Campaign Journals 5-31-08

[Greylen]

Dettrick's Journal:

The Fey'ri gone, we decided we had a few minutes to find the lore gem that Yev had been talking about.

Looking down the tunnel, I noticed there were many runes on the walls, in Elvish, stating things like "Go back now. Death" or some such nonsense.

However, I did feel it prudent to send something else down first. Yev obliged and sent a conjured monkey down the tunnel. Immediately it was fried a the first set of runes. I smile ruefully... it does pay to be cautious at times.

Another couple of monkeys and I was pretty confident at defeating this tunnel. A wall of force to contain a ray that kept zapping everything that went by, and Yev and Ty were almost around the final bend... then they Disappeared!

What Had I done? Screaming in rage, I ran around to the spot they had disappeared, looking for a rune or something. The air around me popped and I found myself with Yev and Ty in a 30X30 room and an exit guarded by two huge golums... at least I assumed they were golums.

Ty moving to the side confirmed it when the right golum raised an arm and stated "Wait. Do not move." Looking at the size of the swords they carried I was inclined to do just that for now.

Finally I asked in exasperation. "We are not enemies. Who are we waiting for and can we talk to him now!" The Golum considered it and again said "Wait here" and opened the door behind him and walked out, returning again in a moment motioning us to leave with him.

The cavern was spectacular. I was amazed at the whole illusion of the night sky. Our companions evidently had made it down the cooridor, which spoke well of their reasoning, and an impressive elf stood at the top of the tower. Though there was something odd about him and as he spoke I realized he must be an undead guardian elf, what were they called? Balnor or some such.

I was fairly dancing at the thought of learning something new from this powerful being, but our time did not permit it. After making sure we were not a threat, he offered to allow us to remain in his tower for a day. Evidently the foul Fey'ri were his enemies as well.

During this conversation, it was revealed that the lore gem he protected did NOT contain the information that Yev and Jalore wanted... something about a dagger to kill gods. None of my business who they wanted to kill, as I trust each, but holy heavens above that would be a hard burden to bear. However, he did tell us of a lore gem that WOULD be able to tell them the location they sought... it was in an Elf fortress in, of all places, Corymr... I laughed at the thought of going back deliberately to the place I'd tried so hard to run away from.

Refreshed, we again set out the next morning. Being cautious, we started out invisible entering the cavern where we encountered the first dragon. Someone had thrown a tarp over the sigil on the floor, effectively negating it's effects.

But some in the party were impatient and our cover was soon blown... partly due to the fact that our hidden members, not covered by invisibility anymore, were outlined by my mass fireshield effect... something we didn't consider.

The Fey-ri had been planning this for a long time, it seems. They attacked in two groups from the sides and as we were distracted, another came out of the cavern wall.

I launched attack after attack, the spells coming easily and rapidly. The spell casters in the enemies ranks soon started targeting me and I was hit twice with staggering spells of great power... I felt bones break and muscle split as the rays scorched my flesh, such was their force.

Through the haze I launched another spell at them and felt a warmth spread through my body as Urdin chanted behind me, his glowing hands spreading the healing and reknitting the bones and muscle split by the massive rays.

I nodded my thanks as he ran to help with the attacker from the wall.

A few more well placed spells and the fight was over on the left of the cavern, it looked like the Wall attacker was down and being pummeled and Ty, Yev and the new elf who's name escaped me, were taking the final two down on the right.

Just as they took them down, though, the last Fey're launch a final spell, trying to knock the elf and Ty off the ledge... Ty dodged magnificently, but our new friend did not, and I saw him slump, unconcious or dead, I did not know, but he was hurt badly, with arrows and slash marks across his body.

It turned out he was dead. Knowing how elves feel about the afterlife, there was never any discussion on bringing him back. A simple burial was all we could offer at the time.

Again, we have lost a companion. One I didn't know well, but a companion none-the-less. These Fey'ri continue to really piss me off. It is time someone eradicates them. However, it will have to be after our mission is complete.

We moved quickly out of the cavern and headed towards my home. Now why did Ty look so concerned?

[Boric Glanduum]

May 31, 2008

"Creeg, lend me a hand. Yev cannot stand much longer!"

Creeg obliged; he stepped back and grabbed Yev's arm to help me support him. As he did so, a zone of utter darkness fell over the blade wall. It is clear the fey'ri have not gone far. Jalore and Yev had the same thoughts; the paladin cast a spell bringing daylight to the chamber and banishing the darkness. Yev moved his right hand about and a wall of fire sprang up in the outer chamber, just outside the sigil's influence. This wall effectively blocked off the passageway on both ends.

I sent another surge of stone-strength channeled from the chamber floor into Yev. I checked him over to find that he was stable--still hurting, but stable. I left him in Creeg's care and moved to S'ven's side to heal him; he had taken much worse than he had been able to deal out, unfortunately. Just as I finished with S'ven, Ty came to my side and whispered, "Urdin, is he well? We must leave this chamber. We must leave now." I nodded and helped S'ven to his feet.

We walked from the blade wall to the left side of the cavern where a small hallway ran parallel to the icy stream. Dettrick motioned me to his side and, after a quick conversation, we started down the hallway. The walls were well-hewn stone; this was no natural formation--or if it was, it had been modified and expanded. The passage curved to the right after about twenty or thirty feet. In several places along the corridor there were runes--some familiar, some unfamiliar--crafted upon the walls; it was difficult even for me to discern whether they were painted or carved into the stone. We came to the first rune. This one was familiar: it was an Elven rune that read simply, "Go back."

Dettrick looked at me and said, "Does that say what I think it says?" I laughed at him and nodded my head. I pressed my hands against the stone wall and summoned a small bit of essence from the stone. I felt magic around us. I drew a bit more essence from the stone; instantly six of the runes in the passageway glowed with a yellow light. Magic. Just as we feared. I glanced up at the rune above Dettrick and me; it was not glowing. So. Just a warning, then.

I held one hand out to Dettrick to stay where he was. The next rune down the passageway was glowing yellow; as I studied the rune it seemed to shift and gradually became legible. It was one word: cacophony. Blast! As the thought came to me I had to chuckle at the unintentional pun. [I am going to have to bring in some help. Expendable help. This is not going to be pleasant, I fear. I could not rely on stone-strength for this; the calling forth of a living creature required the strength of flesh. Kind begets kind, with a few exceptions.

I reached deep within me and drew from my own strength. There was a popping sound and there before me stood a small monkey. I couldn't communicate with him, of course, but as he looked up at me I stamped my foot and shouted. He jumped, frightened, then turned to scamper down the passageway. He hadn't taken two jumps before a loud blaring sound rang out and the poor frus {animal} exploded.

Yev moved up to my side and summoned forth a small dog. Yev and I looked at one another and nodded; I yelled and moved toward the dog. It ran a few feet and then fell over dead as a ray lanced from a spot further down the passageway. I took another look at the runes; the yellow glow had diminished. The "cacophony" rune no longer glowed.

I wanted to try another tack. I reached into one of my belt pouches and brought out a small handful of moist soil. I knelt down and mounded the soil in front of me, then placed both hands upon it, touching both the soil and the stone beneath. I pulled, then, bringing forth stone-strength and the living fire within the stone and forced it into the soil, infusing the mound of earth with the power and saturating it. The mound expanded and shaped itself while the elemental forces within it grew and gathered strength until finally it stood before me as a bipedal figure. I grumbled out instructions to it in the gravelly language of the earth, and pointed down the hallway.

The earthen figure moved down the hallway; too late, Ty shouted, "Stop!" There was a click and mist began to fill the passageway. Ty pushed the others back as the cloud enveloped Dettrick and me. It had no discernable effect on me, but Dettrick looked a bit dazed, a bit confused, and his mouth slack. His posture had changed too, he had slumped slightly. The sparkle and gleam in his eye was gone. I yelled out to my summoned servant to move, the coarse words hurting my throat. It took two more steps and there was another click. The flow of the mist stopped and it dissipated.

The elemental creature took three more steps and again, a ray of light lanced out from the bend in the passageway. The creature stopped short and fell to the ground in a shower of dry, sterile dirt.

Yev and Ty moved forward then to check for traps. Dettrick and I had assumed the runes to be the passageway's only obstacles. I fear he has paid the price for our impetuousness. Yev called out that they had found the first trigger and marked around it with a piece of chalk. The mist should not be a problem again. Ty called out that she had found the second trigger; she and Yev talked for a few minutes and studied the trigger. Ty came back to us to report that neither of them had any idea how to disarm the trigger or how to get around it.

We all moved past the first trigger and stopped short of where Yev stood by the second trigger. A second glyph on the wall next to the trigger said, "You have gone too far." A third rune a little further down the passage read, " Welcome to the Cliffs of Insanity." Tel. A bit melodramatic, isn't it? 'Cliffs of Insanity'? I looked at Dettrick as I translated the runes for the group; he just grinned at me. I believe he's lost a bit upstairs as a result of the mist. Not stupid...no...but lacking something....something crucial, essential.

He kept grinning at me while his hands moved in an arcane pattern; he turned toward the end of the passage and muttered a few words. A shimmering wall appeared before us, blocking the last three runes. Instantly the same ray began shooting forth in short, staccato bursts, splashing against the far side of Dettrick's arcane wall. Yev clapped a hand against Ty's shoulder and they both moved forward.

And vanished.

Dettrick yelled, "Ty!" and ran forward. That's what is lacking: his common sense is impaired. It is almost as if he is drunk on strong ale. He reached the same spot and vanished himself.

Once the shock of our companions' loss passed, the bladesinger drew a mirror out of his belt and managed to place it magically just below the spot from whence came the ray. Using the image in the mirror he was able to teleport us around the corner to the end of the passageway. As we reappeared, S'ven and Creeg are standing at the entrance to a cavern with myself, Jalore, and the bladesinger directly behind them.

It was an immense cavern. It put the dragon's lake-room to shame. Directly in front of us was a four-story octagonal structure. There was, at its base, a set of double wooden doors. There were no visible windows or breaks in the structure, which tapered to a smaller diameter at the crenelated top. There was an orb floating above the tower; this orb gave off sufficient light by which to see, much like a full moon. Next to the tower is a large stone cube; three tall statues stand by the doors--two flanking and one in front. The statues are tall with elven characteristics. Each one wields a greatsword.

S'ven stepped out into the cavern and walked straight towards the tower. The front-most statue's eyes popped open and a voice said, "Stop." S'ven stopped. Creeg followed him out and moved rightward towards the tower. The statue on that side of the door said, "Stop." Although Creeg stopped, he then roared his defiance in his native tongue. I recognized a few words that he certainly would not use in front of his hearth-mother. The statue understood his tone, at least, and moved his greatsword to a ready position.

I entered the chamber and moved toward the left. The corresponding statue said, "Stop" as I expected, but I took another step or two. I suddenly found myself some sixty feet up in the air, suspended there and unable to move.

From my new, unique vantage point, I could see the roof of the tower. A lich sat there roasting marshmallows over the tower's chimney. I blinked twice and rubbed my eyes; the lich was actually looking at the roof of the chamber through a telescope. Where did the other vision come from? Marshmallows?!? The roof of the chamber resembled the night sky in amazing detail. The lich saw me then and said simply, "Oh. More visitors." He then went back to his telescope.

I muttered a quick spell that caused the air beneath my feet to increase in density and I began walking downward as if on a spiral staircase. Below me one of the statues moves closer to Creeg, almost within striking distance.

Jalore, in Elven, called out, "We are here to speak with Laresh, the lich. We seek to negotiate with him." The statue in front tells him to wait and enters the tower. The statue that had moved to confront me now moved to stand before the doors. A fourth statue appeared from a doorway in the wall of the cavern to our left.

The lich on the roof--who I had to assume was Laresh--leaned over the battlements and yelled out, "Well, you are all still alive, so you must not be evil!" Whatever could that mean? He then pointed at me, "You in the air! You may want to move to the side. Quickly. You others on the ground: you may want to move as well." we all followed his advice and just in time. Several heartbeats later the roof of the cavern collapsed, burying the ground beneath where I had been standing--and directly where my companions had been standing--in feet of stone and rubble.

A moment or two later, as I reached the ground and rejoined the others, Laresh appeared from the tower doors. Although he expressed his amazement at how we bypassed the trapped passageway, he was visibly disturbed at having guests. He was not used to it and his conversation belied his anxiety, as he seemed to want to impress us with his power. He began by explaining that the square cube was something he called a "living vault." He demonstrated with one of the statues--the box grabbed the statue and pulled it inside where, Laresh said, it was trapped in a temporal stasis.

He then explained that the stars on the ceiling were an illusion. With a wave of his hand he created a beautiful summer robin-egg blue sky and bright sunlight. He then told us that our companions were in a "dimension box" where he held intruders who tripped the runes. He sent the fourth statue back through the door on the cavern wall and it re-emerged with our companions following behind. Laresh cautioned us that we would need to treat Dettrick immediately, for he was on the verge of losing his sanity. He suggested that anything that would cure toxins would help; I had none of my own potions prepared, but Yev stepped in. He unrolled a scroll as Dettrick approached, then quickly read the lines from the scroll. Dettrick instantly looked like a new man: the sparkle was back in his eye, the spring back in his step.

We informed Laresh that we needed information, and warned him that the fey'ri had sent us to kill the dragon so that they could get in to attack Laresh. Yev continued, telling Laresh that the fey'ri were after a lore gem. Laresh started to get agitated at this information; Yev confided in him that both he and Jalore were also after the lore gem, going into a lengthy story about their individual quests for a dagger. Laresh visibly blanched when Yev told him that he was serving the god Mask. The lich stopped the story, ordered Yev to strip off all of his magic items, and then disappeared into the tower with Yev in tow. The rest of us were left surrounded by the guardian statues, staring at each other in surprise--as most of this information is all new to us. At least it was to me; I knew that they both had their own quests and had some connection to one another, but to my knowledge they had never confided in any of my companions.

Laresh and Yev returned; the lich had satisfied himself that Yev posed no apparent danger to him. He told us about his history with the fey'ri, and explained about the "greater" fey'ri, warning us away from them, describing them as--essentially--Demon Princes. There followed a lengthy discussion between Laresh, Yev, and Jalore, as if they were unaware the rest of us were still there. They spoke softly and snippets were all I could glean from their conversation. I opened my journal and jotted down what little I heard for future research.

Apparently it had been 500 years since Laresh knew the exact information they needed, but it was not contained within his lore gem. Laresh had been assigned to help the Netharese; he's now a baelnorn assigned to protect this particular lore gem. Because he had not left his lair in several centuries all he knew now were faded memories and rumors. They were searching for this Jathiman dagger, which had apparently been used to kill a god. The dagger had been seized by a group of elves who hid it.

Laresh reported that one of this group was actually a human druid--an elf friend named Hullack. The elven house of Amarrathar had put the knowledge of the dagger into a lore gem and placed the gem somewhere in Hullack's forest. The House of Amarrathar set up a portal in a pool of water that can only be activated by a full-blood elf in one of two ways. First, one of the blood of Amarrathar can activate the portal by holding a dove in one hand and entering the pool. Second, a full-blood elf not of the House of Amarrathar may enter the pool holding a dove and the symbol of the House of Amarrathar. Finally, he believes that only a full-blood elf (and possibly only of the House of Amarrathar) may activate the lore gem itself.

When they were finished conversing, Laresh bade us farewell. Considering the shape we were all in, we asked for his hospitality; he allowed us to stay overnight and said that he would consider looking for a weapon for S'ven among the equipment he had stolen over the years from the dragon's hoard. With that, he told us goodnight, giving us the ground in front of the tower on which to sleep.

In the morning, Laresh presented S'ven with a bow and a sword, then let us out through the traps. He was obviously eager for us to leave. I sensed that he had enjoyed the intellectual contact, but was too used to being alone to allow us to stay longer. His parting words to us strengthen my conviction that we have--if not a friend--an ally. "If you simply must come back, do not step on the Insanity Mist trigger. Just holler at me so I know it is you, and I will come and let you in myself." He waved farewell and cast a spell of invisibility upon us at Dettrick's request; it was a stylized invisibility as we could all see each other.

As we walked through the dragon's lake-room, I parceled out three potions to the group that would allow them to see invisible creatures, just in case the fey'ri had any of their frus around waiting for us. When we reached the outer chamber I stopped momentarily to draw in stone's essence in attempt to see any magic in the chamber. All I can sense is the sigil, which the fey'ri have covered with a blanket. I delved deeper into the stone, expanding my senses outward, searching for any hidden creatures. There was nothing there that I could sense, however.

Dettrick cast another spell which outlined us in fire--obviously some sort of protective spell, although whether from cold or fire, I could not tell. I asked Ty if she would mind examining the blanket to ensure there is no rope or cord attached; neither she nor I saw anything other than an ordinary blanket.

~Old one, wake up!~

~Ahhh, I see. You must need something. To you I am nothing more than a sharp pointed stick. Only when you need something do you come crawling to old Rimgah.~

~I am not crawling.~

~In your mind, you are groveling, youngling.~

~Rimgah, I need to know if you sense anything in this cavern.~

~I thought you would never ask. I do sense something indeed. I sense an arrogant milk-drinking rockrunt and an ungrateful beardless blade-chipper.~

I sighed. I do not know what it will take for this weapon to accept me. Maybe he is becoming senile.

~I heard that, Urdin.~

~I intended you to, Old one. Now, do you sense any of the fey'ri or their frus?~

~No. There is nothing for as far as I can sense other than yourself and your companions.~

~Thank you. Now....~

I realized that Ty had asked me a question. "I'm sorry, young...." I winced as I caught myself using a term Rimgah used as a pejorative. I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry, Ty. What did you say?" She just grinned at me. "Guess someone's becoming a bit buggy?" All I could do in response was shake my head and chuckle. "I asked, dear Urdin, if you sensed anything."

"Not a thing, child. Not a thing," I replied.

She nodded at me and grabbed Yev's arm. They moved around the outside of the outer chamber. Jalore summoned his horse and rode past them straight to the left exit. A red ray lanced out from the left passage and glanced off his armor. "Damnable fey'ri! They're in hiding! To arms, my friends! To arms!"

At Jalore's yell, Creeg ran to stand atop the blanket-covered sigil, readying his longbow and drawing an arrow as he moved. Upon reaching the sigil, he fired a single shot, which clattered off the corner of the wall in front of Jalore.

Ty ran to join Creeg and prepared her own bow to fire but was struck by another red ray. A fey'ri stepped from the passage and attacked Jalore. Dettrick hurled a sphere of force, narrowly missing Jalore, and striking the fey'ri. As the sphere hurtled forward I threw Rimgah and a javelin in succession. Rimgah struck just behind the sphere and returned to my hand ; the javelin, unfortunately, struck him at an odd angle and clattered off his shoulder to be carried away by the waterfall behind him.

Another fey'ri stepped out and Dettrick was again struck by a ray. Ty ran toward the fey'ri, firing several arrows, which all missed their target. She looked wearied after that arcane ray struck her. The fact that she was trying to assess Dettrick's health at the same time did not help her aim.

The fey'ri facing Jalore redoubled his efforts and, despite the grievous wounds we had dealt him, struck Jalore with two mighty blows. The paladin actually swayed in the saddle a bit. The fire-shield Dettrick had placed on us played as a wild card, however--Jalore's saving grace, perhaps. The blue flames crossed from where the fey'ri struck Jalore and they flickered down the fey'ri's weapon, then gathered around the fey'ri's arm. They circled and then spread. The villain screamed once--a dreadful noise--then collapsed in a heap. As his life force fled, the flames ebbed, shrank, and died.

Dettrick fired a ray of his own in a return shot at the fey'ri. I ran up behind him and grabbed his back, letting the strength and life-fire of the stone beneath us flow through me and into his body, forcing his body to heal. It was just in time, for a column of fire suddenly fell on the two of us from above. We were able to roll out of the way enough to minimize the damage. I whirled around as a fey'ri stepped out of the rock face beside us.

From that point, the melee became a confusion; I only recall flashes and images. S'ven rushed toward two of the fey'ri and was stuck. Another ray lanced through Dettrick's body, ignoring his armor. Creeg charged one of the fey'ri mage and knocked him prone. The fey'ri in front of Jalore begins casting a spell. Jalore took the opportunity to charge at him. He appeared to do some damage, but the fey'ri shrugged it off and yet another ray stabbed into Dettrick's body. Dettrick slumped in my hands and fell to the ground, unconscious and barely breathing.

Ty saw Dettrick fall and screamed in a fit of near-rage. Two arrows sprang from her bow like arcane bolts and punched into the other fey'ri mage's chest. The arrows struck with such force he was lifted off his feet to fly backward several feet; he slumped to the floor dead.

I had to work quickly as Dettrick was fading fast. He may just join his attacker if I am not careful. I flipped him onto his back. I managed to wrest some herbs from my belt pouch and worked them between my fingers, mashing them and breaking them open. I managed to get them between Dettrick's lips and teeth; his jaw was clenched in pain. I spread a small bit of embramaph unguent on his wounds. Embramaph is often believed to lose its potency shortly after harvest, but Master Delias found a way to preserve most of its healing properties in this salve. The purple paste seemed to help immediately as Dettrick relaxed. I began to draw stone-strength into my body again, as much as I could hold. While I did, I surveyed the field.

More images: Creeg swinging at and missing a fey'ri as the villain lay prone and weaponless on the ground. S'ven being struck by another ray. Ty yelling at me for an update on Dettrick's condition. At her yell I enveloped Dettrick in the stone-strength. He took several deep gasps and staggered to his feet; he fired a ray at one of the few fey'ri still standing, but missed.

I managed to trip a charging fey'ri with Rimgah; Creeg managed to hit him as well to keep him on the ground. Jalore charged over to finish him off when the fiend yelled, "Parlay!"

"What do you know that could possibly save your life?" Jalore asked.

"Keep me alive and find out."

"No. Die, demon-spawn." Jalore then stabbed downward but missed three times as the fey'ri writhed around. Even Jalore's horse, Trouble, missed.

One last fey'ri appears in the passageway leading out of the cavern. He fired an ugly purple cone of energy from his hands. The energy blasted around S'ven, who dropped to the ground. Dettrick returned the favor with a ray of his own and blew through the fey'ri's defenses, killing him.

Creeg, Jalore, and I again each swung at the last fey'ri--the one laying on the floor in front of us. Dettrick turned and looked down at the fey'ri. His face tightened and he hurled a force orb downward. The fey'ri--what was left of him--kicked twice and died.

We had won, but at what cost? We had once again lost a companion: S'ven lay on the ground, his flesh and clothing in tatters. I had just enough strength within me to ease his corpse through the stone--into the stone--for his rest. It was not much, but it was all we could do at the time. We had won, but only barely.