Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 118856" data-attributes="member: 143">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.</blockquote>

Verification