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What remains of the party stand on the other side of the corkscrew pit,
faced by a single door. Sinema opens it to reveal a corridor leading off
about 30'. The walls seem strange and shifting when examined, full of
changing geometric patterns. A rope is tied around Telar, and he walks
through the corridor to the opposite door. He disappears. Sinema pulls
back the rope, complete with loop from where it was tied around Telar's
waist. Synd throws a copper coin into the corridor, just checking, but
nothing happens. Chest wanders in to pick it up, and he disappears.
I'kanta, Synd and Sinema remain outside. A closer inspection of
the walls is attempted, but to no avail. Synd crouches down outside, and
leans forward to touch the floor of the corridor. She disappears.
Telar, Chest and Synd find themselves in swirling blackness, with a
repeating voice all around them. It seems to be speaking in various
different languages, but after a while it cycles around to Common. The
person, or voice, is interested by the fact that the party aren't wearing
gems at their necks, and, as a result, wants the party to undertake a task
for him, or it. I'kanta and Sinema arrive when the voice explains that
they just need to be thought of to do so. The voice continues talking, and
the party explain that they are already here on a quest, to recover gems,
but most of what they had collected as well as their means of getting home
was taken by a red dragon (or an illusion thereof created by the little
forest man). The voice knows the creature the party speak of, and makes
the following proposal. It offers three of the gems the party search for
in exchange for completing a task on its behalf. In addition it offers
something to proof the party 'gainst the illusions of the other guy, that
they may recover the other gems, and their means of getting home.
The party accept. The task that must be completed for the voice
involves recovering three weapons from a place that they will be sent
to. A sword, a hammer and a trident. The voice explains that the weapons
themselves are extremely powerful, and probably shouldn't be used. The
party will receive one gem for each weapon successfully recovered. The
party will also be recharged as a whole for each weapon they recover, that
they may search out the next weapon at full strength. Which leads the
voice to explain that the party's current full strength is not nearly
strong enough to recover the weapons. To that end, the voice is going to
temporarily (about 20 hours) make each party member stronger, and better
at what they do in order that they may stand a better chance of recovering
the weapons. This bonus will be renewed after returning a weapon to an
allotted location, again, so that the others can be sought at full
strength.
The party agree, and everyone finds themselves standing in a 20'
by 20' room, feeling a lot more powerful. Chest and Telar are now kick ass
fighters, with a nice buffer of health. I'kanta can cast higher level
spells, with a wide range to choose from. Synd has a lot more healing and
protective spells. Sinema really wants to fight something. Somehow a note
has appeared in I'kanta's hand, and he reads it out. It tells the legend
of an evil sorcerer, and how he was overthrown, and appears to contain
riddles to the location of the three weapons.
The floor of the room the party are standing in is covered in
about 1ft of water, as is the corridor leading off. I'kanta uses one of
(temporarily) his new found spells to cast 'strength' on Telar, conferring
him with an even higher strength, and bonuses in combat, for about 6
hours. The group continue along the corridor out of the arrival room, and
turn at the end to face three new corridors leading off. One central, and
the other two at 45 degrees to the central one.
In front of the party stands a pedestal, upon which is a small carving of
what seems to be a lion with wings. Telar examines the statue carefully,
but in touching it, a voice speaks out:
"Are the side corridors at 45 degrees or 135 degrees?"
Synd replies that it depends on your point of view, and the creature
attacks Telar. The creature, now the size of an actual lion, with a
woman's face, lashes out at Telar striking him for fair damage. In the
following round Sinema and Chest position themselves around the side and
back of the creature, and Telar gets hit twice more, taking more
damage. Sinema's first strike at the creature is a fumble, but all he does
is negate his second attack that round.
Telar swings and hits AC0, but seemingly the creature is tougher than
that. In the next round, again Sinema fumbles, this time hitting himself
for 12 damage. Chest manages to strike the creature with his rapier,
proving it can be hit, and scoring six damage. Telar also hits this round,
for 10. In the next round, Chest and Telar finish it off. Chest hits for
10, and Telar for 12, and it dies, reverting to a large broken statue.
Choosing a direction, the party go to head that way, but find it blocked
by a strange invisible barrier. Nothing seems to do any good in trying to
get past it, and Synd examines the pedestal. It contains the original
riddle. Eventually somebody speaks aloud "Yes" and the ways north,
north-east and north-west are free. Picking at random, the party head
north-east.
Progressing down the corridor, Telar, a couple of feet in the lead, gives
a yelp. There is some sort of slime like crap on his boots, and it is
hurting him. Everyone backs off a couple of steps. The slime has moved up
towards Telar's knees. Sinema curses when he realises that some of it is
eating through his boots too. Everybody decides to move back to the
pedestal. By the end of the round, people make it. In the next round, Synd
tries to cast 'sanctuary' on Telar, but fails. Chest climbs up onto the
pedestal. Sinema concentrates on removing the slime with his
daggers. I'kanta turns and casts 'fireball' down the corridor the party
just left. He gets it just right, filling the entire corridor with fire,
but not quite reaching the party. As the fire consumes the corridor,
I'kanta notices a large clump of the green slime wither and die
immediately as it is struck by the fire. In the next round both Sinema and
Telar take oil flasks from their packs, and pour it onto the slime on
their bodies. I'kanta ignites them with the lantern. Both are badly
burned, but the slime is dead. Sinema's hands need treatment, and Synd
casts 'cure light wounds' to heal them.
Sinema and Telar are both fairly injured, but the group press on
past where the green slime was, to a large door. Telar opens it, and sees
five creatures standing against the opposite wall, in front of another
large door. They bear the numbers '5','7','9','11' and '13'. The party
hear a voice. They must choose the odd one out, or be attacked by all five
zombie things. The correct answer will mean that that zombie will serve
them. The group answer correctly, and one of the zombies steps forward to
Chest, who spoke aloud the answer. The party continue through the opposite
door, and come to a metal turnstile in the corridor. It appears designed
to allow passage the way the party were heading, but not back. Chest sends
his zombie through, and then everyone presses on through. The passage
continues a while, then turns, leading to an ordinary door. Chest and the
zombie step through. It leads to a small ledge (about 10' by
20') overlooking a vast cavern. The cavern is illuminated by a glow from
below, lava, judging by the heat. On the opposite side of the cavern is
another ledge, similar to the one the party are standing on, but the
problem appears to be getting to it. Suspended from the ceiling by chains
are nine wooden circles, swaying gently in the heat of the cavern. It
would appear exceedingly difficult to cross the cavern swinging from chain
to chain, even in the chains and wooden bases didn't appear to be covered
in slippery algae and scum. To add to that, the lava pool below seems to
be bursting in two large bubbles (the bursting of the first of which
injures Chest and causes the zombie to fall to its death) at irregular
intervals, spewing forth lava and heat, and sending the chains swinging
wildly.
The party are not equipped to cross this cavern. The correct spells would
make it easy, but all the party have that could be useful are 'jump' and
'feather fall'. Everyone is fairly sure (judging by the note) that this
cavern leads to one the weapons. Synd is reluctant for anyone to press
on. I'kanta sees it as the only option, with the way back blocked by the
turnstile, and any number of monsters if the party try for another weapon.
The group discuss their options and Telar checks out the turnstile,
testing it with the crowbar, and trying to work out how long it would take
to break through.
He figures a couple of hours, and makes a start. The others
discuss cavern crossing options, but it does seem too dangerous at the
current juncture. Telar's knowledge of smithing and Sinema's assistance
lets him finish breaking the turnstile in less than an hour, and the party
head south towards what might be another way around to the ledge at the
opposite end of the cavern.
The corridors continue southwards to another large set of doors. Chest
opens them, presenting a 30' by 30' room. Suspended from the ceiling to
about 5ft from the floor by nine metal rods are nine cloudy glass
spheres. I'kanta and Chest enter the room to examine one of the spheres by
placing the lantern behind it, but nothing is revealed other than that
there might be something at the bottom of it. Everyone files into the room
to search the walls, and the doors slam shut behind the last person. Telar
and Sinema try to force the doors, but they will not budge. Before messing
with the spheres the party decide to finish searching the walls, including
the bits under the 1ft of water still covering the ground. Nothing is
found.
Telar tries pushing one of the spheres upwards, but stops when it becomes
clear he is about to break it. With no other apparent option, the party
start breaking spheres.
Telar breaks the one in the centre of the room with the crowbar, and takes
a point of damage from broken glass (neither he nor Sinema are wearing
boots because of the slime). The broken sphere seems to be filled with
gems, but when Chest fishes a few of them out, it becomes clear that they
are worthless, and worse than fakes. The only other item in the sphere is
a wooden key, although any lock it would open would have to be exceedingly
simple.
Another one of the spheres is smashed open. It also contains fake gems,
and another wooden key.
Chest moves over to one of the corners to smash open another sphere with
the crowbar, and I'kanta accompanies him to provide light. Sinema and
Telar remain on the other side of the room, broken glass preventing
unnecessary movement. Chest smashes a hole in the top of the sphere, and
immediately out pour three shadow like creatures, materialising into
roughly humanoid form.
I'kanta and Chest are both struck once before anyone can react. They both
take minimal damage from the blows, but suffer a shivering feeling, and
lose one point of strength each.
In the next round I'kanta backs off, and Telar and Sinema move to
attack the creature attacking him. Two are still attacking Chest, and Synd
tries to turn the presumed to be undead creatures. She succeeds, and the
two shadows around Chest are no more. I'kanta takes another blow from the
last shadow thing, losing more strength, before Sinema finishes it.
Synd moves and naturally heals I'kanta of the most recent physical damage
he sustained, but it is decided not to waste a 'cure light wounds' spell
on the off chance it would restore the lost strength.
Despite the now apparent danger, the party continue breaking spheres. Synd
breaks a couple open. One contains a potion of some sort and a wooden
key. The other, a plain gold ring, and another wooden key.
Yet more contain iron coins, a stone key, a wand of some sort. Another
contains one of the gems the party were originally searching for, which is
placed in the cloth bundle designed to hold them. By this point Chest's
fine leather gloves are ripped to bits, with all of his fishing around in
broken glass.
Another ring is found in one of the spheres, along with a metal key that
looks right for the locked door. The ring has an inscription that the ring
itself speaks aloud. The ring indicates that it is a ring of invisibility,
haste, protection +1, immunity to charm, 1 wish, spell turning, flying
once per day, with the only drawback being that the user is aged 1 year
per use. It also indicates that an owner must be chosen before anyone
leaves the room. Chest is the person currently holding the ring, and he
removes the gloves he was wearing when searching the spheres. The party
discuss for a moment who should get the ring, when Chest moves to don
it. Telar strikes at him with his sword, and hits, but Chest is now
wearing the ring. Chest claims that the ring told him it would cure his
back damage, but when Chest says so the ring speaks up and says the deal
is off, because it was meant to be a secret. The ring says that an owner
can still be chosen before the party leave the room, and that after an
owner is chosen, and the party leave the room, the ring will then work for
its owner. The ring also points out that to remove the ring from Chest at
this point would require the removal of the appropriate finger.
With only two spheres left, Sinema takes a turn at smashing one with the
crowbar. Again the group are surprised. This time when a blob of black
slime spews out of the broken sphere, landing on Telar's face. Immediately
Telar finds himself being burned, as though by acid, and reaches into his
pack to try spreading lamp oil on this one too. Telar continues to take
damage from the slime, and more when I'kanta ignites the oil Telar has
spread on himself. Unfortunately the slime seems uninjured by the fire.
In the next round I'kanta casts 'magic missile', sending forth three
missiles, and injuring the slime, it would seem. Synd moves to heal Telar,
who has fallen due to continuing damage from the slime. Synd successfully
casts 'cure light wounds' and Telar survives the resurrection. In the next
round Synd again cures Telar, and I'kanta finishes the slime with three
'magic missiles' from the wand of 'magic missiles', overdoing it only a
little, injuring Telar slightly. Telar had that acidic slime on his face
for quite a while, and he certainly isn't looking the same as he was, but
it definitely could have been worse.
Only one of the spheres is left, and Sinema smashes it open. From out of
the sphere rushes a vortex of air, which immediately begins to grow, and
churn the contents of the room. Everyone takes some damage from the
ensuing buffeting. Sinema does his best to attack it with his longswords,
and Chest moves in to attack too. Synd and Telar remain where they are,
and I'kanta steps back to cast a spell.
The whirlwind continues to grow, injuring everyone in the room. At the end
of the next round Telar falls to the ground, and it looks as though the
party are in trouble.
Chest and Synd are beside the door, and Chest decides to hand the steel
key to Synd, and then run to pick up Telar and carry him out. I'kanta, on
the far side of the room, decides to cross the room and open the door with
the steel key. By the time both people realise that neither of them have
the steel key, and that one of them must have dropped it, nobody has done
anything, except Sinema, who has swung and hit the whirlwind, proving it
can be injured.
Next round Sinema again attacks the whirlwind, as do Chest and
Synd. I'kanta, having wanted to breach the door with a 'lightning bolt',
except for Synd and Chest being in the way, instead draws the wand of
'magic missiles' and fires three at the creature.
The party gain the initiative, and after the third 'magic missile' impacts
into the creature, the rush of air stops, and it dissipates, dead.
Synd rushes over to tend to Telar. He is lying dead under the 1ft
of water that covers the floor, and Sinema lifts his head and shoulders
out that Synd may tend to him. Synd opts to cast 'cure serious wounds',
which only has a very small chance of failing to heal him, thus killing
him permanently. The first 'cure serious wounds' fizzles, but the second
succeeds, and restores more than enough health to bring him back, if he
survives the shock to his system and resurrection process, which he does.
The steel key needs to be found. After about an hour of searching, I'kanta
casts 'locate object', and recovers the key easily. As the party prepare
to leave the room, the ring pipes up, and points out that this is the last
chance to choose an owner. It is decided that the ring remain with Chest,
and that good or bad, he just received a substantial part of anything the
group might find in future.
Telar (having lost most of his possessions, including his banded armour,
when the slime attacked him) is given Chest's magical shield by Chest.
I'kanta turns the key, and the group leave the room. The plan is to use
the flying property of the ring to cross the lava cavern, but when people
turn to Chest to ask him about the ring, he isn't invisible, and the ring
doesn't seem to be working, or talking.
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