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Chapter 1: A Darkness Gathering

Turn 18: New Faces and Places

“Well gentleme….er….friends,” said Telemachos, with a sidelong gaze at Nanoc, “this town does look quite promising in many respects. Let us use our gold wisely to equip ourselves so that we may become a stronger group. I for one have little need to be encumbered by gold, worrying which cutpurse will steal away with our hoard. Besides, my inheritance is great, and I only have need for traveling money and enough for ale - though you can never truly have enough gold pieces for ale, eh Nanoc? Or, maybe a nice red, eh Danton? You are a man of good taste I can see.” “Then,” continued the Furyondian, “we should go visit my uncle. I am sure that with his sylvan network, he is better connected to the tidings of war than we are. Perhaps he has news of my father. Either way, I am sure that he will help us in any way that he can. Like all druids, he is a bit of an oddity, but he is family and will be useful, I'm sure. Remember, Nanoc, there is no magic axe in his house since his sylvan friends do not take kindly to such weapons. And please, do try not to destroy his furniture!”

“Hmm, a good red would be nice,” mused Danton. “While the two of you may wish to spend our finances on armaments, armor and the like, I must say that, for myself, I cannot think of a better and more worthy -- to say nothing of more deserved -- expense than fine meals, fine wine, soft featherbeds, choice female company, and entertainments suitable for learned men -- chamber music, theatre and a good poetry reading or two. Thus said, I wilt be spending some of my own money on these things, and I think, Nanoc, 'twould be for your own good if you did the same. Telemachos seems a learned sort, but you, my boy, have much to learn, as oft I told you during our highway journeys. Here, in Hommlet, we might find a good setting in which to teach you decorum and etiquette in its practicality. I propose we stay at the Inn of the Welcome Wench and hope that its pleasant look and appearance correspond well to the lasses who work there, hmm?”

“I don’t know,” said Telemachos, with a skeptical look at Nanoc. “I must say that I have doubts about your mission to uplift and civilize Nanoc. Indeed, perhaps it is better for his fighting skills if he is left a little rough around the edges rather than enjoying the charms of the theater and poetry readings.”

”As for employment,” continued the fighter, “I agree that we can afford to be a lot more discriminating at this point. We can hole up at that nice inn for a while and perform such tasks and enjoy such entertainments as we wish. Although I would not to tarry too long, we need information and proper employment. Wider events may determine my fate and draw me home, but I would prefer to remain with the party and travel on with lucrative employment while I search for my lost father.”

”Yes,” said Telemachos, “I shall join you for your civilized entertainments and hope that we can learn more about each other over some wine. Perhaps you can tell me more about this love of yours you keep mentioning - she seems like a beautiful woman and it is evident that distance from her is causing you much distress and heartache. I have not yet met such a woman, though my father will arrange for my marriage when he returns. I would like to tell you the tale of my father's disappearance should you be willing to listen. You are a trustworthy companion and worthy of friendship.”

Nanoc shook his head roughly. “Oh, ya fellas is givin' me a headache again! Usin' all them fancy words an’ whatnot. The way I sees things is pretty simple. I want to get me some mastercraft armor Grundar done told me about. Well if I get enough money some day that is just the type o' armor that can be made magic. Don't find much armor for a guy my size...Grundar done had the same problem. Now I am sure it'll take a while ta get it made, but this looks like the type o' place that can get it done. So I'll be here for a little while. So I think we oughta first go see the leather smith and put my order an, then we'll know how long we gotta be here.”

”Next,” said the half-orc, counting on the fingers of his right hand, “next we oughta deliver that there letter and collect our money. Who knows? This Hurcrele might have summpin interestin' for us to do. That family seems ta have money. After that, we oughta sell some of those gems and divide the loot. Then we can go see Tel's uncle. Find out what he knows 'bout his father, and if he's got a lead well I'd be happy to help you out Tel.”

“But while we’re doin’ all that,” continued Nanoc, “let's not forget we gotta get Erky back ta his village. Don't know how far away that is, but that'll take some time. Maybe we can do that first thing tomorrow. I mean I am sure Erky wants to get back. Since we is waitin' in my armor, he'll know how long we is gonna be here and it'll give him some time ta decide if he wants to join us. We can stop back by on our way out. If Mauser shows up 'fore we leave, great. If'n he don't, well I wouldn't be a lookin' fo 'im anytime soon. There I said my piece...now let’s find that leather worker!”

”Oh yeah,” blurted the half-orc a moment later, having run out of fingers, “I don't need no feather bed! May not have the money after I buy my armor anyhow.”

Danton scowled and pulled Nanoc aside, out of earshot of Erky.

“Now, be reasonable, Nanoc! If Erky refuses to join us and wishes to return home, that's his business, and I'd certainly understand -- the poor blighter was imprisoned in that awful rat's nest for nearly a year. But if he does decide to go home, I see no need to accompany him. I was willing to aid Erky if we could draw some identifiable value out of the effort. But if he is simply going home for the foreseeable future, then I say, godspeed, good luck, best wishes, and be gone. As I see it, if we are to play Erky's guardian any further beyond Hommlet, we ought to get paid for our effort. I know your heart bleeds for charity cases, Nanoc, but mine doth not.”

“Ah, come on now, Danton, Erky is my friend. He don't haftta give me no money to take 'im to his village. Why I'd like to see the expressions on his friends and families faces. Plus I ain't never been ta no gnome village. So if'n it's all the same to you I plan on makin' sure Erky gets there in fine shape.”

”You know,” continued the barbarian, picking up steam as he went, “sometimes doing a kindness for a person is its own reward. Now maybe you just ship Erky off and we never hear from him again, and maybe I walk with him back to his village and he sees what a good friend I am and he gets to think'n how much we need a healer. Next thing you know he may be wantin' to come along wit us...sure for his cut o' the booty, but more than likely cause he don't want his new friend to haft to go it alone. Ya know, maybe there’s a thing or two you need to be a learnin' from me! Can't believe you'd go a askin' Erky to pay to take 'im back to his village. Maybe you oughta think 'bout joinin' me on that walk...might do you a little good.”

“By Olidammara’s beard,” swore Danton. “What's the rush? The stubby fellow has been entrapped in darkness for an entire year amongst torturous foes -- hath he not the stomach to bear a mere week in the light of day whilst in our pleasant and genial company? If not, bugger him, I say! After all, doth he not owe us some consideration, particularly if we, with the hope of no profit in so doing, are willing to take the time to escort him safely home? Doth not he owe us some consideration, to allow a mere week's worth of relaxation as right payment for our exertions and tribulations?”

“Look, you two,” said Telemachos, approaching the pair. “Erky know’s what you’re talking about over here, so maybe we should wrap this up for now, huh? Just for the record, he’s welcome to stick around as far as I’m concerned, but if he wants to go home, I send good blessings with him—but that’s it. I’m not accompanying him on the trip—we’ve got far too many other things to be doing.”

“I really can’t believe you fellas,” said Nanoc, “but fine—we can discuss it more later. For now we’re going to order my armor.” And, grabbing Danton by the shirtsleeves, the half-orc turned the Velunese about and started him marching back across town towards the leatherworker’s shop he had seen.

***

After gazing down into the ravine once again, Mauser turned and looked at his new associates. Flashing his fingers as a test, just as he had done when he first met Danton, Mauser silently said: Yes, here I am again.
While his fingers sent one message, he said aloud:

“When I was last here, we had a truce with the kobolds and they allowed us to walk through their realm without bothering us. After we rescued their white wrymling and wiped out their enemies, the goblins, I don't know if they were afraid of us or thankful. We never searched the kobold area for risk of offending the little buggers."Mauser paused and grinned. “But I gather you have no qualms about offending kobolds?"

“None whatsoever,” said Jil du Gal grimly. If she or any of the others had caught Mauser’s second message, none of them gave any visible reaction

(Mauser Sense Motive: 18+6=24). “Good,” replied Mauser. “Here’s a quick rundown on the place. First of all, a kobold called Meepo, Keeper of Dragons, sits with the wyrmling in a room outside of the main kobold compound. When we first found him, I relieved some jade figurines from him.”To illustrate, Mauser held up two of the tiny items he had taken from Meepo’s chambers.“We also found two dragon shrines on the lower level that appeared to be magical. At least one was guarded by a shadow whose strength drain nearly cost me my life. I was able to rebuke the shadow, but we did not destroy it. I had assumed that the figurines might be some sort of key for unlocking whatever the shrines hide, but my companions were not interested in testing this theory. Perhaps Meepo can be persuaded to tell us what these figurines are for and where he got them. I am not an expert on dragons, but I know they are intelligent. Maybe we can speak to the wyrm and extract some useful information from it as well.”

“All right,” said Archangel, standing next to Jil. “What else?”

“The kobolds occupy a fairly large area,” continued Mauser. “We didn’t search much of it. I counted at least seven closed doors with activity within. The leader of the kobolds is a female named Yusdrayl. Her hall has numerous kobold guards and I have no idea how many more kobolds exist, but I doubt they would miss any treasure they hold if they were dead.Beyond the kobolds, there is the lower level with the dragon shrines. The second one is reached via a rough rift that cuts through the tunnel leading to it. In it we encountered some sort of fire worm. There were dozens of holes in the rock there that I believe were cut by these worms. I have no idea how many worms there are, but we'll have to pass through the rift in order to get to the shrine. I do not know if anything guards that shrine besides the fire worms.

”The various members of Mauser’s new band nodded silently. 

“The largest part of the lower level was devoted to strange plant experiments by the druid and his goblins followers. We burned the vampire tree and the druid with it, but I do not know if he still lives. Regardless, we did not thoroughly search his grove and certainly not his body—if he did indeed burn to death. I believe there may be some books there that may be useful to me or valuable enough to sell if nothing else. We did not search the various rooms in the lower level leading to the grove, but I believe we cleared out the majority of the riffraff.”"I would suggest we visit all of these areas, in the order you all prefer. I am a spiritual man and as long as the god of magic and trickery sees fit to loan me his powers, I will use them. I am not a tactician or a warrior so I leave such matters to you."

“Let’s deal with the kobolds first,” said Jil. “They sound like the only organized force left in the place. If we wipe them out, then we’re just dealing with scattered remnants and wandering monsters—and maybe this druid—rather than any real fighting force. Once they’ve been stomped, we can investigate and loot the rest of the place at our leisure.

”Archangel nodded. “A sound plan.”

“Yeah,” added Dhavut the dwarf. “And just the kind of plan me and Eiger here like best.”

“Then let us have at it,” said Mauser. “But one last thing to keep in mind. We encountered a variety of runes scattered about the citadel on walls and statues. None in my former party could read any of them, but perhaps one of you can. If so, they might point to additional treasure.” To illustrate his point, Mauser motioned towards the runes carved into the pillars on the edge of the pit.

The others looked at the stone obelisks and then the half-orc Eiger laughed.“This is nothing but goblin graffiti! Warnings of doom to trespassers and the like. I hope this is not the extent of your ‘treasure-producing runes’!”

Mauser shrugged. “I suppose we’ll find out.”

***

The leatherworker’s shop was located on the hillside south of the river quite close to the grove that the locals had identified as being the residence of Jaroo Ashstaff. The proprietor turned out to be a gnome woman named Naddy Tomanloft, who was assisted by a handful of younger men and women. Although initially taken aback by Nanoc’s sheer size and intimidating presence, when she learned he had gold burning a hole in his pocket, she became very friendly.

The gnome promised Nanoc she could upgrade his armor in a week’s time for the ‘paltry’ sum of 200 gold. This price would likely have been much worse had not Danton intervened in the haggling process when it appeared that the discussion of numbers had Nanoc’s head spinning.

“Huh,” said the half-orc when the gnome finally refused to lower her price any further, “I don’t got that much gold, but I guess I can always dip into Mauser’s moolah. If Mauser comes back, I can pay it back out of the money we get for selling all those jewels anyway.”

“Jewels?” said Naddy Tomanloft, her ears perking up.

“Never mind that,” hissed Danton, glaring at Nanoc. “Here is your money for the armor.”

“If that’s how he is with Mauser’s money,” muttered Telemachos, “maybe we ought to rethink the whole idea of having him carry the jewels in the first place…”

“We’ll discuss that later,” said Danton. “Now, we must be off to see Joman.”

“Joman? Joman Dart?” asked Naddy.

“Yes, we have business with the man,” said Danton abruptly. “Why do you ask?”

“You should be careful around that one,” said Naddy in a conspiratorial tone. “He’s up to no good. He isn’t from around here and he can’t be trusted. You’ll watch him real close if you know what’s good for you. Now, move along, I’m closing up for the day.” The woman looked at Nanoc and added: “Remember, one week and your armor will be ready…and if you want anything else made, you know where to come.”

Telemachos and Danton shooed Nanoc out the door before he could make any more purchases.

“It is getting rather late in the afternoon,” said Danton. “If we wish to collect our reward and do any more business today, we should be at it before we go and visit your uncle.

”The party stopped next at the workplace of a smithy near the main square just north of the central bridge across the river. Six different smiths worked together in a collective, each with a different specialization. When Telemachos explained his interest in new armor, the men and halflings present directed him to a bald man with dark skin named Harris Karl. Harris told Telemachos he could produce any type of armor up to, but not including, full plate. However, when Harris began quoting prices, it became obvious that half-plate or banded mail were well out of Telemachos’ price range. Ultimately, the armorer agreed to take 170 gold from Telemachos, along with his scale mail as a trade in, in return for a suit of splint mail. The splint mail was already made, and would only have to be fitted to the Furyondian’s frame, something the armorer said he could complete in a few days. He took the fighter’s measurements and then told him to return in three days.

“It would appear that I will be having to dip into the ‘Mauser slush fund’ as well,” said Telemachos ruefully. “It was a great deal of money, but it should upgrade my defenses significantly.”

“Ah, don’t worry so much, Tel!” bellowed Nanoc. “We’ll pay Mauser back, don’t ya worry! An besides, what he don’t know won’t hurt im!”

***

With the rope that was first left by the ill-fated Hucrele adventuring party still in place, Mauser and his associates descended into the ravine. Dhavut and Eiger went first, followed by Mauser and the White Spider, with Jil and Archangel bringing up the rear.

Once down on the ledge, the party moved quickly down the stairs and across the courtyard to the tower door. Mauser pointed out the pit trap that Nanoc had sprung a week earlier, and the party easily avoided it. Eiger and Dhavut then made their way into the tower and the others followed. Once inside the tower, Jil and Archangel lit torches and Mauser pointed out the next set of runes he and his earlier associates had never been able to read.

“Those runes were not written by goblin hands,” said Archangel. “They are in draconic, and they read ‘Ringtariax’, whatever that means.”

Glancing about the tower, Mauser noticed that someone had finally removed the bodies of the dead goblins, which had still been in this spot only yesterday when his other party vacated the citadel.

“This way to the kobold area,” said the cleric, pointing towards the northwestern door. “Everything in that other direction has already been looted. Be wary—once we reach the end of the next hall, we will be in Meepo’s chambers. And it appears that the kobolds—or someone else—has been active here recently. When I departed the ruin only yesterday, there were rotting bodies of goblins here that have since been removed.”

“All right, let’s move and stay sharp!” ordered Jil.

With Mauser again in the middle of the formation, the party moved quickly down the narrow hallway that led to Meepo’s chamber. The door at the end of the hall was shut, but Dhavut bashed it open without slowing down. The party then filed into the room behind the dwarf.Although the room was still brightly lit by torches, otherwise it was much changed from Mauser’s last visit. Calcryx and his cage were gone and the room was largely empty. There was no sign of Meepo, his bedroll, or any of the other possessions that had cluttered the room as recently as the previous morning.

“Where’s your kobold and his dragon?” growled Eiger, shooting Mauser a foul look.

“I don’t know,” replied the cleric. “The kobolds—or someone else—has been busy here since we left. This is the second room that has been more or less cleaned out.”

“Do you think the kobolds simply abandoned the place?” asked Jil.

Mauser shook his head. “If they were clearing out, why bother cleaning up the goblin corpses? No, something else is going on.”

“Well I don’t like it,” groused Eiger. “The whole reason for bringing this guy along was his inside information, and now all of that seems to be wrong.”

“Maybe,” said Jil. “But I don’t like the idea of poking around here when we don’t know what the kobolds are up to. Before we start searching the place systematically, let’s go to this audience hall you described and see if anyone is there.”

Mauser nodded and pointed towards the hallway on the far side of the room. The party got underway once again and moved down the long hall. Whereas previously there had been sounds of activity behind many of the doors here when Mauser passed by, now all was silent (Mauser listen: 16+4=20).

It was only when the group made its way around the last corner and into the long hallway with the dragon pillars running its length that Mauser and the others finally saw their first kobolds. Yusdrayl, the kobold leader, sat on her throne as before, surrounded by ten other kobolds. She looked as though she had been expecting visitors and waited for them to approach. Otherwise the room was empty.

“Why have you come back? And who are these others?” asked the small creature in her high-pitched voice, her gaze directed at Mauser.

“We’ve come to loot this place,” said Jil before Mauser could respond.

“We told you to leave after you killed the goblins,” said Yusdrayl, still looking at Mauser. “This place is kobold citadel now. You are not welcome here.”

As the kobold spoke, Mauser thought he could hear (listen: 15+4=19) movement from the far end of the chamber, but before he could turn his head to look, Jil had screamed out: “Kill them, kill them all!” and all hell broke loose around the cleric.

[Initiative: Mauser: 6, Kobolds: 17, Jil and Company: 14]

When Jil shouted her order, Eiger and Dhavut rushed towards the kobolds massed in front of Yusdrayl’s throne. At the same time, Archangel and the White Spider began casting spells. Jil herself held back as if waiting to see how things developed. Mauser wanted to look about for the source of the noise he had heard behind the party, but before he could do so, Yusdrayl withdrew a wand and pointed it into the midst of the party. Sensing danger, Mauser sought to leap aside, but he was too slow (reflex save: 9+3=12; fail). With the exception of Jil, so too were all of the other members of his new party.

A flash of orange fire shot from the wand that Yusdrayl wielded and the flames rocketed into the midst of the party. Archangel and the White Spider were hit directly, while the others were closer to the edges of the explosion (21 damage for Mauser). The shockwave sent Mauser flying and he landed on the stone floor ten feet away, rolling and burning.

When Mauser finally managed to extinguish himself, he looked up and saw the full extent of the trap that the party had walked into: while Eiger and Dhavut were still alive and trying to cut their way through the ranks of kobolds defending Yusdrayl, more kobolds were pouring into the chamber from four different halls and doors on the southern side of the room. From out of one of the doors came Meepo, accompanied by none other than Calcryx. The tiny dragon was thoroughly constrained from movement in a wheeled metal cage, but his head extruded ominously from a single hole in one end and Meepo directed the kobolds moving the cage almost as if they were aiming it towards the party of interlopers.

It appeared that Jil had escaped the fireball largely unscathed and she was helping a badly burned Archangel to his feet. The tiny halfing woman with the tattoos was either dead or unconscious and lay unmoving on the ground. Her body appeared so badly burned as to be all but unrecognizable.

***

Danton, Nanoc, Telemachos and Erky next went to see Joman Dart and deliver the letter from his sister in Oakhurst. The Old Trading Post owned by Dart was located immediately next to the smithy cooperative on the town’s main square. It was a large structure with two levels above ground and a basement filled with goods as well. When the party members walked into the shop, it was immediately obvious that the place sold all manner of goods. With the exception of perishable foodstuffs, it appeared that virtually any sort of adventuring gear the party might ever require could be acquired here. Signs on the walls proclaimed that the shop would also buy used goods at half their original price with no questions asked, suggesting that the party could sell off any unwanted items here. Another framed sign appeared to be some sort of jeweler’s degree from a school in Verbobonc City in the name of Joman Dart.

When Danton explained the degree to Nanoc, the half-orc immediately insisted the party convert its jewels to cash at the trading post in order to have more ‘moolah’ to acquire additional equipment.

Not long thereafter, the party found the proprietor.Joman Dart was a stocky, dark-haired man of some fifty years. If there was anything unsavory about the man as Naddy Tomanloft had suggested, nothing was visible in his demeanor.

When Danton broke the news about the deaths of Talgen and Sharwyn Hucrele and explained the party’s two missions on behalf of Kerowyn Hucrele, Joman sat down heavily in a chair and accepted the letter Danton proferred. He read through it quickly, then wiped his eyes and looked up at the party.

“It’s what I expected ever since Kerowyn sent me a message saying the kids had gone missing, but it’s still hard to have the worst confirmed. I’ll get you your money and then if you don’t mind, I’d like to be alone with my family for the evening.”

“Course!” blurted Nanoc. “We’re real sorry ‘bout what happened an’ we’ll leave ya in peace. But maybe tomorrow we could come back ta talk some business? We’d like ta sell ya some jewels an’ mebee you got other things we could do for ya?”

“Yes,” said Joman. “Tomorrow would be better. Feel free to come back then. Life and business must go on.”

The man then retrieved 100 gold coins and handed them to Danton (for a total of 200 new gold including the 100 gold advance given the party by Kerowyn Hucrele).

By the time the party left the Old Trading Post, the sun was low in the west and the evening well advanced. The group once again crossed the bridge to the southern part of the city and climbed up the hill to the thick grove of trees near the top. When the group began to pick its way through the trees, it was soon met by the growls of some animal and moments later a wolf bounded through the trunks to confront the party.

The animal did not attack, but it did force the party members to stop in their tracks. Moments later, a boy of perhaps sixteen or seventeen years of age rushed up. He had blond hair and the faintest beginnings of a light beard.

“Wyst! That’s enough!” The boy approached the wolf and began stroking its head and ears, and the animal calmed somewhat, ceasing its growling.

“Sorry about that!” said the boy. “Wyst can get pretty excited with strangers and he’s really been on edge lately anyway. I’m Yundi by the way.”

“Greetings, Yundi,” said Telemachos. “I have been told that my uncle, great-uncle really, Jaroo Ashstaff, lives here in this grove. I have only met him twice, but I remember him as a kindly old man and have come to see him. He played with me when I was a boy and had several strange magical tricks and many interesting treats that he could conjure up. Bugs that looked like sticks, lollipops that looked like trees, and other such things. He told many tales of talking treants, as I believe he called them, and spirits of the forest. Might he be here somewhere nearby?”

Yundi seemed briefly taken aback by Telemachos’ story, but then he recovered his wits.

“Uh, yeah, Jaroo is the druid here—he’s my teacher. I used to be a pot boy at the Welcome Wench, but this job is a lot better. I help Jaroo taking care of the grove and he teaches me druidic lore! Come on! I can take you to him! Wyst! Go find Jaroo!”

The wolf ran off with a bound and Yundi turned to follow the animal, motioning for the others to come with him. The party followed Yundi through the trees for a short distance before emerging into a clearing with a small hut in the center. One of the oldest men that anyone in the party had ever seen sat on a log next to a small fire next to the hut. He wore green robes and had pale, wrinkled skin and hair of purest white. He was a tall man and appeared to have been solidly built until age took its toll.

“Uncle Jaroo!” bellowed Telemachos as soon as he saw the old man. “It’s me! Telemachos!”

The old man looked up in obvious surprise. “Telemachos? Uncle?”

Ignoring the confused look on the man’s face, Telemachos said:“You won’t believe everything that has happened! My father and his entire crew disappeared at sea and my mother is pursued by ravenous suitors sizing up her person and my father's estates. But I know that with your wisdom, you will know what to do. We also have to tell you about the Frog Man, an evil druid we encountered. Oh, I’m so glad we found you at last!”

By this time, Telemachos was standing next to the old man, and he leaned over and gave him a rough hug, producing yet another shocked expression on the man’s face.

“Telemachos…Telemachos…” muttered the old man.

“Jaroo, he’s your nephew,” supplied Yundi helpfully. The boy motioned for the others to be seated on logs around the fire and began offering them tea.“My nephew from…”

“Furyondy!” blurted Telemachos. “It’s me, uncle Jaroo! I’ve come all the way from Libernen to find you and seek your guidance! Should I continue seeking my father or return to join my fellow soldiers and go to war? Surely you must know much of events in the wider world. If Furyondy is at war, I am obligated to return, but I don’t know if I could abandon my father to answer the call! I could lose my inheritance and titles and lands, being exiled in disgrace, but sometimes there is a higher law and calling to follow.  This decision may be my ruin if it has to be made.  Both choices are correct and yet wrong. You must help me decide!”

“Libernen? Don’t really remember ever knowing anyone in Libernen,” mused Jaroo.

“I’m sorry,” said Yundi, “but I’m afraid he’s like this more and more—and it’s gotten much worse lately. I don’t know if he’s losing his mind or has fallen under a spell, or what, but I’m afraid he’s not very coherent much of the time. You are always welcome to come back another time—he might be better.”

Telemachos initially refused to believe Yundi’s words and tried again and again to engage his great uncle in conversation, but to no avail. Jaroo either sat in stony silence, rambled on about things that made little sense or simply gazed about in confusion. The other party members sipped their tea and then finally Danton said:

“Come, Telemachos, let us retire for the evening. We have had a long day and Erky here may have a long journey ahead of him if he decides to return to his village. Let us go enjoy what remains of the evening over fine food and drink. Tomorrow is another day.”

Visibly deeply disappointed, Telemachos left the druid’s grove reluctantly, following Danton and the others back down the hill in the twilight in silence. Not far from the bottom of the hill stood the Inn of the Welcome Wench, where both Danton and Telemachos had decided to stay the moment they saw the place, what with its two floors, solid construction and well-maintained grounds. The place all but screamed comfort and service.

“I ain’t stayin’ in this place,” said Nanoc. “That other place across the river, what was it called? Terry-gans? That looked more like my speed. Th’ owner o’ this place prob’ly wouldn’t be happy ta see me comin’ through the door.”

“I’ll go with Nanoc,” said Erky. “I’d like to save what coins I have for when I get back to my village.”

“Suit yourselves, gentlemen,” said Danton. “Barbarians may welcome rocks for pillows and canvas for sheets, but not a civilized man. Shall we meet here outside the Wench after breakfast and resume our pursuits?”

“Yup,” said Nanoc. “We’ll be here. An the first thing we’re doin’ is going to sell those jewels.”

“We shall see, my boy,” replied Danton. “Now go and enjoy the evening as you will. Remember—you must alwaya remember the cardinal rule, which I hath recited many times on our journeys: if you looketh not out for yourself, no one else looketh out for you, either.”

***

Mauser scrambled to his feet and cast a quick healing spell to deal with the worst of his burns (convert cause fear to cure light wounds: gain 10 hit points).

“We’ve got to get out of here!” screamed the cleric. “Let’s cut our way out while we still can!”

Although Eiger and Dhavut had managed to cut down a fair number of kobolds, more of the creatures poured into the room to replace those who had fallen, and the dwarf and half-orc did not seem to be getting any closer to Yusdrayl, who was now peppering the attacking duo with round after round of magic missiles.

“He’s right!” shouted Jil. “Fall back through that door!” she said, pointing towards the easternmost portal on the north wall—the one door through which kobolds were not streaming into the hall.

As the group fell back in a fighting withdrawal, Mauser was the first one to reach the door. He thus managed to avoid the first icy blast of Calcryx’s breath that hit Eiger and Dhavut, along with several kobolds, as Meepo brought the beast’s breath weapon to bear for the first time. Still, the kobolds did not press the party as hard as they might have and Mauser could not shake the impression that the creatures were more interested in forcing the party through the one undefended door than they were in forcing a no-holds barred confrontation.By the time Dhavut and Eiger reached Jil, Archangel, and Mauser, both fighters were badly injured by fire, ice, and blade. Fortunately the door opened easily and Dhavut charged through it while Eiger held off the kobolds long enough for the others to get through. Beyond the door was a short, narrow hallway that ended in another door only twenty-five feet away. Archangel had lost his torch at some point, but Jil still had hers so the party could still see in the otherwise dark corridor.

With the kobolds pressing the attack against Jil and Eiger at the doorway, Dhavut rushed down the hall with Mauser at his heels. Halfway down the corridor, Mauser heard the sound of metal grinding on stone and suddenly the floor in front of him opened up and swallowed the dwarf that had been running ahead of him. Struggling not to lose his balance and go tumbling into the hole after the dwarf, Mauser managed to stop just short of the pit (reflex save: 16+3=19). It was difficult to see in the limited light provided by the single torch at the back of the hall, but Mauser could not see the dwarf moving when he looked down into the pit.

Fortunately, there was a one-foot wide path along the west side of the pit and Mauser picked his way carefully along it. Moments later, Archangel, Jil and Eiger followed.

“What about Dhavut?” shouted Eiger as he passed the pit. “He could be alive down there!”

“Leave him!” yelled Jil. “If we stay to help him, we’re all dead!”

By this time, Mauser was already at the far door and the cleric threw caution to the wind and opened it himself. Although the kobolds had stopped at the far end of the pit, at least for the moment, several of them were already hefting bows and nocking arrows.

The remaining four members of the party rushed through the door just as the first arrows flew. They burst into the hall beyond and around a corner leading to the west. There Eiger opened yet another door and the group charged into a square chamber that looked to Mauser like one of the many abandoned goblin guardposts he had seen with his previous associates. With sounds behind them suggesting that the kobolds were beginning to cross past the pit, the party rushed through a door on the north side of the guardpost and out into another long hall filled with stone dragon pillars, which Mauser immediately recognized as leading to the huge chamber that Danton had christened ‘Goblinville’.

When Mauser had last been in this chamber, a total of six doors had led out of it, but now four of those six had piles of stone, wood, and other assorted rubble and detritus piled in front of them. Only the door through which the party had come and the one on the west wall, which led to Goblinville, were unobstructed. The rubble in front of the others could be removed with a concerted effort, of course, but that would take time—time the party did not have.

“They are trying to force us to the lower level,” said Mauser while he and the others paused to catch their breath and get their bearings.

“What?” shouted Jil.

“Since when did these kobolds get so clever?” asked Eiger, coming up to Mauser and staring down into his face from just a few inches away.

“You all but said it’d be child’s play to mop them up, but in fact you’ve led us into a death trap!”

“I am as surprised as you are,” said Mauser. “Apparently there was more to Yusdrayl than I realized. I underestimated her—not a mistake I’ll make again. But I do not believe the kobolds will pursue us to the lower level. I have no doubt they have blocked all other exits in this area in the same fashion they have done here, but if we can reach the lower level, they are likely to cease harrying us—giving us time to rest, recover, and plan our response.”

“Then let’s go,” said Jil. “They’ll be here in moments.”

With Mauser and Jil leading the way, the group moved through the door into Goblinville. This room had not been cleaned up in any way, and goblin corpses still littered it from the initial foray of Mauser and his earlier associates days previously. None of the doors were visibly blocked either. The party rushed across the large, open chamber and through the door into the round domed chamber where the goblin chief had been fought and defeated.

By the time the group entered the area, sounds of the kobolds could already be heard in the larger room behind the group.Not hesitating in the slightest, Mauser cast another spell (summon monster I), conjuring up a dire rat and sending it out into Goblinville to slow down the kobolds. He then climbed into the huge hole in the ground and began his descent, using the vines for hand and footholds as he had done previously (climb: 11-3=8). Although his armor and shield made the task difficult, the cleric nevertheless managed the descent. When he and the others were some thirty feet down the shaft, the first kobolds appeared above them. The creatures began firing arrows, and both Jil and Archangel were hit, but Mauser was largely protected by virtue of being the farthest down the shaft.

As the cleric had predicted, the kobolds did not pursue the party down the shaft. When they finally stopped firing arrows, the creatures could still be heard moving about above, but that was all.

When the group finally reached the lichen and plant filled chamber at the bottom of the shaft, everyone collapsed to the ground in exhaustion, save Eiger, who stood a wary guard glancing back and forth between the various entrances to the chamber. Jil and Archangel removed the arrows from one another and then the elf cast what were obviously healing spells on himself and the woman. Then he did the same for Eiger. All three retained the signs of being burned, frozen and cut, but they were in much better shape than they had been previously. Mauser took advantage of the rest time to heal the last of his burns (gain 11 hit points from converting other spells to healing spells) and then sat in silent communion with Boccob to regain his full complement of spells.

“Well, this is a fine mess you’ve gotten us into,” said Jil finally. “We’ve lost two people and so far have nothing to show for it. I hope for your sake that you know more what you’re talking about now that we’re down here.”“You also better have another way out for us,” added Eiger.

“Damn sure those kobolds’ll have all kinds of traps waiting for us if we try to go up there again,” said the half-orc, pointing towards the top of the shaft high above.

***

When Nanoc and Erky arrived at Terrigan’s, they found that it lived up to its run-down outward appearance. Consisting of little more than a taproom, a kitchen, and a common sleeping and eating area, the place was a dive. It served cheap ale in generous portions and the floor was sticky with the stuff, along with all manner of other substances better left unimagined. The place also had a rough reputation, and no less than three fights broke out during the course of Nanoc and Erky’s dinner. All of this, of course, meant that Nanoc absolutely loved the place.

Although the half-orc’s sheer size deterred any would-be troublemakers from drawing him into their brawls, some of the other patrons gradually warmed up to the huge barbarian when he began regaling them with increasingly drunken renditions of his adventures, first with Danton, and later with Telemachos, Erky and Mauser as well. Over the course of the evening, Nanoc made the acquaintance of Terrigan himself, a man who spoke little as he poured drinks and served food, but who laughed heartily along with Nanoc’s stories of his and Danton’s misadventures. The barbarian also met a friendly stablehand named Rudoulf, a cook called Telna who had her own restaurant across town and a pair of fellow heavy drinkers who called themselves Questin Himmble and Xaod the Slayer.

Questin was a rough-looking, heavily scarred halfing less than a third of Nanoc’s size, but when he, Xaod and the half-orc engaged in a long-running drinking contest, the halfling managed to stay in it for a good six rounds before passing out atop the bar.

As for Xaod, he was perhaps thirty years old with short-cropped dark hair, was and one of the biggest humans that Nanoc had ever met, standing only a couple of inches shorter than the barbarian. Even when relaxing at the bar, Xaod wore a suit of full platemail that looked as if it had not been cleaned in a very long time. Xaod was loud, crude, and boorish to the extreme, grabbing the rear of every serving girl that passed by. Since such behavior seemed to be the norm in Terrigans, Nanoc let his own inhibitions slide as well. Although Nanoc was too drunk to notice it, everyone else in the tavern gave Xaod as wide a berth as they did the barbarian. In the end, Xaod even out-drank Nanoc. When the barbarian finally passed out after the tenth round of the contest and slipped onto the filthy floor, Xaod remained sitting at the bar and ordered another round.

***

On the other side of the river, Danton and Telemachos found themselves in an entirely different sort of environment. The Inn of the Welcome Wench was unquestionably the finest inn either had stayed in since Danton had left Veluna and Telemachos had departed Furyondy. It had high ceilings with finely made chandeliers, offered spacious private rooms, complete with baths, and a menu of foods and wines remarkable for a relatively small town. The place was owned by one Ostler Gundigoot, but it appeared to be his wife and daughters who did most of the work. One of the daughters, a young woman named Vesta, showed Danton and Telemachos to their rooms and then invited them to come back downstairs for dinner when they were ready.

After washing and cleaning thoroughly for the first time since leaving Oakhurst over a week earlier, Danton and Telemachos met for dinner in the inn’s spacious restaurant on the first floor. Over a dinner of beef stew, spiced sausages, and peppered bread consumed with a fine bottle of Velunese red wine, the duo talked at length of their travels and the quests that consumed them. Telemachos managed to draw Danton out more on his lost love Vanessa than had anyone else save Nanoc, while the Furdyondian spoke openly of his anger and frustration at the suitors seeking to steal away his mother and his ancestral lands while the fate of his father remained unknown. As the evening wore on, each gained a better understanding of the other than he had before.

But aside from fine food and conversation, there was more of interest in the Inn of the Welcome Wench that night. Danton chatted with other patrons and the staff about politics and events in the wider world, but failed to learn anything he had not already picked up on the road. The Velunese also had an unpleasant conversation with the barkeep, a dark-haired woman named Maridosen, when he asked for another bottle of wine. The sharp-tongued woman told him to talk to his waitress and leave her alone. The encounter was a jarring exception to an otherwise very pleasant evening.

Danton and Telemachos also took great amusement at the laughably bad musical and storytelling efforts of an incompetent elven bard who called himself Redithidoor Halfmoon and attempted to entertain the inn’s dinner guests with his terrible stories and awful singing voice. After each tune or story, the bard went around with hat in hand, but he received a few coppers at best.

Aside from the inn’s staff and locals who came in for dinner, there appeared to be a handful of other visitors at the Wench. One of these was a gnome who seemed the mirror opposite of the always-friendly Erky Timbers. This gnome sat sullenly in a corner for the entire evening, eating his dinner, speaking to no one, and failing to laugh at even the worst of Redithidoor’s entertainment efforts.

Another guest was a man who introduced himself as Chatrilon Unosh and went about the restaurant shaking hands with everyone who entered. The man asked everyone he met as to their business in Hommlet and he seemed far too nosy to Danton and Telemachos, who brushed him off as quickly as they could.

But all of these individuals were forgotten by both Danton and Telemachos later in the evening when another obvious out-of-towner entered the restaurant. She was a young woman, perhaps two or three years younger than Danton, and she walked into the restaurant alone. She had pale skin, fine features, and long, jet-black hair done up in a fashion that neither Danton nor Telemachos had ever seen before. She carried a long wooden staff that glowed with some sort of bluish energy at one end when it moved through the air. When the woman removed the black jacket she wore and sat down, she was dressed as provocatively as anyone Danton or Telemachos had seen in a long time, yet she seemed entirely unconscious of the effect she had on the men in the room, including the two adventurers. Danton’s jaw fairly dropped, while Telemachos stared shamelessly.

Some of the men at nearby tables whispered the word “Aseneth” as they looked at the woman, but whether this was her name or something else entirely, neither Danton nor Telemachos could say. The woman ate her dinner alone and then, still apparently unmindful of the effect she had on the rest of the room, put her jacket on and walked out once more. When the woman left, Danton and Telemachos talked of nothing else but her for the remainder of the evening.

***

It was well past the hour when Nanoc was supposed to meet Danton and Telemachos when the half-orc finally woke up on the dirty floor of Terrigan’s common room the next morning and gathered his wits.

“That was some party, eh boy?” said Xaod with a laugh from a nearby barstool. “Maybe you and I’ll have to have a rematch one of these nights an’ we’ll see if you can hold your liquor any better!”

“Oohhhhhhhhhh,” groaned Nanoc, holding his head in both hands. “I don’t know—I feel terrible. I better go find Danton. Say, ya don’t know what happened ta that little feller who was with me last night, do ya? The gnome? Erky?”

“Nope,” said Xaod. “I ain’t seen him since last night. Don’t know where he ended up.”

Nanoc asked Terrigan and several breakfast patrons if they had seen the gnome, but the answer was the same. As far as the half-orc could learn, no one had seen Erky since the previous evening and no one had any idea where he might have gone.

Nanoc gathered up his things from the floor, not bothering to check to see if anything was missing, and staggered outside into the bright morning sun, which only made his headache worse. He stumbled down the street, across the bridge and down the road to where he had left Danton and Telemachos the previous evening. When he finally arrived, the duo was so engrossed in a conversation about some woman that neither berated the barbarian for being an hour late.

“You, my friend, look awful,” said Danton finally. “I expected such an outcome when you insisted on staying in that cesspit, but in truth I hoped you would not end up in the gutter quite so soon. Perhaps a ‘bath’ in the river would hit the spot before we commence our day’s affairs, hmm?”

“Ugggghhh,” groaned Nanoc. “All those words just makin’ my head hurt worse. You guys seen Erky?”

________________________________________________________________

Notes for turn 19:
Please send postings for Turn 19 by the end of Friday, 11th.
Keep in mind that for the bulk of the party the date is now 7 Lipanj (“Wealsun”), but for Mauser it is still 25 Svibanj (“Flocktime”).

Items gained this turn: 200 gold (half from Kerownyn Hucrele and half from Joman Dart)—this money has yet to be divided

Undivided Loot previously gained: none

Items used/lost/destroyed this turn: Telemachos spent 170 gold and gave up his scalemail, while Nanoc spent 200 gold on his armor upgrade. I’ll add up your inn tabs when you check out.

FOES DEFEATED:

This Chapter:

Entire Campaign:

Nanoc

AC: 14 (presently without armor)
Hit points: 35/35
New XP: 0
XP total: 3390
XP needed: 6,000

Equipment: great axe, short bow, short sword, studded leather armor, 46 arrows, 2 quivers, backpack, waterskin, 7 days trail rations, bedroll, 2 sacks, 2 flint & steel, bearskin, tent, 50’ rope, 1 sap, 2 small marble statues, 3 silver rings, jewelry and jeweled dagger from the sarcophagus in the Sunless Citadel, 3 gems, 2 onyx gemsGold: 0Silver: 220

Mauser

AC: 18
Hit points: 31/31
New XP: 0
XP total: 3390
XP needed: 6,000

Spells Available:

0 Level (4): Detect MagicX2, Read MagicX2
1^st Level (4* one of these four spells must be a domain spell):Summon Monster I, Command, Cause Light Wounds, Nystul’s Aura
2^nd Level (3*one must be a domain spell): Hold PersonX2, Invisibility

Equipment: quarterstaff, heavy mace, light crossbow, scalemail, 36 crossbow bolts, small wooden shield, backpack, pouch belt, 50’ silk rope, 10 torches, waterskin, flint & steel, 2 holy water flasks, peasant outfit, bedroll, entertainer’s outfit, cleric’s vestment, healer’s kit, 14 days rations, four jade dragon figurines, ½ potion of cure light wounds, 1 sap, 1 unknown potion, scrolls of slow poison, command, cure light wounds, inflict light wounds, unknown tome, morningstar +1, magical orb from the Sunless CitadelGold: 10 (plus 136 left in not-so-safe-keeping with Nanoc)Silver: 220

Danton

AC: 15 (16 vs. one opponent)
Hit points: 14/14
New XP: 0
XP total: 3390
XP needed: 6,000

Equipment: rapier, 6 daggers, light crossbow, studded leather armor, quiver with 13 bolts, bedroll, backpack, flint & steel, thieves picks, waterskin, 9 days trail rations, hooded lantern, notebook, pen, ink, gold ring engraved with the name Karakas, 1 sap, 1 metal key from Yusdrayl, Everburning Torch, 2 unknown arcane scrollsGold: 181Silver: 220

Telemachos

AC: 12 (without armor at the moment)
Hit points: 32/32
New XP: 0
XP total: 3390
XP needed: 6,000

Equipment: short sword, 2 daggers, longbow, quiver and 36 arrows, large wooden shield, backpack, large sack, flint and steel, 10 days rations, waterskin, bedroll, tent, 1 sap, Shatterspike (Longsword +1 with special properties)Gold: 14

Silver: 220