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Turn 21: In the Lady's Chambers
Chapter
1: A Darkness Gathering
Turn
21: In the Lady’s Chambers
| Date: |
6 Lipanj (“Wealsun”), 592 |
| Location: |
Hommlet, The Viscounty of Verbobonc |
| Players: |
Danton Verbrugge (Rogue 3) |
| |
Nanoc (Barbarian 3) |
| |
Telemachos Rhavelle (Fighter 3) |
| Associates: |
Erky Timbers (Fighter 1/Cleric 2) |
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| Date: |
25 Svibanj (“Flocktime”), 592 |
| Location: |
Sunless Citadel, The Viscounty of Verbobonc |
| Players: |
Mauser Gregorus (Cleric 3) |
Mauser
waited the last few minutes for his invisibility to expire, thinking
and planning furiously as the seconds and minutes passed by. By the
time he could see his hands and body again, he had made his decision
and he quickly implemented it. First the cleric’s face and body
changed as he transformed into the best imitation of an Oakhurst
peasant he could muster. Mauser then changed his clothing to match
the new persona, retaining only his armor, and stuffed his shield,
holy symbol and morningstar into his pack, removing his mace to use
in place of the latter. Judging his long quarterstaff to be far too
easily associated with Mauser Gregorus, the cleric broke it over his
knee and then hid the remnants behind the crude ‘throne’ the former goblin leader had used. Finally, Mauser took a quick
inventory of his food and other supplies and then settled down to
wait.
The sound of kobolds piling up
additional rubble on the far side of the two doors to the chamber
continued for nearly two hours, but it was the possibility of sounds
from below that interested Mauser. The cleric listened and looked
carefully for any sign that Jil and her associates might have
returned to the chamber below or be climbing back up the shaft, but
by the time the kobolds finally finished their work, Mauser had
neither seen nor heard any sign of activity from below.
Drawing a deep breath, the cleric
climbed back down the shaft once more (climb: 8-3=5). As he
descended, Mauser intentionally scraped his arms and legs on vines
and stone and did his best to ensure that his clothing was rumpled
and torn by the time he reached the bottom and dropped onto the soft
ground below. He once again stood silently, listening for any sign of
activity (listen: 7+4=11), but heard nothing. As far as the
cleric could tell in the dim light provided by the glowing lichens
and plants, nothing had changed in the garden chamber since he had
last been here several hours earlier.
His decision made, Mauser cast one
last glance back down the hallway towards the rift where he had left
Jil and the others with the fire worms. He then turned and strode the
opposite direction, not looking back again. When the light grew faint
in the next chamber, the cavern once inhabited by the huge goblin and
his pet rats, Mauser withdrew and lit the first of his torches and
then plunged onward. As he strode into what he was now certain was an
entrance to the legendary Underdark, the light of the torch seemed to
flicker and fade against the oppressive darkness that closed in
around him.
***
After taking a short rest, Danton
went in search of Nanoc and Telemachos once more. He found the duo in
the Furyondian’s room, from which emerged raucous laughter.
“Thank
you, Nanoc,” came Telemachos’ voice, “I don't think
that I have laughed that loud since my father was lost at sea! And I
don't think that I have ever seen anyone so frustrated before.
There was this time when a captain of mine, Bardar, simply could not
score a point on this young fighter who was a genius with the sword -
of course, that was a different kind of frustration! But perhaps
Danton need not worry, perhaps some hobgoblin maidens will be
susceptible to his charms in the Temple of Elemental Evil!”
Immediately
stung, Danton burst through the door to Telemachos’ room, which
was not locked.
“Good
Telemachos!” he all but shouted. “Hath you nothing
constructive to say? Are Furyondians truly as churlish as yourself?
‘Bard’ this, and ‘bard’ that! Here in
Hommlet, we are -- or perhaps were -- pursuing an angle virtually
solely of interest to you: discovering whether your uncle
suffer from mere dementia or an incantation most foul. In sooth, I
see not how it profit me to learn the answer, whichever it is.
Against mine own numerous instructions to Nanoc, I wast looking after
a charity case. Yet, your tongue never ceases to cut. Pay attention,
Nanoc, for herein you wilt see where the charitable impulse leads: to
ingrates or grifters.”
Telemachos
lay back on his bead with his arms folded behind his head, while
Nanoc sat heavily on a stout chair at the sole wooden table in the
room. Both men looked stunned at Danton’s tirade.
”For
all your jibes, Telemachos,” continued the Velunese, “methinks
the last several days in Hommlet proveth that I am the master at
gaining information. And if your path leads into this foul Temple or
moathouse, which methinks likely, I am also the most expert amongst
us at unlocking doors and finding traps and other such trickery. But
if you prefereth insults to comradeship, you can find your own
information and unlock your own doors henceforth, while I shall turn
my own focus where it should have been all along: on that which
profits me.”
“Goodness,
gracious!” said Telemachos, sitting up and putting his feet on
the floor. “I see now how a woman can drive a man to a
frothing, rabid wolf. Calm down and take a good jest, Danton. We're
in this together, and you can have the woman. Mayhap we should buy
you some companionship for the evening to release a little of your
tension. Jeesh!”
”By
the way,” added the soldier, “my sword hath protected
that thin neck of yours many a time already, but who's counting? I
thought we were in this together, even if our goals may in the end be
somewhat different.”
“Whether
the woman goes to this man or that truly is of no concern of mine,”
said Danton, truly shouting now. “Indeed, for me, with
my heart dedicated to my Vanessa, this Aseneth would merely be a
temporary dalliance. If there is among you a more permanent desire
for her, then I'd gladly step aside. And if I want woman and desire
to pay for her, I have coin enough and needeth no donation.
Nay,
Telemachos, 'tis not the wench that plagues me. 'Tis the repeated
comments about ‘hey, bard, this’ or ‘hey, bard,
that.’ I am no bard ... though, honestly, I respect their craft
well enough. At least the good ones....Neither, as you point out
correctly, am I a swordsman. Without hesitation or sting of pride, I
admit that I likely could not have lasted a quarter hour in that vile
citadel without your sword, Nanoc's axe and Mauser's magicks. So, you
need not remind me of your talents. I am well aware of them. As for
me, I am neither bard nor warrior, yet I respecteth both. Rather, I
am a gatherer of information, a learner of secrets, and a sneak
unlooked for. I suppose that, especially for a proud soldier of noble
heritage such as yourself, mine talents are less worthy.”
While Nanoc sat on in stunned
silence, gazing back and forth between Telemachos and Danton almost
as if he were attending some sort of athletic competition, the
Velunese continued:
”Perhaps
I must earn your respect. If mine performance in the citadel hath not
yet earned it, 'tis fair enough. There will be more opportunity, I am
sure, to prove my mettle. Now, I've had my say, and I'll let the
matter drop. You are, after all, indisputably correct about at least
one thing, good Telemachos: we are together at this point and must
work together ... or risk seeing all of our respective ambitions
fail. Therefore, I shall do my best -- though whither to success or
failure, only the gods may augur.”
Telemachos
held up his hands in a placating gesture.
“Good
friend,” he said, “my heart is rent as much as it can be
for a newly acquired comrade. Indeed, if my jests, intended as
insults or otherwise, hath stung you, I am sorry. You hath already
earned my respect for someone who is skilled in different arts than
I. 'Tis the same in Furyondy, where soldiers of different units are
utilized for their different talents and yet an essential part of the
whole.
As
for our current situation, yes, I thank you for the information that
you have helped me acquire - not that I have been exactly sitting on
my hands enjoying the awful chants of that real ‘bard.’ As for the woman, I don't think you need worry about a lost
opportunity. My guess is that she would have been just as elusive
about your questions whether we broke up your little tete-a-tete or
not. We obviously agree that she is not to be trusted and may simply
be using us as expendable canon-fodder for her own gain or truly
intends us harm. We can try to question her further if you think it
will do us any good - my way of thinking is that it probably won't.
Although I am very interested in the possibility that she may have
very important information for me, I am not going to be such a fool
as to allow that to cloud my judgment.
As
for her, she is most certainly a beauty. But my mission is not of the
flesh but of blood. My father is the most important person in my life
and my mission to find him consumes my thoughts and deeds. There will
be time enough for marriage and those pleasures. If I don't find my
father, all will matter naught anyway and my life will be forfeit to
the gods. For me, a good pillow, a hot meal, cold ale, and some
decent entertainment is enough to satisfy my longings. I think I once
heard a friend say much the same thing not too long ago.”
With
Nanoc still looking back and forth, Danton spoke again, his voice
lower than it had been before:
“You
speak correctly, Telemachos: the woman is not to be trusted. Neither
do I distrust her, if you take my meaning. The jury is out, so
to speak, and she helpeth not her case, as I judge it. I asked her
exactly what she sought in the Temple or moathouse, and she responded
by unfurling a map and pointing out cartographic details. In nowise
has she been open and forthcoming. The only details we received from
her were regarding a map which we all three can read equally well on
our own.
I
think that you are further correct in that questioning the wench may
not avail us much. I suppose we could put the questions directly and
insist continuously on each answer in sufficient detail ... lest we
take our services elsewhere. After all, she needeth us at least as
much as we needeth her. For all this, however, I suspect you are
right: she might resist giving straight answers ... or might merely
lie if she thought it served her purposes. So, if we have questions,
why ask her? Why not look where a more fruitful answer can be found?”
“What do you propose?” asked Telemachos.
”To
begin,” replied Danton, finally speaking in his normal voice,
“we could ask about Hommlet, though I suspect we will learn
little. Her visual charms will likely be the subject of most
knowledge that we gain. So if we can't ask her, and others will know
little of value, then what? Well, if my skills are as good as I
advertise, I must be able to find another way. Why not have Nanoc
serve as a distraction for the maiden ... whilst I rifle her room,
looking for more than lingerie? P'raps there are some clues as to
Aseneth amongst her belongings. P'raps not, but it might be worth a
look. After all, if we don't find some independent information
on her by one means or another, I think we might have to leave her to
her own business and be about our own.
Beyond
the wench, we've received what seems a reliable history of the Temple
and moathouse. Aseneth wants to explore the Temple, moathouse and the
ruined town of Nulb. Elmo and Xaod both confirmed that only
hobgoblins liveth in the temple ruins. 'Tis possible that both are
lying, but, at this point, that seemeth unlikely. We have heard that
Spugnoir hath gone into the moathouse dungeon and not returned, and
Redithidoor hath speculated that such dungeon be occupied by undead.
The moathouse lieth to the east of Hommlet ... roughly along the same
path, if I judge correctly, that Jaroo's bear Tanak hath wandered two
weeks ago. However, Chaltrilon claimeth that the Temple is the better
place -- to clear out hobgoblins and aid Hommlet, at least the man
shows his true interest on this point, -- and the moathouse is
deserted and empty.”
”In
short,” summed up Danton, “we have conflicting
information, though most seem to agree that we will likely only find
hobgoblins in the Temple. The moathouse, it seemeth to me, is our
best bet. I am not here to aid the people of Hommlet, at least not
for goodly payment. Rather, we are here to rest and to await Mauser
... and to look into this mystery surrounding Uncle Jaroo. For my
money, as things presently stand, I am inclined to take Redithidoor
up on his offer. I don't necessary trust him, either, but he seems to
be a known commodity in Hommlet, and we could probably find some
people -- Elmo or the Cuthberthian clergy -- to vouch for or 'gainst
him.”
”I…encourage
you to do your thing,” said Telemachos. “You are no
story-singing bard, so go be a . . . thief . . . rogue . . . whatever
it is that you prefer to call yourself. Your skills certainly will
come in handy now. Just don't get caught. Is that a slogan in your
profession?”
“Any
thoughts on Redithidoor or Mauser?” asked Danton. “Also,
moathouse versus Temple? Or do we want to hold off on all such things
until we've gleaned what we can regarding Aseneth?”
Danton
paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and added, “One final
thing. Though I thank you for laying off on the ‘bard’ jesting, p'raps 'tis good at this point to apologize a bit sheepishly
on my part. If my pride seemeth wounded excessively, 'tis
probably because it hath been wounded somewhat ... but, in
truth, not by you, noble Telemachos. Rather, my current straits -- in
which I am left without either country or betrothed -- is related
somewhat to the fact that my own ... skills ... and political and
personal stature hath been ignored back in Veluna. To speak more
clearly, I am convinced that, had I been a warrior and not a spy, I'd
still have both my profession and my girl. But, as it happens, I have
neither, with limited prospects of turning the tables.
With
all this as baggage, I hath reacted irrationally to ‘your bard’
jests, though I know they were meant only in the spirit of
comradeship and fun, both of which I value. I do not consider myself
a ‘rogue,’ yet I am considered this by some of my
countrymen ... even as I fulfilled their missions and brought back
the information they sought. 'Tis a grand irony, my life. P'raps my
own pride disliketh the fact that I worked so hard at aiding mine
countrymen, only to have my contributions ignored and to even suffer
loss and ignominy to boot.
Regardless,
be assured I carry no animosity of any sort with you, good
Telemachos. I hath overreacted, 'tis clear to me, and for that I
apologize. My quarrel is with my former taskmasters, who effectively
used me and then left me out to dry because my profession is unloved,
howevermuch its fruits are desired, and because, therefore, I am
expendible to men of polite society.”
A
scowl and look of disgust began to form on Nanoc’s face at this
point, but neither Danton nor Telemachos noticed.
“Good
friend, Danton,” said the Furyondian, “your humility and
honesty does you credit as a man of honor. Do not feel shuned by
‘polite society’ for truly I count you as one of my
friends. I know how you feel when you say you were a bit sensitive. I
for one did not appreciate the jibes at my expense by my training
captains. My father encouraged them to be twice as hard on me as on
any of my classmates in the Academy, which was already bad. It made
me harder and a better soldier and even at the time I understood what
they were trying to do, but it doth stung nonetheless. Who knows?
Maybe years from now, we will continue to be good friends and ‘bard’
will be my affectionate nickname for you. For now, it will simply be
‘Danton,’ or ‘friend.’
This
last was too much for Nanoc. The half-orc shook his head and laughed. “Geesh...am
I sittin' wit a couple o' women here? Since when the hell did we take
things such as havin' good fun and callin' someone a name as an
insult? Heck Danton I oughta pound ya into the ground then for all
them times ya called me stinky and bitched 'bout my bedroll and what
not. Next thing I know you twos will be a kissin' and make'n up. If
that happens I'm outta here!”
“Now
as fer the rest o’ this discussion,” continued the
barbarian, “I thinks Aseneth is just fine, why I don't see no
how any women that fine could have a lick o' bad in her. We don't
needs ta be sneakin' round no-ones room. Heck lets just ask her for
more details. I spose if you two is that uncomfortable it won't hurt
none, but Danton you gotta promise me ya won't take nothin' no matter
how nice it seems.
She
is a good girl from the east. I know those folk after all: Grundar is
a Frutzi barbarian and Justin, Wigam, and Twilian were from Nyrond.
Her talk don't sound quite like theirs, but they gots accents too. I
can talk to her and see if she been ta any o' those places—I’d
love ta hear stories 'bout 'em. Besides, I could tell she ain't
interested in no boys that get their bloomers in a bunch every time
someone says somethin' a little hurtful. She wants a real man and
after hearin' you guys a talkin', the only one here that fits that is
good ol' Nanoc.”
”Now
if we is gonna be invitin' peoples along wit us, ya know that Xaod is
a real good guy. He drank me under the table an didn't even steal
nothin'! Why I know he don't think much o' that temple, but he ain't
been ta the other places. Of course if Mauser shows up, we oughta
bring him along. I think these places is just the type he'd want ta
see.”
”Methinks
you're too soft on Aseneth,” replied Danton, “and you
have been taken in by her charms and mealy accent, but I am glad you
agree to my poking about in her chamber. You should know by now, my
boy, that I am no petty thief, slavering to make off with a woman's
baubles or privies. I shall endeavor to leave Aseneth's room
altogether untouched and unplundered, though if some incriminating
item shows itself, I may pilfer it.”
”If
you want to bring Xaod along,” mused Danton, “I'm not
wholly against the idea. 'Twould seem that the man hath been in the
Hommlet area for a while. So, as with Redithidoor, there should be
some information on him amongst the locals. If his character checks
out, as with Redithidoor, we can bring both on board for a trip to
the moathouse. But, see here, Nanoc: do not be so quick to trust
someone who merely fails to rob you of your changepurse. A skilled
confidence man readily passes on stealing pocket money in lieu of
establishing trust with his target and thereby setting up a more
profitable betrayal. Remember: trust not until the evidence supports
it!”
***
Tavern tales and scholarly tomes
across Oerth’s surface whispered of the Underdark, a lightless
subterranean realm that was home to fabled races, creatures of
nightmare, and ancient, unspeakable evils. It was a world unto
itself, an ancient world filled with races that were old long before
the first humans walked the world above. So dire was the reputation
of the place that mothers in Greyhawk used it to caution their
children to behave, lest the creatures of the dark steal them away
forever. Most feared of all were the dark elves, the drow, who were
said to live in great underground cities, where they plotted the
downfall of the surface world and engaged in all manner of
unspeakable practices, making victims of all who had the misfortune
to encounter them.
This was the world into which
Mauser now walked alone. The cleric had long imagined that one day
when he grew truly powerful, he and his associates might delve into
the dark in search of lost artifacts of ancient power. He had not
intended to be trapped alone in the place, desperately searching for
a means of escape before his food, water, and light ran out.
From his readings, Mauser knew that
there were different levels to the Underdark, and that the deeper one
went, the greater the magnitude of the dangers to be confronted. The
cleric knew that his only hope lay in staying near to the surface and
finding a way out before he drew the attention of any of the
Underdark’s denizens.
For most of the first day, Mauser
traveled through a winding, narrow passage that ran gradually to the
south and east, as best he could tell. After hours of travel, the
passage split. Without the slightest idea with path to take, the
cleric turned to what he thought was the north. Not long thereafter,
his first torch spluttered out, and he lit a second one. Some time
thereafter, the passage widened into a long, narrow cave with a pool
of water at its center. The cave ran for nearly a mile before
narrowing into a five-foot wide passage once again.
When his second torch ran out,
Mauser sat, meditated, and then fumbled about as he ate a cold meal
in utter darkness. Exhausted, the cleric then collapsed into a fitful
sleep.
***
When
Aseneth did not make an appearance at dinner, Telemachos retired to
his room for the evening while Nanoc walked the streets of Hommlet,
talking to everyone he met and trying to get more of a feel for the
town. As for Danton, he did what he did best, digging up information.
Spending the evening in the common room and chatting with everyone he
could, the Velunese focused on learning as much as possible about two
of the party’s potential traveling companions: Xaod the Slayer
and Redithidoor Halfmoon (Gather Information: 1+ 7=8, 19+7=26).
When
it came to Xaod, either there was little to be learned, or Danton was
talking to the wrong people. Those who claimed to know him, or at
least to have encountered him, described Xaod as crude, loud and
boorish. He had a reputation of being something of a drunkard, but
also a very dangerous fighter. After he had incapacitated a
half-dozen locals who picked a fight with him in Terrigans not long
after he had arrived in town, nearly killing three of them, everyone gave him a wide berth. The stories of Xaod going alone to the old
temple only reinforced his reckless and dangerous reputation.
Redithidoor
was a much more widely known figure. Although universally regarded as
a terrible, utterly incompetent bard, everyone knew him well from his
regular performances at the Welcome Wench and in the town square.
Vesta Gundigoot, the young woman who ran the Wench for her father,
admitted to Danton that her allowing of Redithidoor to perform at the
inn was really charity, while Chatrilon Unosh told Danton he would be ‘crazy’ to go anywhere with the bard or believe his tales
about the moathouse. No one Danton spoke to could vouch for any
adventuring skills whatsoever on the part of Redithidoor. As he
watched the bard across the room go through yet another terrible
performance with his lute, Danton could not help wonder whether
Redithidoor’s critics were correct about his adventuring
abilities as they clearly were about his musical skills.

When
Danton, Nanoc and Telemachos finally encountered Aseneth again at
breakfast the following morning, the trio implemented the next phase
of their information-gathering plan. Today Aseneth wore a sleeveless,
high-collared blue dress emblazoned with stylized silver dragons—the
first time that anyone in the party had seen her in anything other
than black. Danton and Telemachos recognized the material as silk,
while Nanoc was merely enthralled by the way it shimmered.
After
inviting themselves to sit down with the woman for the morning meal,
during which time Nanoc dominated the conversation with stories of
Grundar, Justin, Wigam, and Twilian, speaking with his mouth full all
the while, Danton took his leave of the group, claiming other
commitments required his attention.
“So,
Aseneth,” said Nanoc as the serving staff cleared away the last
of the plates and glasses, “we think we kin help ya out, but we
need ya ta go and check out Tel's uncle first. Tel and I could take
ya out there right now. Danton’s off recruitin’ a couple
o’ others for the trip, an’ if we go talk to the
leatherworker and smithy on the way ta see Jaroo, we can take care o’
all sorts o’ things today an’ be ready ta hit the road
that much sooner.”
“This
is being…acceptable,” replied Aseneth. “Time is
going and I do wish to be finding things…not finding here at
inn.”
“Great!”
said Telemachos, “and on the way, I can tell you all about my
father and his exploits in the Furyondian Royal Navy!”
With
the woman in tow, Nanoc and Telemachos left the inn, walking as
slowly and in as roundabout a way as they possibly could. Standing at
the window of his room on the second floor, Danton watched the trio
until they were out of sight. Then he set to work.
***
Mauser awoke with a start when he
heard the voices. The cleric had no idea how long he had slept, but
his back ached from the discomfort of sleeping on rock while wearing
armor. So exhausted had he been, that it had never occurred to him to
use his bedroll or remove his protective equipment, but now that
oversight offered dividends: within seconds, the cleric was on his
feet with his pack on his shoulders.
Glancing about in the darkness,
Mauser saw a faint flickering orange light in one direction. Voices
continued to echo off the rocks. As Mauser reached for a torch of his
own, he recognized one of the voices…
“…find that two-timing
bastard, I’ll cut him from head to toe and feed him to the
bloody kobolds!”
It was the voice of the half-orc
Eiger that echoed off the cavern walls. Some other, quieter, voice
responded, but Mauser did not wait around to determine who it was.
Instead he lit his torch and scrambled off in the opposite direction
as quickly as his legs and the terrain would allow.
***
Having learned from one of the
barmaids which room belonged to Aseneth, Danton waited until the
upstairs hallway was free of both guests and inn staff and then
darted out of his room and down the hall to the chamber occupied by
the eastern woman. After the traps, locks, and puzzles of the Sunless
Citadel, the lock on the door of Aseneth’s room was a simple
affair (open lock: 9+8=17: success), and Danton was inside the
woman’s room less than a minute after he left his own. He shut
and locked the door behind him and then turned to the business at
hand.
He began by rifling Aseneth’s
closet, the bottom of which was filled with empty traveling chests
and the top of which was filled with clothing. The latter consisted
exclusively of dresses, robes and jackets, all of which were of the
highest quality material and clearly foreign tailoring. The quality
and exotic fashion was such that Danton might have been tempted to
pilfer something as a gift for Vanessa upon his triumphant return to
Veluna were it not for the fact that that Aseneth was a much taller
woman and her clothes would never have fit his lost Velunese love.
Danton next searched the bed,
removing sheets and mattresses in search of anything hidden
underneath, but finding nothing. He then paused long enough to listen
at the door and glance carefully out the window for any sign that
Aseneth was returning. Seeing and hearing nothing untoward, he
carefully remade the bed and turned to the desk and the two
nightstands that stood next to it.
***
With Telemachos regaling Aseneth
with stories of his father’s exploits on Whyestil Lake and the
Nyr Dyv during the war with Iuz, the small group arrived first at the
smithy, where Harris Karl confirmed that Telemachos’ splint
mail would be ready for pickup the following morning. Thereafter, the
group re-crossed the bridge over the Imeryds Run and passed by the
Welcome Wench once again. As they passed the inn, Telemachos and
Nanoc made particular effort to keep the woman fully distracted with
their stories and Nanoc physically interposed his bulk between her
and any view she might have of the place. Truth be told, however, the
half-orc was more than a little distracted himself, amazed by both
the way Aseneth moved and the way the blue of her dress somehow
reflected the light even on this cloudy day.
Upon arrival at Naddy Tomanloft’s
leatherworking shop, Telemachos and Aseneth waited outside while
Nanoc went inside to find the gnome and inquire as to whether the
refitting of his armor might be accelerated. When the half-orc
offered to pay an additional twenty gold (out of the funds set aside
for Mauser), the gnome told him the armor would be ready in
forty-eight hours. Catching the look of confusion on Nanoc’s
face, she clarified that this meant two days. Then, having spotted
Aseneth and Telemachos through one of the shop windows, the gnome
motioned for Nanoc to lean over and she whispered into his ear:
“Don’t wanna be havin’
no truck with foreigners, do ya, boy? They ain’t like the folk
o’ Verbobonc—good, honest folk. Why some slick
easterner’ll snatch yer purse, stick a knife in yer back and
sell yer soul before ya know what happened! You’ll listen to
old Naddy an’ ditch that hussy right quick if ya know what’s
good for ya!”
Annoyed, but not wanting to anger
the gnome, at least until she completed his armor, Nanoc bit back any
reply. Instead he took his leave and rejoined Telemachos and Aseneth
for the last of the walk to the druid’s grove.
“Say,
Nanoc, why don’t you tell Aseneth about your quest
for a magical axe,” said Telemachos. “I’m sure
she’d like to hear about that, and about how you and Danton
met.”
Although Nanoc had
wanted to ply Aseneth with questions of his own, the half-orc found
the opportunity to regale and impress her with stories of his and
Danton’s adventures impossible to resist, and it was he who did
the talking all the way up the hill.
***
When Danton rifled the
two nightstands in Aseneth’s room, he found nothing but women’s
undergarments. Although some of these were exotic enough to bring
distracting thoughts to mind, the Velunese forced himself to
concentrate on more important matters. He replaced the bits of
clothing and turned his attention to the desk, which appeared
identical to the one in his room and those in the rooms of his two
comrades.
Most of the drawers in
the desk were either empty or contained nothing more than parchment
and writing implements, but in the bottom of the largest drawer on
the left side of the desk, Danton finally found what he was looking
for—a large, ornate wooden box eight by twelve inches and
nearly a foot deep. The box appeared closed and locked, and Danton
was forced to lift it gingerly out of the drawer before he could
examine it closely.
The
box had been hand carved with pastoral scenes and then stained a dark
brown. It had a hinged top and a metal lock on the front. Danton
examined it carefully for any kind of trap (search: 10+9=19),
but found nothing. Recognizing that this would be a greater challenge
than picking the simple lock on the door, he set out his tools and
went to work (open lock: 13+8=21). When the lock refused to
budge, despite his best efforts, Danton cursed softly.
“Nanoc and
Telemachos had best keep the lass occupied for a goodly time indeed,
for the maker of this box knew his craft well…”
***
When Nanoc,
Telemachos, and Aseneth arrived at the druids’ grove, they
found Jaroo and Yundi engaged in a shouting match that had something
to do with the quality of the oats that the apprentice had prepared
for breakfast. While the older druid had generally been in a torpor
when the party previously visited, now he was in a froth, shouting at
Yundi and then at the newcomers. Telemachos tried to placate the old
man, but to no avail.
“I
don’t care if you’re my grand nephew or the grand vizier
of Veluna!” shouted Jaroo. “This is my grove and
no one sets foot in it without my say-so!”
While Nanoc and
Telemachos tried their best to calm the old man, Aseneth performed a
series of incantations. The sight of this seemed to anger Jaroo all
the more, and he began ranting on a different subject:
“Ah hah hah! You
want to steal my grove, so you bring some Aerdy witch to try to cloud
my mind! Well it won’t work! As the great druid, I’m
immune to her petty magics! Bwah hah hah!”
Several minutes later,
Aseneth told Nanoc and Telemachos that her efforts were complete.
Yundi then suggested that the trio withdraw until such time as Jaroo
was in a less combative state.
“Well?”
asked Nanoc as the group walked back down the hill. “What did
ya find out?”
“I am not
finding magic on this ‘Jaroo’,” said Aseneth.
“There was…how are you saying…no trace. But that
is not all. I try cast spell that making him more…calm…more
willing listen what we say, but this having no effect—total
failure. That is being very unusual. If he is really powerful druid,
it is possible that he is being immune as he say, but I find it very
rare that my magic not working even little bit. Jaroo is maybe crazy
powerful old man, but he is not under spell.”
***
After
dozens and dozens of failed attempts, Danton finally discovered the
way to trip the intricate mechanism of the lock on the box (open
lock take twenty: 20+8=28). When the lock finally clicked, the
scout lay back on the floor for several moments shaking his head in
wonderment before gathering up his tools and lifting open the lid.
When Danton opened the
box, two things jumped out at him, one figuratively, the other
literally. The first thing he saw inside the box was a tome with a
black-dyed leather covering. The cover of the book was engraved with
the words “Aseneth Velinax de Torquann.” Danton would
have liked to examine the tome in greater detail, but his attention
was drawn away from it almost immediately by the tiny, eight-inch
long, green snake that sprang out of the box and towards his hands
and face.
The
Velunese leapt backwards with a shout of surprise, but, caught off
guard as he was, moved too slowly. The little viper sank its fangs
into his right hand and Danton immediately felt a sharp burning pain (fortitude save: 13+0=13). He shook the snake free of his
hand, but immediately felt his strength begin to flag is its venom
traveled up his arm (- 4 strength points). With his head
spinning, Danton stumbled backwards towards the door, away from the
little snake, which now coiled protectively on the floor in front of
the open box.
***
“Say Aseneth,”
said Telemachos as the trio made its way back down the hill, “maybe
you wouldn’t mind coming with us to check out where Jaroo’s
bear disappeared by the river. If you have some magical way of
tracking it, that would be really useful.”
Aseneth drew in her
breath as if about to respond, but then she suddenly froze in her
tracks. She closed her eyes and a look of deep concentration passed
over her face.
“Something is
wrong at inn!” she hissed when she opened her eyes. Without
further explanation or a backward look, the woman took off running
down the hill, moving with a speed that Telemachos and Nanoc would
not have believed she could attain, particularly in a dress.
Telemachos and Nanoc
exchanged a quick look.
“Danton!” said Nanoc.
“I told that
fool bard not to get caught!” muttered Telemachos.
With little idea what
else to do, the pair charged off after Aseneth.
***
By the end of what he thought was
his third day in the Underdark, Mauser was certain that Jil, Eiger,
and Archangel had all survived their encounter with the fire worms
and that all three were close on his heels. By charging recklessly
ahead and resting only when the sounds of those behind him faded, the
cleric managed to stay ahead of them, but each time he slept, he
risked awakening to find Eiger standing over him with a blade at his
throat.
After days of walking, jogging, and
running through dark caverns, rifts, tunnels, and vaults, Mauser had
lost all sense of direction. The path had not diverged again,
offering no opportunities to escape those who followed him. The water
he had carried into the Sunless Citadel had run low, and the cleric
had been forced to replenish it in the underground streams that he
periodically encountered.
To Mauser’s relief, the path
did not seem to be descending deeper into the world below, but to his
consternation, it did not seem to offer any avenue of return to the
surface either. Including the one that currently burned in his left
hand, the cleric was down to four torches. None of the caverns he had
traveled had offered the sort of light-giving lichen or plants that
Belak had cultivated in the Sunless Citadel, and Mauser had been
forced to rely on his torches throughout his trip. He knew all to
well that once they ran out, he was done for.
And so it was that when Mauser
first saw light and heard voices ahead, on what he believed was his
fourth day in the dark, he felt greatly relieved. The cleric
extinguished his own, half-spent, torch, and slowed the pace of his
advance. As he moved forward, the cavern in which he traveled widened
to ten feet in width before ending in a hole in a wall that had
clearly been constructed by humanoid hands rather than nature. Seeing
the work of sentient beings for the first time in days, Mauser dared
hope that he might finally have discovered a way back to the surface
world. He stepped through the hole in the wall and found himself in a
well-lit area, with torches spaced regularly along the walls.
The corridor in which Mauser stood
was fifteen feet wide and it had obviously been carved out of the
stone by someone or something. But when he glanced to the left, all
feelings of elation faded. There appeared to once have been another
passage to the left, but it was now clogged nearly to the height of
the ten foot ceiling with a great pile of humanoid bones, most of
which were twisted, broken and smashed. With this path blocked in
such a grotesque manner, Mauser was forced to continue down the main
corridor, from which voices could still be heard.
As he drew close to the end of the
passage, where it turned to the left, Mauser recognized the language
being spoken ahead and his step slowed further. The creatures ahead
were goblins, or at least they spoke that guttural tongue. At the end
of the corridor, Mauser pressed his back to the wall and listened for
several minutes. As best he could tell from the snippets of
conversation he caught, there were a half-dozen or more goblins
present and they seemed to be on guard duty in some sort of mine.
Mauser might have stayed in that
position for some time, listening to more of the goblins’
conversation, were it not for the fact that at that moment he heard
additional voices from the opposite direction. Glancing over his
right shoulder, back the way he had come, he saw torchlight
flickering on the sides of the cavern just beyond the hole in the
wall. He knew what this meant—Jil du Gal and her two remaining
associates had arrived.
_______________________________________________________________
Notes for turn 22:
Please send postings for Turn 22 by
the end of Friday, September 1st.
Keep in mind that for the bulk of
the party the date is now 8 Lipanj (“Wealsun”), but for
Mauser it is still 1 Lipanj.
Items gained this turn: none
Undivided Loot previously
gained: none
Items
used/lost/destroyed this turn: Mauser’s quarterstaff and
6.5 of his torches; I’ll tally up all the party’s living
expenses for Hommlet whenever the group departs town.
FOES DEFEATED:
This Chapter:
| Character |
Foes Defeated |
Percent of Total |
Most Powerful Defeated |
| Nanoc |
0/0 |
0% |
|
| Mauser |
0/0 |
0% |
|
| Telemachos |
0/0 |
0% |
|
| Danton |
0/0 |
0% |
|
| Erky |
0/0 |
0% |
|
Entire Campaign:
| Character |
Foes Defeated |
Percent of Total |
Most Powerful Defeated |
| Nanoc |
43/104 |
41% |
Sarcophagus Thing |
| Mauser |
19/104 |
18% |
Shadow |
| Telemachos |
29/104 |
28% |
Calcryx |
| Danton |
7/104 |
7% |
Bugbear |
| Erky |
6/104 |
6% |
Twig Blight |
Current Status
of the Party:
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,
2 potions of cure light wounds
Gold: 113
Silver: 220
Mauser
AC: 18
Hit points: 31/31
New XP: 0
XP total: 3390
XP needed: 6,000
Spells Available:
0 Level (4): Detect
Magic, Read Magic, LightX2
1st Level (4* one of these four spells must be a domain spell):Summon
Monster I, Command, Cause Light Wounds, Nystul’s Aura
2nd
Level (3*one must be a domain spell): Hold PersonX2, Invisibility
Equipment: heavy
mace, light crossbow, scalemail, 36 crossbow bolts, small wooden
shield, backpack, pouch belt, 50’ silk rope, 3 ½
torches, waterskin, flint & steel, 2 holy water flasks, peasant
outfit, bedroll, entertainer’s outfit, cleric’s vestment,
healer’s kit, 10 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 Citadel
Gold: 10 (plus 128
left in not-so-safe-keeping with Nanoc)
Silver: 220
Danton (Poisoned-Strength reduced to 6)
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 scrolls
Gold: 294
Silver: 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: 127
Silver: 220
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