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Chapter 3: The Temple of All-Consumption Turn 68: A Night By the Lake
“Back into the passage out of the sight of those flaming creatures!” hissed Luger. When the others complied, the cleric whispered, “I am thinking they are elementals, but I've never encountered such beings before. I do not believe elementals to be Evil, or Good for that matter, but these are not likely to be friendly towards us. We might be able to pass ourselves off as Fire Temple followers by grabbing some of their robes, but I think we'll need to regroup if we intend to do battle with them.” “I
hath little quarrel with avoiding these flaming entities,” said
Danton when the group was well back up the tunnel and out of earshot
of anyone in the chamber with the elementals. “As for me, well,
I prefer mine 'hot dates' to be more metaphorical than literal.” “From
what I hath observed, those
living flames art not moving anywhere fast. They appear to mine eyes
to be guardians or worshippers of the glowing orb – p’raps
both. Frankly, methinks we should destroy the orb. ‘Tis the
focus of this room, which seems oriented around it. What hath we at
our disposal to cast at it, and I am particularly thinking here of
magic? The orb floats above the head of a man, though ‘tis low
enough that we could strike it with blades. But, frankly, methinks
there would be risk involved in contacting it. I find mineself
wondering whether the orb is itself alive or if ‘tis only a
magical creation. If ‘tis the latter, might any of you be able
to dispel it?” Sparhawk smiled grimly. “Though I am loathe to risk destroying mine father's trusted weapon, I shalt be willing to smite that evil orb with all the power that Heironeous is willing to grant mine arm. There is good and truth in mine blade.” “And
speaking of power,” added the paladin, “mine good Syll,
that is quite a formidable spell. Thou hast turned the Fire Temple's
own elements against those nasty foes who truly deserved the justice
thee meted out to them. But, may I caution thee a bit without thine
taking offense? A potent magic indeed thou hast gained knowledge of.
'Tis both true and very useful for our offensive against the enemies
of Heironeous. But, to launch it at every foe indiscriminately may
not be prudent. A map to the Air Temple or scroll of magic to destroy
their altar may have been consumed in thy fiery death blow.” “And while I’m thinking about tactics,” added the smuggler, “when the time comes to attack the Water Temple, don’t forget we have two new weapons that ought to aid us against them, one of them being my new spell, and the other being Danton's flaming sword. After what those normally weak ray of frost spells did to Fire Temple creatures, I can only imagine what fire spells and weapons might do to Water Temple creatures. Danton, Sparhawk, I would really encourage you two to use the new weapons as your primary weapons. I'll find out more about them when I can, but they both seemed to be pretty powerful.” “I
too am down on spells,” said Luger. “I do not have any
way to detect evil now, however, I can protect one person from fire,
though I know not if it will protect from these creatures. I could
also attempt to dispel the magic on that orb, which might disable it
long enough to let us see what effect it performs. I could also
channel the powers of Heironeus to apply a dweomer to Justice for many hours. I can also strengthen your arms considerably, Peter,
by lending you Heironeus' strength for a short period of time.
Lastly, I can bestow Heironeus' blessings upon you to aid your
endurance in battle. All of this would make Sir Peter even more
formidable than he already is, but, I would rather we waited until
Syll and myself had a full complement of spells before we take on
these fiery creatures. After all, if destroying the orb is our
intention, perhaps Syll could simply bombard it with those impressive
magical darts he's always killing our enemies with.” “Well,
where some counsel prudence, let it not be said that Danton Verbrugge
doth not agree,” said the scout. “If 'twould be better to
let Syll and Luger replenish their mystical powers, then so be it.
The trick in the interim wilt lie in bunkering in somewhere and
avoiding detection. Prithee, let me consult Tessimon's map to
consider where might be best.” With a location chosen, the party was ready to retrace its steps the relatively short distance to its planned refuge, but first Luger wanted to do one more thing with the room with the elementals: “Before going to rest, I would like to give Dispel Magic a try on the orb from the protection of the doorway. I'd mostly like to see if it has any noticeable effect.” Standing pressed against the tunnel wall just outside the massive room, Luger cast his spell (Cast Dispel Magic: 19+8=27) at the glowing orb. The effects were instantaneous: the red glow disappeared from the orb and it crashed to the ground at the center of the cavern with a resounding boom. The four fire creatures reacted immediately, moving about the center of the room and gazing about in evident alarm and surprise. Luger was forced to pull his body back out of the entryway immediately in order to avoid being seen. While Luger considered the significance of what he had just seen, he and the rest of the party withdrew to the alcove overlooking the lake. The fire creatures did not pursue. Because it was only mid-afternoon, everyone took the opportunity to clean weapons and equipment and enjoy the rare opportunity to relax a bit. Syll asked Sparhawk to see the so-called Book of the Dark Eye the party had recovered from the malevolent dragon statue in the Fire Temple, and he spent much of the afternoon and early evening perusing the tome, which described the worship of the Elder Elemental Eye in great detail. However, since the party had long since learned that the Eye was only a cover for the cult of Tharizdun, Syll was doubtful how much significance to ascribe to what he read. The only thing in the tome that Syll read that seemed of a more practical nature, was very precise instructions on how to ‘activate’ an altar of the Elder Elemental Eye, assuming one would ever want to do such a foul thing. If one lit at least six candles, and beat a large drum on or near such an altar, a golden glowing eye would appear in the air. If anyone present possessed something called a ‘tentacle rod’, then the altar would become transparent and ready to accept the sacrifice of a living creature. A tentacle would shoot forth from the altar and pull in the nearest living creature, presumably the sacrifice, and ‘unmake’ it. As a reward for such devotion to the Elder Elemental Eye by the wielder of the tentacle rod, the altar would return to its normal color and atop it would be a magic item of great power, supposedly a gift from the Eye. “Creepy stuff,” said the elf, after he had explained all of this to the other party members. “All the more reason to destroy every one of these altars we come across.” By the time darkness fell over the lake outside, there had been no signs of activity either on its waters, on any of the visible bridges, or within the nearby tunnels of the Fire Temple. Danton, Tenaris, and Sparhawk turned in early, leaving Luger and Syll together on the first watch. Luger used his last available spell to heal almost all of his remaining wounds (Convert Bull’s Strength to Cure Moderate Wounds, Convert Read Magic and Detect Magic to Cure minor wounds: Luger +20 HP) and then the two spent a good deal of time discussing what Syll had read in the Book of the Dark Eye, as Luger was anxious to be certain he understood its contents. Foul though they were, the party was always in need of greater intelligence on the enemy. This discussion eventually led Syll to expound on a theory he had been developing regarding the four strange metal bars the party had recovered from the Earth and Fire Temples. “I think we need all of the little metal bar things in order to get into the Outer Fane,” he explained. “We get two little bars from each temple and put them together. When we have bars from all four, then we may have the key to the Outer Fane. Who knows,” he mused, “at that point, they may all need to be joined together. It may be some sort of test of intelligence and power, and simply a way to keep the riff raff from bugging the big poobahs. As near as I could determine, Uskathoth and Kelashein had never entered the fane, so I think they didn’t have the means.” While Syll was speaking, Luger rifled around in his pack until he found the metal bars. When he finally found them under several bags of rations, he was surprised to see that each of the two larger bars had separated back into its two smaller components at some point while they were stored amidst his gear. “So,” he said, “They do not join permanently.” He held up the two diamond-shaped bars from the Fire Temple, placed them together, and watched them fuse again. “If combined, they join for a time, and then separate again.” In order to test Syll’s theory, at least a bit, the cleric then re-combined the two triangular bars from the Earth Temple. Once he held a single larger triangular bar and a single diamond-shaped bar, he put those two bars together, and watched as they combined into a single, very large bar in the shape of a long obex, or ziggurat-like shape. Luger then set this large bar down on the ground and he and Syll watched it for a time. After sitting untouched for perhaps ten minutes or so, the massive bar shifted and reverted to the four smaller bars—two triangular and two diamond—that made it up. “So maybe there’s something to my theory,” said Syll as Luger finally put the bars away. “Anyway, we also need to do something to help that poor guy we found in the torture chamber. I still feel bad about those two we left with Kelashein, and we just gotta go back and get this guy here when we’re ready to move on. Maybe you can help him in some way. At the very least, we can heal him more and strap some spare armor on him. And we can talk to him, tell him we are here to rescue him and we are not with the evil denizens of this place. Heck, two of us are holy men—that has to count for something.” “I agree we can’t just leave him,” said Luger, “but I fear his worst injuries are mental, not physical, and they are beyond my abilities—at least for now. Heironeous’ power grows in me the longer I fight these vile cultists, and I may be able to help that poor soul in the future.” “All the more reason to bring him with us,” said Syll. “One more thing while I’m on a roll here—if we stay in the Fire Temple for much longer, we need to be prepared for the Water Temple goon squad to show up. You said yourself that it’s only a question of time before Kelashein shows up to claim her prize. We must be prepared for that, and both search the place thoroughly and get out of here as quickly as we can. We want to take on the Water Temple at a time and place of our choosing—not theirs.” *** Hours later, when Tenaris and Danton had relieved Syll and Luger, the pair stood on the ledge overlooking the lake and gazed out at the cloudy sky. There had still been no discernible activity of any kind since the party set up its camp, and Danton felt more at ease than he had in a very long time. The night sky, the cool breeze, and the presence of Tenaris made the scout introspective. “Tenaris,” he said, once he was certain both Luger and Syll were sleeping. “I hath a question for you. Something hath occurred to me earlier today that I hath given some thought about, but I am curious as to what you might think … or whether you’ve given thought to it at all.” The woman looked back at Danton in the dark, but said nothing. “Do you believe ‘twas pure randomness and chance that brought me and mine comrades into the Earth Temple’s altar chamber some six days past? I ask because it hath struck me that, were we even thirty seconds late through the threshold, you would … well, in candor, you would not be of the Oerth, and I would be desolated, ignorant but desolated, o’er your loss.” “Some would call that randomness,” continued Danton. “Sheer luck. The falling of the pebble that starteth the avalanche that blocks the pass before the army can use it to overwhelm their enemy. But I doth not believe in such coincidence. So much of what proceeded that moment wast necessary in order that I should be there, at that very moment that brute wast going to slay you. Add to or subtract from any one of these innumerable proceeding moments, and you would be no more.” “I guess I hadn’t really thought about it like that,” replied Tenaris. “I was just relieved you all showed up when you did.” “Frankly, Tenaris, if you want mine opinion, I believe that I was meant to be there – there at that precise moment – and that ‘tis the design of Fate that ‘twas so,” said Danton breathily. “Anyway…” he continued with an obvious fidget, “I was … ah, curious as to your own view of … of the matter.” “Well,” replied the woman, “I’m sure you know that we elves are pretty big into the whole destiny thing—or at least we’re supposed to be. You know, everything that ever happens was somehow foreordained since the beginning of time and all that? But I never really bought into it all. There’s not some great all-consuming force controlling my actions. I haven’t seen as much of the world as you have, but I have seen a lot of strange things just in Celene—but I’ve never seen anything to make me believe that there’s some all-powerful force out there controlling everything. My actions and my fate are my own to determine.” “Don’t get me wrong,” she added hastily, seeing the crestfallen look on Danton’s face, even in the dark, “I’ll take a good sword and shield over ‘destiny’ any day, but I’m still glad you and the others were there to perform a rescue when I needed it.” “Speaking of rescue, or perhaps ‘liberation’ would be more appropriate,” said Danton, reaching into one of his pouches and withdrawing a small handful of perfumes and cosmetics, “I don’t know whether you would be interested in these things, but I hath ‘liberated’ them from Tessimon’s boudoir and I thought it might amuse you to enjoy our enemy’s feminine fineries.” Tenaris laughed and took the small collection of perfumes and other items, testing several of the former on her wrists and then holding her hands out for Danton to test the various scents. “Which one do you like the best?” she asked, a mischievous look in her eye. Frankly, Danton found himself intoxicated by all of Tenaris’ scents, but he could hardly say that, so he instead identified one particular perfume that had a particularly pleasant, but subtle scent. “There were also a few, er, uh, interesting items of…euh…lingerie,” he added quickly, mixing boldness with discomfort in equal measure as he removed several small black and red lace items from his pack and handed them to Tenaris. Although Danton was blushing fiercely, Tenaris seemed utterly unfazed, and she held each item up in front of her in turn, giving each a clinical examination. “Hmm,” she said, “some of these aren’t bad, although I don’t know how well they’d work with armor—they’re all pretty small.” Danton’s head was spinning as he imagined Tenaris wearing each of the items she held up for examination. Before he stumbled in his delirium and fell fifty feet into the dark lake below, he determined to regain his bearings by relating another story of his adventures in Ket. “There was a period,” he said, even as Tenaris was still examining the undergarments, “when ‘twas rumored that Ket wast preparing for war with Veluna. In point of fact, that never came to pass, but ‘twas rumored and, based upon such rumors, I wast tasked with making discreet inquiry and looking into things. For starters, I went to mine nicely-blackmailed logistics fellow in the Kettite military—p’raps you recall mine previous story? Well, ‘twas clear from him that any preparation had not gone so far as requiring logistical preparation, which wast a good sign. However, since the rumors remained unabated, I began to range farther afield.” “Frankly,” continued the scout, his mind still struggling to focus on anything more than thoughts of Tenaris in her undergarments, “I prefer to employ mine verbal and mental skills to acquire information, as opposed to the rather more crass tactic of literally breaking and entering, which entails numerous risks and also, if ‘tis not done in a manner of plausible deniability, can suggest to the enemy that something is amiss. In this particular case, however, I wast forced to resort to basics. One night, I attempted to scale the building holding the residence of a member of the Kettite high command, to root around in his files and see what I could see. I climbed to the third story of the building and made mine way into a shadowy area, whereupon, standing on a ledge no more than three to four inches wide, I attempted to pick the lock to one of the windows.” Standing on the ledge overlooking the lake, Danton imitated his movements on the window ledge in Ket years previously. “I wast in the process of doing that very thing—picking the lock—when several bats that had been heretofore unseen by me, though hanging only several feet above, took the occasion to drop down upon mine coiffure.” Tenaris put away Danton’s gifts and watched him while he continued his story. “Tenaris, mine dear, that frankly scared the shit right out of me … if you’ll pardon mine Furyondian. I jerked upright and reached for mine hair—squishing one of the foul, little vermin in the process. So shocked wast I—for I did not yet discern what it wast that had fallen upon me—that I jerked again … this time, right off the ledge.” Danton made as if he were falling off the cliff ledge and Tenaris’ eyes grew wide. “I had not affixed a rope to hold me—a mistake if ever I had made one—and so I wast plunged into immediate freefall. Three storeys is a long way to fall, particularly head first, and ‘twould surely have meant mine death. But, as it happened, a guard wast walking a particularly large dog in patrol about the building, and—much to his personal distress—he volunteered to cushion mine fall. Poor bastard—ne’er saw it coming.” Danton laughed and so did Tenaris. “His dog, however, chased me for the next half-mile, and methinks mine poor Velunese rump wilt ne’er be the same.” Danton patted his rear end for effect. “Now, one can take several lessons from that story. The first is that a spy ought to bloody well tie himself off when he’s sitting three storeys up off the ground. And another is probably that a man—or woman—ought to stick with what they’re best at, which for me, at that time, would have been bribing or conning for information. I, however, draw another lesson: destiny plays its role in many seemingly chance encounters. Put simply, if that guard had not walked below at the precise moment that he did, I would surely not be standing before you. The hand of Fate is a heavy one, and the purposes of the gods can ne’er be known by mortal men … or elves, I daresay.” “I don’t know,” commented Tenaris lightly, patting Danton’s arm. “Maybe the lesson is that you ought not to be breaking into other people’s third floor windows…or just that you are luckier than anyone has a right to be.” *** Unlike those on the earlier two watches, Sparhawk had no one with whom to converse, so, as was his normal practice, he used a combination of walking about and quiet prayers to Heironeous to keep himself awake and alert while the others slept. The night remained quiet (Listen: 6+2=8) and Sparhawk paced quietly back and forth from the ledge overlooking the lake to the main tunnel for a long time. At some point, an hour or two before dawn, Sparhawk was walking back up the tunnel towards the ledge when suddenly he felt a sharp, piercing pain in his back (hit with sneak attack; fortitude save versus death: 13+9=22; success; 22 damage). The strike might easily have been fatal, but somehow it just missed the paladin’s kidneys. [Initiative: Sparhawk: 19, Unknown: 13] "Assasins!” yelled Sparhawk as he spun about with Justice. “Now is the time, companions, to fulfill thy God-given mission to smite the forces of darkness. I shalt be thy arm to vengeance to tear these foul creatures from the face of the Oerth. Awaken and follow me, and victory shalt be ours, for we art the righteous who walk in Heironeous' light!" When Sparhawk spun about, he saw a single shadowy form in the dimness of the tunnel. It appeared to be a man, wearing a balaclava over the lower portion of his face. Sparhawk smashed Justice into the man’s body (attack: 16+10=26; hit; 13 damage), but the masked figure wore some sort of leather armor that absorbed most of the blow, and he countered with lightning speed with a rapier that was already covered in Sparhawk’s blood, hitting the paladin twice in quick succession (hit twice for a total of 15 points). With Sparhawk still shouting, the other members of the party roused themselves from their sleep and scrambled out of their bedrolls and to their feet, fumbling about in the darkness for weapons. [Initiative: Tenaris: 21, Syll: 19, Danton: 14, Luger: 10] Sparhawk struck the assassin a second time with Justice (attack: 14+10=24; hit; 16 damage). This blow clearly had more effect than the paladin’s first attack, but the man still managed to counter, hitting the paladin twice more (hit for a total of 14 points). The second strike caused Sparhawk’s knees to buckle and he collapsed to the ground with a metallic crash. Then, seeing the four others closing on him with blades drawn, the man in the mask cast some sort of spell that plunged the entire area into purest blackness. By the time that Danton had managed to find and activate his everburning torch, there was no sign of the man, and no one had heard the slightest sound of his apparent departure (Listen: Danton: 11+8=19, Syll: 15+4=19, Luger: 17+4=21, Tenaris: 20+2=22). “What in the world hath transpired here?” asked Danton, gazing about with Rat’s Tail in hand, at least until he noticed that instead of her usual armor, Tenaris was wearing only a small black nightdress from Tessimon’s wardrobe. This sight distracted Syll as well, but at least Luger possessed the presence of mind to see to Sparhawk, who was unconscious and bleeding profusely until the cleric called on Heironeous to staunch his wounds (Convert Summon Monster IV to Cure Critical Wounds, Convert Detect Evil and Bless to Cure Light Wounds: Sparhawk +51 HP). By the time Luger was done, all of Sparhawk’s wounds had vanished and the magical darkness that had masked the assassin’s departure had disappeared. Much to Danton’s regret, Tenaris quickly dressed in her heavy chitin armor, and, with first light not too far off, the rest of the party dressed and equipped as well. Once Tenaris was dressed, Syll was able to concentrate on using his innate powers to begin to analyze and identify most of the magical items the party had acquired, while the others debated who the masked man had been. Starting with the items the party was most likely to use, Syll determined (Cast Identify spells) the nature of the short swords claimed by Tenaris (Short Sword +1) and Danton (Flaming Short Sword +1), the bracers taken by Luger (Bracers of health +2), Tenaris’ shield (Large Steel Shield +1), and his own ring (ring of feather falling) and wand (wand of fireballs; 14 charges; made by 6th level caster). Aside from an unused set of chainmail and four potions, this left only the massive barbed greatsword Syll had suggested Sparhawk use. “Huh,” said Syll when he had examined the blade. “These runes proclaim this sword to be called Caladbolg—the sword of heroes, whatever that means. I can detect at least some sort of enchantment on the blade (greatsword +1), but I also feel like there might be something more to it that is beyond my ability to discern…I don’t know why.” “Caladbolg?” asked Danton in surprise (Knowledge—History: 17+3=20). “Are you certain?” “Yeah, why?” asked Syll. “Caladbolg was one of the five legendary Swords of Corusk!” said the Velunese excitedly. “You know, the five blades forged by the mythical dwarven master Corusk in some bygone age? If this is the real Caladbolg and not some cheap copy, it is a mythical blade wielded over the centuries by many of the great barbarian leaders of the distant north. According to the tales I hath heard, it can be found only when a great hero has need of it, and when it is drawn in battle, no one can stand against it. Stories featuring the blade credit it with cutting through armor, millstones, and even a mountain in one case! It was Nanoc’s dream to find one of these lost barbarian blades!” “This ugly blade?” said Sparhawk doubtfully. “Which we hath found in the hands of a vile fire salamander?” “According to the legends I hath heard in Veluna,” said Danton, “the blade is known to appear and disappear in strange circumstances, but I seem to recall something about a rite of purification—and bonding, that is necessary between each new wielder and the blade…something about dunking the blade in holy water under the open sky and offering up a sacrifice…or tithe if you prefer…in order to cleanse the blade of the touch of those who wielded it before.” Sparhawk still looked dubious. “I seriously doubt some barbarian’s blade can match the power and purity of Justice.” Danton shrugged. “Do as you will. I am merely relating the stories I hath learned in school, which evidently are not taught in Furyondy. But now that we art all awake and ready for another day in this lovely place, perhaps ‘tis time to be about dealing with that glowing orb and those elementals. I doth not oppose any effort to learn about the glowing orb, but methinks we'll likely need to destroy it in the end. Frankly, aside from the treasures stolen ... or captured,” he added with a wink at Tenaris, “by these blackguards, methinks there is little in this place worth preserving.” “And,”
he added with a glance as Syll, “while I am certainly pleased
to learn of the properties of this flaming short sword, I frankly am
loath to set aside Rat's Tail, particularly since I am aware
of no proud lineage for this flaming blade of the likes that I hath
heard of Caladbolg—the blade of ‘hard lightning’
as the barbarians call it. However, in a targeted assault where we
believed that fire would be needed -- for instance, against the Water
Temple -- I would reluctantly set aside mine rapier for this other
weapon. Hopefully, that should be sufficient.” Sparhawk
patted Danton on the shoulder. “Thou art a doughty warrior,
'tis true, with a fine weapon. Do not be too willing to cast aside
the weapon with which thee hast experience slaying fiends, for some
‘interesting’ new weapon. I canst attest that Rat's
Tail hath served thee well, and that the name bears no
resemblance to its appearance when wielded by thee. Thy philosophy
mirrors mine own. I shall use this Caladbolg in those—no
doubt rare—cases when Justice is not most suitable.” Sparhawk ignored the elf and addressed the group. “So, companions, assuming that Luger strengthens me adequately against these fiery foes and we make it out alive, where shalt we go next? It appeareth that we do not yet have the intelligence about the Air Temple that we had hoped to gather. We shalt also have to consider what forces we canst bring to bear against it. Art earth and water its natural opposites and fire seemingly an ally? Doth anyone know their natural philosophy enough to employ in our strategizing?” Noticing that Sparhawk and Tenaris were standing somewhat close together, Danton took advantage of the situation to walk forward to stand between both and put one arm on the shoulder of each. Looking
only at the paladin, he said, “Sir Sparhawk, my doughty friend,
mine hope is that -- p'raps against all odds -- we may yet find
information or wherewithal that wilt make feasible and desirable an
assault on the Water Temple altar. If so, I would then like to
strategize to that effect. However, mine more realistic thought is
that we may effectively exhaust our exploration of the Fire Temple --
or at least Tessimon's depiction of it, which may be two different
things -- without acquiring such information or wherewithal. At that
point, methinks we wilt have little choice but to range farther
afield in the temple writ large ... and I am thinking that we should
embark in that direction that seemeth toward the Air Temple and away
from the Water Temple. I see little purpose in going to the Water
Temple until we art prepared to deal with it effectively. Anything
else would be inviting disaster or ... at a minimum, it would signal
to Kelashein that we hath survived her betrayal and wert actively
plotting against her.” “Good, Danton,” said the paladin, “I am in agreement with thine ideas. We shalt continue to explore the Fire Temple and mayhaps hope that we shalt sprout wings to fly up to the Air Temple. The Water Temple shalt wait but their justice will be swift and fall hard upon them, I promise thee.” “I agree as well,” interjected Luger. “If and when the Water Temple comes to claim the Fire Temple, they may be suspicious of the additional death and destruction, but they will not find us. Let us hope that this does not overly worry them and force them to improve their defenses. Somehow I doubt they will be able to fully prepare for Syll's new fireballs. I still think that if the opportunity presents itself, it would be in our best interest to attempt to set the Air Temple upon the Water Temple or at least convince them to aid us in the eventual assault. Having our enemies fight amongst themselves can only help our cause.” “Mayhaps, Luger,” said Sparhawk, “But, I think we hath learned a lesson - as if any of us needed such a lesson - that evil forces art without truth and cannot be trusted. I fear that if we join an assault again, it will be to our ruin, and mayhaps this time our deaths. It is simply too risky.” “As
for me,” said Danton, enjoying the feel of his arm on Tenaris’
shoulder—armor and all, “well, I rule nothing out …
and nothing in, at least at this point. Frankly, we know next to
nothing about the Air Temple, and even what we hath been told by
Kelashein might be purest fiction. Let us see what we shall see and
go from there. If a temporary alliance maketh sense and seemeth
feasible, it might be worth trying. If not, well we hath a number of
blades that craveth evil men’s blood, and so that mode
of … shall we say 'resolution'? … always remaineth an
option. First, of course, we must deal with these flame creatures and
this glowing orb and then finalize our exploration of the Fire
Temple. Then, we must needs actually find the Air Temple,
which might be harder than we currently imagine.” “Verily
spoken,” agreed Sparhawk as the group broke up and gathered up
their packs, “a prudent course of action. Mayhaps we canst hire
a spy along the way to gather intelligence and help us along our
way,” he added with a smile at Danton. “Guys, all this camaraderie truly brings a tear to my eye,” said Syll sarcastically, “but aren’t we forgetting a few things? I mean, I hardly even know where to begin any more. Let’s see, just for starters, we’ve got the assassin that nearly killed Sparhawk last night: who sent him and when will he be back? Then there’s that weird order that somebody gave to those guys way back at the main gate to leave us alone and not bar our way. You gotta ask about that the next time you get a chance, ‘Delchin.’ And don’t forget that massacre at the bridge complex—we simply can’t leave these things uninvestigated. We must be aware of the greater picture here, and what is going on around us.” “Agreed, Syll,” said Luger, “now, let’s go see if we can at least get that poor man in the torture chamber upright so that we can bring him with us until such time as we are able to do something for him.” Sparhawk and Danton then led the way out of the tunnel alcove and back up the path to the north, eventually reaching the stairs. As the party made its way up the stairs, the noxious smoke the group had encountered previously once again made its presence felt…in more ways than one (Danton listen: 7+8=15). Even as Danton and Sparhawk’s lungs filled with the noxious smoke and they began to cough quietly, the scout’s sharp ears caught the sounds of others coughing…and conversing…from somewhere ahead in the vast smoky cavern at the top of the stairs. Listening carefully, Danton recognized (intelligence check: 12+3=15) the language, even if he could not understand it, as the one he head heard the kuo-toa speaking amongst themselves during the short time the party was around them. “The Water Temple forces hath arrived!” he hissed as he motioned for the others to stop. “Want me to torch ‘em?” asked Syll. “No,” said Luger and Danton simultaneously. “We have no idea where they are in the room, their numbers, their intentions, or anything,” said the cleric. “We might only succeed in announcing to them that we all yet live, but if we withdraw from this area quickly, perhaps we can keep them in ignorance until we reveal ourselves at a time of maximum advantage—when our knowledge of the situation is not obscured by the—literal in this case—fog of war.” With no one, except possibly Syll, wanting an engagement with the Water Temple without proper preparation, the group quickly retreated back down the stairs and the tunnel until they came to the entrance to the cavern where they had seen the fire creatures the previous day. Luger was ready to prepare Sparhawk for combat in the chamber, but when Danton looked around the corner, there was no sign of the fire creatures. However, despite Luger’s dispel magic of the previous day, the red orb was once again glowing and floating in the air. “This place just gets weirder and weirder,” muttered Syll. “Where’d those guys go?” “So are we going to explore the rest of the Fire Temple, or get out of here?” asked Tenaris. What sounded like the sounds of large numbers of feet in the tunnel behind the party gave the elf woman’s question obvious urgency. Danton looked down at Tessimon’s map. “If we go north to explore the final Fire Temple chambers, we would be trapped there if the Water Temple forces arriveth here in the interim—which would seem a near certainty. Although I hate to leave any valuables for Kelashein to claim as trophies, I fear we must withdraw and make in the direction of the Air Temple.” “Looks like we left another helpless guy to the mercies of the Water Temple,” groused Syll, “but once again there’s no real choice. But, if we meet anybody else in need of rescuing, we gotta keep ‘em with us from the moment we find ‘em so this doesn’t keep happening.” “Speaking of one of your previous resucees, I agree completely!” said Tenaris. “Now, let’s go!” Without further hesitation, the party moved quickly through the roughly sixty-foot by one hundred-foot chamber, keeping well away from the orb, obelisks, and massive marble plate at its center. They could see the two tunnels running off to the northeast that were pictured on the map Danton carried, but they made straight for the only other tunnel—the one on the southwestern side of the cavern. Once at the tunnel entrance, the party headed down it quickly, and left the Fire Temple behind, at least if Tessimon’s map was an exhaustive depiction of the temple. The tunnel ran southwest for eighty feet or so, and there were no torches or other light sources present, so Danton and Sparhawk both withdrew and activated their magic torches. The dark, almost black rock of the tunnel walls was smooth, showing no markings, chips, or signs of tool work. After the first eighty feet, the tunnel turned sharply to the northwest and ran for another forty feet before opening up into a cavern running generally from east to west, ranging from twenty to forty feet in width, and some eighty feet in length. As the party moved into the chamber, and the light of Danton and Sparhawk’s torches shone on the walls, floor, and ceiling, sudden movement became visible on the far side of the cavern. At least a half-dozen long, black, reflective shapes were moving about in surprise at the sudden light. Within a matter of seconds, the mass moved towards the party. [Initiative: Tenaris: 26, Luger: 21, Sparhawk: 18, Unknown: 17, Danton: 16, Syll: 15] “It’s a bug hunt!” yelled Syll as the creatures skittered rapidly closer and the party could see that what they faced were eight massive, six foot long, ants. Tenaris, Luger, and Sparhawk had their blades out in a flash and moved ahead of Danton and Syll to meet the insects’ charge. “Keep back,” said Tenaris with a smirk as she pushed past Danton. “I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.” As the mass of huge insects met the three armored warriors blocking their way, two were cut in half almost instantly, one by Tenaris, and the other by Sparhawk (power attack: 15+10+2 charge bonus –5 power attack=22; hit; 19 damage). Luger managed to strike another of the insects, but his blow was not so devastating (attack: 18+9+2 charge bonus=29; hit; 3 damage). With two of the insects killed, the six remaining ones bit at Tenaris, Luger, and Sparhawk. With her incredible armor and enchanted shield, Tenaris was virtually untouchable by the insects, and Sparhawk managed to block the bites of the two surviving bugs that came after him with Justice, but Luger was not so fortunate. The cleric was bitten twice, the ants’ sharp teeth tearing through his chainmail (hit twice for a total of 13 points). Although it hardly seemed necessary, Danton moved forward to aid Tenaris with one of the two ants biting fruitlessly at her. He sliced Rat’s Tail into the insect’s chitin abdomen, but to little effect (attack: 16+9+2 charge bonus=27; hit; 4 damage). Syll withdrew his own sword and moved up to join Sparhawk on the other side of the tunnel, but was unable to strike any of the fast-moving insects (attack: 4+5+2=11, miss). As Tenaris and Luger (attack: 16+10=26, 15+5=20; two hits; 17 total damage) each destroyed another of the fighting ants, more movement could be seen at the far end of the cavern as still more insects rushed towards the sounds of combat. Sparhawk called on Heironeous to help him smite one of the insects, but the invocation had no effect (attack: 3+10=13; miss). The four remaining insects locked in combat with the party continued to bite, but once again, Luger was the only one hit (hit for 10 points). Danton slashed the same insect he had hit previously (attack: 19+9=28, 5+4=9; one hit, 5 damage), but Rat’s Tail simply did not do enough damage to finish the creature, and it continued to bite at Tenaris. “I love the smell of burning bugs in the morning!” yelled Syll as he fired off a fireball at the second wave of insects at the far end of the cavern (32 points of area-effect fire damage). The ball of fire exploded amidst the insects, blasting burning bits of their armored bodies all over the walls, floor, and ceiling of the cavern. With their reinforcements thus obliterated, the four remaining ants did not last long. Tenaris, Danton (14+9=23; hit, 5 damage) and Luger (2+10=12, 13+5=18; one hit, 10 damage) each destroyed one insect, with Rat’s Tail finally eviscerating the one Danton fought on its third hit. Sparhawk hit the last of the creatures (attack: 17+10=27; 11 damage), but it was more resilient than its fellows and bit the paladin (hit for 5 points), before Luger lopped its head off with Geistblatt (attack: 7+10=17; hit; 9 damage). Although he had only been struck once, Sparhawk collapsed against the tunnel wall when the fighting was over. “Victory hath gone to the righteous and death to the foes of Heironeous once again, but all this skulking around in these dark depths, wearing this black cloak and vile symbol of evil has dulled mine senses to slay evil. Alliances with the evil ones and hiding mine true faith hath weakened mine resolve, but now it shall be redoubled!” Shaking his head almost as if trying to emerge from some torpor, Sparhawk pushed himself away from the tunnel wall, removed his inverted Y pendant, and took off the black cloak. The cloak and pendant went into his pack, replaced by a pendant with the lightning bolt symbol of Heironeous. “We shalt emerge victorious and cause all these doomsday creatures to flee in fear,” he said firmly when he had his own holy symbol back in place. “This I promise thee. Heironeous' light shines strong especially in the darkest of places." Justice reflected brightly in the torchlight and a look of fervor appeared on Sparhawk’s face. “Right,” grunted Syll. “Like I said, I love to burn bugs as much as the next guy, but let’s not get ourselves too spun up about ‘slaying’ a bunch of ants, ok? Save something for the Doomdreamers, eh, big guy?” “I share your dislike for our disguises, Peter,” said Luger, “and it probably is safe to remove them in this wild area, but I fear we may yet need them again when in more, dare I say ‘civilized’, parts of the temple.” While Luger patched himself up and healed some of the old wounds still troubling some of the others while he was at it (Convert Detect EvilX2 and Bless to Cure Light Wounds: Luger +13 HP, Syll +11 HP, Tenaris +12 HP), Danton searched the cavern for anything of interest, with Tenaris at his heels except for when Luger was treating her. The woman proclaimed loudly and with evident amusement, that she would act as his ‘bodyguard’ while he looked for pits into which Sparhawk could fall (Danton search: 19+13=32). Not surprisingly, the ants had nothing of value, and the only thing that Danton discovered during his examination of the cavern was a very small circular tunnel near its western end, where all of the ants had first appeared. The tunnel was two feet across, and it appeared to lead off to the south for forty feet and then, as far as Danton could tell when he shone his torch into it, plunge downward and out of sight. Not feeling like crawling through the tunnel and encountering more of the bugs while sliding along on his stomach or hands and knees, the Velunese decided not to investigate this tunnel. Instead, the party regrouped at the far end of the cavern, and Danton and Sparhawk led the way out of it. The tunnel into which they went sloped downward as it ran generally westward for almost a hundred feet. It then opened up into a second cavern, roughly similar to the previous one in dimensions and shape. Here again there was total darkness and the tunnel walls, floor, and ceiling showed no signs of tool work or any other markings not produced by nature. At the western end of this second cavern, the tunnel ran slightly south of west for eighty feet before coming to a four-way intersection. The path to the north ran for only thirty feet before reaching an apparent dead end that was visible even from the intersection. The path to the west seemed to open up into some larger chamber not far past the intersection, while the tunnel to the south was filled almost completely from floor to ceiling with fungi, lichens, mushrooms, puffballs, and patches of other subterranean growth. The air wafting into the intersection from that direction was damp and smelled pungent. Danton was considering which way the party should go next when a male voice from somewhere nearby nearly made him jump out of his skin. “A paladin of Heironeous in the company of Elder Elemental Eye cultists,” said the voice. “Very interesting.” “Who goeth there?” asked Danton, drawing Rat’s Tail. The others followed suit and the sound of one blade after another being withdrawn from scabbards echoed through the crossing tunnels. “I might ask you the same question,” said the voice. As best Danton and the others could tell, it came from the south—the tunnel choked with fungal growth. Danton was considering how best to answer this question, when Sparhawk blurted out, “We are the forces of the light, come to scour this vile mountain of its evil! Now, show yourself!” “You seek to fight the Doomdreamers?” asked the disembodied voice. “Yes!” said Sparhawk. Danton cringed at the paladin’s honesty, but he stayed silent, allowing Sparhawk to speak and wondering where it might lead. “We can help you with that, for a price.” “What sort of help and what sort of price?” asked Sparhawk doubtfully. “Information—throw fifty gold pieces into the fungal forest, and we will answer a question for you.” Danton shrugged, and curious to see where this would lead, counted out the coins and tossed them into the thick subterranean growths in the tunnel. “To defeat the Doomdreamers, you must go to the black tower on the island in the center of the lake,” said the voice. “We already know that, but just how do we do it?” asked Luger. “You need a ‘greater key’,” said the voice. “These are comprised of two smaller metal bars that are held by each of the four elemental temples.” “What happens if you put two of these ‘greater keys’ together?” asked Luger with a glance at Syll. The elf nodded and tossed more coins into the fungal growths. “That forms a ‘master key’,” said the voice. “A greater key will get you into the Outer Fane, if you match the right key with the right door, while a master key will get you into the Inner Fane.” Syll and Luger exchanged glances again, while Sparhawk jumped back into the strange conversation. “The triumph of the light is inevitable! We hath already destroyed two of the four temples!” he declared proudly, again producing a visible cringe from Danton. Tenaris seemed highly amused at the scout’s discomfort at Sparhawk’s bluntness. “Really?” asked the voice, surprise or disbelieve evident by its tone. When it said nothing more, Danton tossed more coins towards it. “Whether that is true or not,” said the voice, “there are actually five temples. A place known as the ‘Greater Temple’ lies within the Outer Fane. This ‘Master Temple’ is not devoted to one of the four elements, but rather to something far worse. These other lesser temples struggle constantly for dominance as their leaders seek the right to join the ranks of the Doomdreamers.” “I think we can guess what the ‘Greater Temple’ is devoted to,” said Luger somberly. “But who are the leaders of the Doomdreamers?” he asked, throwing more coins. “They are known as the Triad,” said the voice. “The three most powerful clerics of Elemental Evil in all the world.” “If I hath understood you correctly,” said Danton, speaking for the first time, “there are four ‘greater keys’ that lead to the Outer Fane, and each works in only one door. Where are these doors?” he asked, throwing coins. “Three of them are at the ends of the bridges spanning the lake,” said the voice. “The closest one, to the north and east of here, opens the Earth Door. To the north and west lies another bridge and the Fire Door. The Air Door is on the other side of the mountain, while the location of the Water Door is a mystery.” “You mean there are only three bridges?” asked Danton in surprise. “Yes, those leading to the Earth, Fire, and Air Doors,” said the voice authoritatively. “This is all really interesting, and might be really helpful, if true,” said Syll, “but just who are you and why are you telling us all this?” “We are no friends of the Doomdreamers and there temples, and that is all you need to know,” said the voice. “You should be on your way, but, before you go, if you would like to trade, we can sell you a variety of items to heal your wounds, strengthen your sword arms, and enhance your sight in this dark place.” “Man, what is this,” asked Syll rhetorically. “Information-and-Potions-R-Us?” ________________________________________________________________ Notes for turn 69: Please send postings for Turn 69 by the end of Friday, September 7th. Current date/time/location: 15 Kolovoz; approximately 0630; The Temple of All Consumption Items gained this turn: none Undivided Loot previously gained: none Items used/lost/destroyed/sold/left behind this turn: 250 gold (150 Danton, 50 Syll, 50 Luger) FOES DEFEATED: Active party members listed in green. This Chapter:
Entire Campaign:
Current Status of the Party: Danton AC: 16 (17 vs. one opponent) Hit points: 36/42 New XP: 540 XP total: 34,511 XP needed: 36,000 Equipment: 6 daggers, light crossbow, studded leather armor, quiver with 33 bolts, bedroll, backpack, flint & steel, thieves picks, 3 waterskins, 30 days trail rations, hooded lantern, gold ring engraved with the name Karakas, 1 sap, 1 metal key from Yusdrayl, Everburning Torch, old journal, 8 iron triangles with upside down ‘Y’ inside,1 inverted ‘Y” pendant in a brown triangle, new journal, notebook, pen, ink, parchment in sealed waterproof box, pipe, tobacco, metal box, whetstone, six packets of tinder for lighting fires, gold inlaid dagger, Journal of Geynor Ton, a folded piece of parchment with a note addressed to someone named Festrath, spider pendant, a disguise kit, letter to Master Dunrat, ochre-colored robe, potion of love, a dozen vials of lantern oil, masterwork thieves’ tools, Rat’s Tail (Rapier +1), silver and gold brooches, bracers of armor +1, potion of hiding, pouch of unknown dried herbs taken from the home of Tal Chamish, emerald pendant, a small ebony troglodyte statuette, a curved dagger, six sticks of incense, an emerald pendant, potion of invisibility, boots of elvenkind, 1/3 of Oamarthis gems, tattered dwarven book, pearl from the Dark Lake, potion of cure light wounds, nine inverted Y pendants with blue-green squares behind them, 3 iron keys from Fire Temple forces, inverted y pendant with red diamond background, map of Fire Temple area, letter from Hedrack to Tessimon, flaming short sword +1, unknown potion (acquired Turn 66), 2 vials of unknown liquid #1 and three vials of unknown liquid #2 (Turn 66) Gold: 1640 Silver: 1430 Luger AC: 21 Hit Points: 63/75 New XP: 540 XP total: 31,861 XP needed: 36,000 Equipment: heavy mace, light x-bow, dagger, 20 bolts, chainmail +1, large steel shield, 3 belt pouches, large bag, 50’ rope, 5 torches, hooded lantern, 3 oil flasks, flint & steel, 30 days rations, silver holy symbol of Heironeus, 3 flasks holy water, 3 healer’s kits, backpack, cleric’s vestment, traveler’s clothing, 3 waterskins, bedroll, iron triangle with upside down ‘Y’ inside, eight cockatrice feathers, scroll of cure disease, Geistblatt (ghost touch longsword +1), 5 vials of Furyondian Fire, cloak of resistance +1 (+1 to all saves), potions of enlarge, reduce, nondetection, 2 silver and 2 gold brooches from Woodstock, tattered black cloak with burning eye emblazoned on it, note from Master Hedrack to Master Uskathoth (in Draconic), one large triangular metal bar and one large diamond shaped metal bar, 2 emerald pendants, upside down pyramid symbol, book on history and worship of Elder Elemental Eye cult, two inverted Y pendants in brown triangles, scroll with remove paralysis and protection from elements, Oamarthis note, 3 books: The Worship of the Elder Elemental Eye, A History of Evil Cults, and The Temple of Elemental Evil, two metal keys (one taken from Oamarthis and the other from the goblinoid), dwarven waraxe, steel shield, set of dwarven-sized full plate armor (all of these taken from Oamarthis), Aseneth’s House Torquann dragon ring, ring of jumping (+30 to jumping checks), 3 iron triangles with inverted ‘Y’, three black cones made of some unknown substance, a black scepter decorated with a half dozen violet gems, metal scroll tube, two inverted ziggurat pendants; potion of cure light wounds, pearl from the Dark Lake, scroll with cure moderate wounds, contagion, greater magic weapon, bracers of health +2, unknown potion (Turn 66) Spell Selection: Level 0 (6): Detect Magic (x4), Light(x2) Level
1 (5+1): Protection from Evil (Domain) Gold: 685 Silver: 446 Syll AC: 14 Hit Points: 37/37 New XP: 540 XP total: 19,030 XP needed: 21,000 Equipment: Ring of Protection +1, Cloak of Resistance +1, Urrtarr’s spellbook, Scroll of: magic weapon, Masterwork Longsword, backpack, 3 water skins, 30 days rations, bedroll, magnifying glass, 2 flint & steel, 10 candles, map/scroll case, parchment, ink & pen, mirror, oil flask, 40 arrows, clothing, longbow, 1 dagger, sack, 50’ rope, chalk, 5 torches, storm whistle, 5 bells, gold brooch, lamp, black cloak, inverted Y pendant, rose quartz gem, ring of climbing, bracers of health +2, 1/3 of Oamarthis gems, scrolls of Pyrotechnics, Protection from Fire, Animal messenger and stone shape, Summon Monster II, Change self, Enlarge, Sleep X2, Wand of Monster Summon I (8 charges), potion of water breathing, potion of cure light wounds, unknown potion from the Dark Lake, ring of feather falling, wand of fireballs (14 charges; caster level 6), unknown potion (Turn 67) Spells per level per day: Level 0: (6) Level 1: (7) (7 used) Level 2: (6) Level 3: (4) (1 used) Gold: 3802 Silver: 442 Sparhawk AC: 17 (19 when using longsword/shield combination instead of great sword) Hit Points: 46/51 New XP: 540 XP total: 13,110 XP needed: 15,000 Equipment: backpack, water skin, 30 days rations, bedroll, tent, 2 daggers, masterwork great sword (Justice), longsword, composite longbow, 1 quiver with 20 arrows, ink & inkpen, 50’ silk rope, whetstone, 1 vial holy water, half plate mail, large steel shield, 2 candles, signet ring and sealing wax, gilded warhorn, chalk, 2 mirrors, flint & steel, 5 pitons, 20 pieces parchment, 2 empty sacks, silver holy symbol of Heironeous, Everburning Torch, black cloak, inverted Y pendant, gauntlets of dexterity +2, potion of cure light woundsX2, pearl from the Dark Lake, gold-inlaid black urn, Tessimon’s jewelry box, golden orb set with amber, Book of the Dark Eye, Caladbolg (barbed great sword +1), unknown potion (turn 66) Spell Selection: Level 1 (1): Endure Elements Turn Undead attempts left on current day: 6 of 6 Lay on Hands healing points left on current day: 15 of 15 Gold: 671 Silver: 430 Tenaris AC: 23 Hit Points: 48/48 New XP: 540 XP total: 12,890 XP needed: 15,000 Equipment: longsword, chitin full plate mail, large steel shield, masterwork morningstar, 5 javelins, 2 troglodyte spears, inverted Y pendant, 30 days rations, potions of cat’s grace, levitate, spider climb, 1/3 of Oamarthis gems, cloak of resistance +1, black robe, Bracers of Kord +2, potion of cure light woundsX2, pearl from the Dark Lake, short sword +1, large steel shield +1 Gold: 571 Silver: 430 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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