, which steamed as the hot mud from their bodies splashed on the wet rock. Dana felt herself sagging into unconsciousness, but forced herself to cling to awareness until Cal had examined Ruath.
“She’s dead,” she heard the gnome say, and then she herself fell away into blackness.
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