Chronicles of the Defenders of the Silver Flame - by Haruchai on 21:57 05 Dec 2002
----Tulloch walks down the crowded wharf, humming to himself as he listens to the street vendors hawk their wares. The midday suns shines down upon his head, and he occasionally wipes at the sweat that beads there. He looks back at the ship that he has just disembarked, the Questarion. The crew is busy, unloading their cargo, and Tulloch looks forward to the city before him. It is the first time that he has been in a large city in a long time. He hopes that this one isn't like the last.----
----Yuna sits quietly in the library, studying the tome before her.... but wishing that she was outside. The singing birds call to her and she sighs. She spares a glance at her mentor, Master Marek, the elderly gentleman sitting as quietly as she. Without looking up from his meditation Master Marek says, "Study your book, Yuna. You'll be outside soon enough." With a heavy sigh, the young sorceress turns her attention back to her book.----
----Though he normally does not care for the city life, Milandison approaches Longspear with a smile. The Solstice Festival is underway, and he needs to purchase a few items for the Reunion. The wolf pelts and raccoon pelts he has should fetch him enough money to last the coming months. His peers will be meeting outside of this very city within a fortnight, and he knows that he'll needs to buy a few things to make a good, stout brew. After passing the city gates he heads towards the marketplace.----
----Karnaloth nervously rubs his holy symbol, and can feel something gently tug at his spirit. He knows that some ill fortune is about to take place. He looks about the crowded streets, wondering if this is something to befall him, or somebody else.----
----Wargos watches the Questarion unload its cargo. He has always disliked ships, but been fascinated by them as well. He wonders where the large vessel might head off to next.----
----Yahyah approaches the city warily. This is the first time he has left the lands of his tribe, and to be honest, the place is noisy. Even from outside its massive stone walls, the tribesman can easily hear the commotion coming from inside the city. Still, he knows that the goods he has to barter with need to be taken inside. He enters through the city's gates and heads towards the marketplace.----
*The Cleaved Boar
----The young deckhand, Seaheart, watches as the few passengers disembark from the Questarion. He sighs, wishing that he could go too. He hasn't been on the ship long, so his land privileges fall behind those of the more experienced crew. In fact, the only thing which keeps him from simply running down the gangplank and vanishing into the crowd is First Mate Grunk. The half-orc First Mate is hard on the men. All of them. Still, the brute's great strength has saved most of them at least once. They crew respects as well as fear him. Seaheart snaps to attention as the captain comes into view. "We're to set sail as soon as the cargo is unloaded. Be ready to shove off in five minutes." The cry is soon passed along to all the men.----
Tulloch walks along the streets, looking for the temple district. He hasn't found a temple to his god, St. Cuthbert, since he left his monastery. He casts his eyes about, and he takes notice of a figure, slinking about in the shadows of a nearby alleyway. At first he shrugs it off, but he soon realizes that this shadowy figure is trailing a merchant not far ahead. It is easy to see that the merchant has a bulging coinpurse, and Tulloch is surprised to see no bodyguard or escort of any kind. He decides to follow along as well......
Karnaloth says a small prayer to Ralishaz, the deity of Chance and Misfortune. Whistling to himself he then heads towards the gambling hall, the place he normally goes to worship. He has not gone far when a strange feeling once more comes over him. Turning towards the docks, he has a definite feeling of connection there. Then, he is able to place what it is. His brother, Seaheart, is here. Smiling, Karnaloth continues on his way.
Studying her book for another half an hour, Yuna is surprised when Master Marek gets up from where he is seated. Handing her a small piece of parchment, and an even smaller pouch, he says, "I need you to go to the marketplace, Yuna. Here is the list of the things you need to get, and some coin to buy them." Yuna nods and says, "Yes, sir." and sets out on her way.
Wargos sets up his small stand, preparing to sell the few weapons he has crafted. Sales go well, and he makes a tidy profit. Except on one particular sale. A woodsman, though Wargos didn't catch his name, pried his best handaxe from him for only a gold. Wargos decides then that it is time to break up shop, and catches the attention of a passing guardsman. "Where is the nearest inn, my good man?" he asks, and the guardsman points north. "The Cleaved Boar, sir, is the only inn with any vacancies at all. The Festival has all of the inns completely booked." Wargos nods his thanks and heads the direction that the man indicated.
Milandison admires the handaxe he got from the dwarven smith. He can tell it is good quality, and at such a good price! He chuckles softly to himself and heads towards a tannery, knowing that is probably the best place to sell his pelts. Easily finding one in the merchant choked city, he also inquires about a small spice pack. Assuring him that they can make one, Milandison is soon on his way again. He stops a passing local and asks, "Do you know the name of a good inn at which I can stay?" The young lady smiles and directs him northwards. "The Cleaved Boar is open, sir. Prices are good, as well as the food." The woodsman thanks her and heads on his way.
*Meeting place
Tulloch is able to keep the shadowed figure in sight, and he watches as the merchant enters the gambling hall, money pouch in hand. The darkly clad figure does not follow, but Tulloch does. He has never been in a gambling hall before, and the place rails against his lawful nature. He turns to go, but the doors are flung open in his face. A rather large priest, greatclub across his back, enters.
Karnaloth throws open the doors to the gambling hall, shouting, "I am here! Let the festivities begin!" He vigorously shakes the hand of the well-muscled man in front of him, noting the symbol of St Cuthbert upon his shirt. "Pleasure to meet you, good sir!" he says, nearly shouting at the man. "I don't see many of your ilk in a place like this!" With that, he moves on past, grabbing a drink from a nearby passing tray, and placing a bet at the table of bones.
Tulloch shakes the man's hand, a bit bewildered by the sheer volume of his voice. "Why must he be so loud?" he thinks, and quickly exits the den of chance. It is simply too chaotic for him....
Yahyah finds it a bit difficult to sell his wares, and his misunderstanding of the language doesn't help either. The place is noisy, and dirty, and he soon packs up his things. His head down and trying to keep from attracting attention to himself, Yahyah feels very naked in the city. He heads towards the city gates, a bit dejected about the day.
Yuna makes it to the marketplace, and over the course of an hour, finds all of the items on Master Marek's list. She stops to look at a few of the other vendors, her own money itching to be spent. She refrains, however, and begins to make her way back to the library. As she walks, she feels a small hand gently bump against her waist, evidently on its way towards her coinpouch. Whirling, Yuna sees no one. Now quite wary, the young sorceress braces herself with a simple spell and continues on her way.
Karnaloth finds good luck at the tables, making a small profit. Smiling upwards, he departs the establishment and heads towards one of his favorite businesses, The Cleaved Boar.
Tulloch finishes praying, and asks the priests in the temple if they know of a good place to stay. "I do believe that The Cleaved Boar is the only inn with any vacancies. Maybe you should try there." After getting directions, Tulloch thanks the priests and heads towards the inn.
*Slowly gathering
Wargos easily finds The Cleaved Boar, and goes inside.
----The inn's common room is small, but adequate for its duty. The place is well-lit, the floor is covered with a scattering of fresh straw, and the tables appear to be cleaned regularly. As your eyes adjust to the inn's interior, you can see that there are three other patrons enjoying a respite at the inn.----
Wargos moves to the bar and orders a stout brew.
----Behind the bar stands a middle-aged man wearing a dark leather apron over his clothes. His rugged features speak of life as a militiaman before retiring to domesticated life. He is powerfully built, and his arms, face, and head are covered with thick black hair. He has a tattoo of a purple four-pointed star on his right forearm.----
Wargos gets his brew and sits at an empty table. His eyes drfit across the three other patrons, two of which are sitting together and appear to be farmers. The other is at the bar, a half-elf. The slender figure has a lute across his back, and Wargos thinks the instrument looks sturdier than the owner....
Tulloch soon finds The Cleaved Boar, and enters. The smell of good food assaults his nose, and he moves to the bar to order. He passes by a small table, where to farmers talk quietly, and another at which sits a rather violent-looking dwarf. A half-elven man sits at the bar, his long silvery hair falling over his shoulders. Tulloch oders some bread and chese, and takes a seat at the bar.
Milandison finds The Cleaved Boar easily enough, and enters. He is a bit surprised at the scattering of people inside, but takes a seat at a vacant table. He catches the eyes of the man behind the bar, and orders some stew. His order is promptly called back through a small shuttered pass-through behind the bar, which evidently leads to the kitchen.
Yuna soon arrives back at Master Marek's. Handing him the items he requested, she is surprised to hear him say, "I have taught you everything that I can at this time, Yuna. Now you must go out in the world and find your own way. Once you have learned more of the world, becoming wiser to its ways, then you may come back and we will see about continuing your training." And just like that, Yuna is on her own. "You can still stay here until you find a place to stay, but I wsill no longer require you to study." Master Marek smiles at his pupil, and Yuna, a bit disheartened, heads back out.
Yahyah sets up his tent just outside of the city walls. It feels much better now that he is outside of the city, and he relaxes a bit. The sun has begun to set, and he settles down to go to sleep.
As dusk begins to fall over the city, Karnaloth finds his way to The Cleaved Boar. Throwing open the doors, he announces his presence. "Let the celebrating commence! I have arrived!" With that he promptly orders a stein of ale, and sits down with the two farmers.
*Retiring
At first the farmers shy away from the loud boisterous priest, but they soon warm up to him. Wargos watches from his seat at a nearby table, easily overhearing the conversation as it ranges from the weather, to the Festival, and then to the Lord who lives in the tower at the edge of town. Milandison tries his best to ignore the loudmouth, but to no avail. Tulloch takes note of the symbol about the priest's neck, that of Ralishaz. He shakes his head, wondering what ill fortune might befall the two farmers for talking to the man. Still, nearly all conversation stops when a dazzling beauty walks into the place.
Yuna walks into The Cleaved Boar, something having guided her here, though she knows not what. She can feel the eyes upon her as she walks to the bar and orders a drink. Almost immediately, the half-elf is beside her. "I'll pay for that, m'lady." he says, then introduces himself. "My name is Terek." he says, extending his hand. Yuna takes his hand and gives him a bashful smile, introducing herself as well.
The conversation soon resumes, and Terek soon gets up to play. He seems very skilled, and he spins a tale of three adventurers of old. A wizard named Ren, a warrior named Hedras, and a rogue named Thayer. The story is well-recieved by all, and Terek continues to sing and tell tales as the evening wears on. Soon, however, the barkeep announces that they will be closing. Wargos, Tulloch, Milandison, Karnaloth, and Terek all acquire rooms at the inn, though Yuna soon departs.
*Confusion
Late that night, Milandison is awakened by a strange tapping sound coming from the direction of the kitchen. He gets up to investigate. Moving silently down the hallway towards the kitchen, his eyes strain to see in the darkness....
Karnaloth is sleeping rather soundly when a starnge noise outside his room causes him to stir. The sound of quite footsteps reach his ears, and he immediately grabs his greatclub, now wide awake. Moving cautiously to his door, he throws it open....
Milandison nearly shouts in fright as the door behind him bangs open, a form wielding a huge club emerging from the inky darkness. "You'll not rob me, thieves!" the figure yells, and Milandison shrinks back, thinking he is attacked by a madman.....
Startled from his sleep by shoutng, Tulloch leaps to investigate, moving out of his room and into the hallway....
Wargos dreams of beautifully muscled dwarven wenches, when a loud bang and shouting cause him to sit up, making his head spin. Staying in his chambers he yells, "Keep it quiet out there, you idjits!" With that, he vainly tries to lie back down and go to sleep....
Karnaloth can't see anything in the darkness of the hallway, though the half-naked form of someone emerges from a few feet away. He whirls, eyes straining, and nearly beans the man holding the symbol of St. Cuthbert with one of his throwing clubs. "Are you trying to rob me?" he says, his voice lowering as he leans towards the figure....
Tulloch instinctively dodges as the wooden club is swung at him, and he shakes his head as he is asked if he is trying to rob the swinger of the club. Realizing that the club-owner cannot see him, he says, "No. I heard shouting and came to investigate."
Milandison listens to the conversation between the priest of Ralishaz, and the follower of St. Cuthbert, having placed their voices from earlier. He can still hear the faint "tap-tap-tap" from earlier, and slips into the kitchen.....
Karnaloth sees a humanoid figure slip into the kitchen, just to his right and he shouts, "Food thief!" just before barging in afterward....
Tulloch winces at the sound of the shouting once more, and can now partially see the figure before him run into the kitchen....
Milandison can see the form of the priest rush past the doorway, where he has sidestepped. He also sees a light come on from inside the room across the hall... the room of the barkeep. He starts to slink back out of the kitchen when the follower of St. Cuthbert enters.....
Wargos finds that he simply cannot sleep with all this racket, so, grabbing his axe, he barges out of his room. "What the bloody #### is going on out here?" he yells, ending his shout just in time to hear the cry of "Food thief!" from further down the hall. Grumbling to himself, the dwarf begins to make his way towards the kitchen....
Terek listens to all the commotion outside his room, and sits, writing down notes for an impromptu song.....
*The secret door
----The kitchen is a large chamber with two immense fireplaces and many counters, cupboards, and cutting tables. Sausages and dried meats hang from the ceiling beams, while various knives, spoons, pots and pans are hung indiscriminately about the place.----
Karnaloth and Tulloch look about the kitchen, a small sliver of light providing some means to see as they look for the "food thief". Not finding anyone, Karnaloth soon exits the kitchen, dragging the hapless Tulloch along. He knocks loudly upon the door of the barkeep. The dark-haired man soon answers, and Karnaloth asks for some torches. To keep things quiet, the man readily complies.....
Wargos turns the corner, to see the barkeep handing a loud priests and a well-muscled half-naked man a torch. He starts to say something, but that is when he hears it too. "tap-tap-scraaape" Wargos pauses, turning back around....
Milandison watches the exchange from a little ways off, staying to the shadows. He can hear the tapping again now, and turns his head as he sees Terek peek out of his room. The half-elf looks a bit flustered, and soon shuts his door again....
Karnaloth thanks the man and lights the torch. He turns, almost bumping into the axe-bearing dwarf who has suddenly shown up. The dwarf glares up at him and says, "Keep it down, ya loud-mouthed...." he goes into grumbling and says, "I'm goin' back to bed. If I hear one more peep outta you...!" he leaves the threat to hang in the air, and Karnaloth looks to Tulloch, shrugging. Tulloch merely shakes his head. The dwarf disappears back to his room, and then they all hear it.
"Tap-tap-scraaape"
"It's coming from the pantry!" Karnaloth exclaims, and makes his way down the hall to the rear of the kitchen. Throwing open the door....
----A short stairway leads down to the inn's pantry, which is slightly below ground in order to keep the foodstuffs there cool. Barrels of salted pork and fish are here, as well as kegs of ale and beer and sacks of meal.----
Tulloch and Karnaloth begin to rummage through the pantry, the tapping and scraping definitely more defined. Wargos watches for a few minutes and then makes the proclamation that he is going back to bed. This goes completely unnoticed by the two humans, who now seem intent on finding where the noise is coming from....
Yuna finds that she cannot sleep, and gets up to go to the library. She has pulled out a book and begun to read when Master Mareck taps her softly on the shoulder. Nearly jumping out of her seat, Yuna breathlessly asks him what he wants. "You know that there is evil to be fought, apprentice. Your time for study is over. Now is the time for action."
----------------
Milandison stays where he is at, confident that, although blustery and bumbling, the priest and his friend will find what caused him to rise in the first place. Terek, the half-elf, soon emerges from his room, strapping on a longsword and some daggers as he stands at the entryway to the pantry. "What have you found?" he asks, to which he gets a muffled reply that Milandison cannot hear.
Tulloch and Karnaloth rummage about, and it is only by the tiny footprints of mice that the two find the small crack in the wall of the pantry. Upon further inspection, they find a small seam, then an outline. "There's a door here!" Karnaloth exclaims loudly, and Tulloch finally tells him to tone it down a bit. "Sorry." Karnaloth whispers, though his excitement is evident. Tulloch pushes upon the door, but can't get it to budge. "Here, let me try." Karnaloth says, and a wild light begins to shine in his eyes. Tulloch backs away, and the large priest puts his shoulder to the stone, veins standing out on his neck from his exertion. With a rumbling groan, the wall slides back, inch by inch, revealing a passageway beyond. Karnaloth smiles, and happily points towards the opening, redeemed in his own mind.
*First fight
Milandison hears the low rumbling from the pantry, as does Wargos. Deciding that he'd better see what they're up to, he steps towards the pantry's doorway. Wargos grumbles as he gets out of bed, opening his door once more.....
A small conversation ensues, as Karnaloth tries to persuade Wargos to go with them, insisting that they'll need his underground expertise and darkvision. The dwarf resists, but is soon persuaded. Milandison remains quietly in the background, stringing his bow and making sure his equipment is secured. Terek takes a few notes and indicates that he is game. The five men, suddenly partners, turn towards the opening....
----Beyond the secret door is a short stair with a landing, almost ten feet square. You can see the silhouette of some reptilian form ducking just out of sight around a corner, but that is not what attracts your attention the most.... a small cry, like that of a human infant, barely reaches your ears.----
Wargos going first, the five men begin to move cautiously down the tunnel. Holding the torch, Karnaloth stays in the middle of the group illuminating the area around them.
----As you move down the tunnel, following the shadow that has just disappeared from sight, a large hulking figure emerges from the darkness. A tall, scaly, reptilian humanoid, some seven feet tall, with brown mottled skin and a heavy tail, hisses aggressively as it moves quickly towards you.----
"Ssssthp!" Milandison looses an arrow at the thing, the wooden shaft mostly turned aside by the creature's scaly hide. With a roaring hiss, the thing claws at Wargos, the dwarf swinging his axe, the blade biting deep into the creature's leg. It is then that Tulloch sees the symbol presented upon the dwarf's shield. The symbol of St. Cuthbert. Going to the aid of his brother, Tulloch is watched with amazement as his half-naked form closes for combat with the reptilian monster. Karnaloth lets fly one of his clubs, the stout wooden weapon striking true with a loud "CRACK!" against the ribs of the thing. "To your right!" Milandison shouts, the first words he has truly spoken to the others ringing down the tunnel as another of the reptilian humanoids emerges from the darkness, tail lashing. "Sssthp!" Another arrow flies from his bow, and the second creature stumbles. Karnaloth finishes off the first with a blow from his greatclub, the heavy weapon crushing the back of the creature before him. Wargos' axe bites deep into the newly presented creature, and with a hissing breath it dies.
----The creatures do not carry any torches or lamps, and the smell of offal and decay hang heavily upon them. The dim roar of rushing water echoes up the tunnel.----
*Living quarters
Everyone seems to be alright after the small skirmish, and they congratulate each other one a job well done. They continue moving forward, spurred on by the remembered cry...
----The lighting here is now nonexistent, even the small bit of light from aboveground now gone. You can see or hear no more of the lizard-like creatures about. As you proceed down the tunnel, you come upon a small alcove. As you peer into it, a hiss greets your ears.----
Wargos peers into the darkness, but sees nothing. Milandison moves quietly past him, an arrow nocked. Karnaloth has his throwing clubs at the ready, and even Terek has his sword drawn. Only Tulloch has no weapons, and everyone looks at him as if he has lost his mind. Karnaloth moves up with the lamp, wanting to bathe the alcove in light. Whatever is inside seems to have other ideas....
Wargos leaps back as a large tooh-filled mouth comes into view. Three of the lizard-like monsters leap from the darkness, hissing and shouting in some strange tongue. Before they can react, the five men are set upon. Karnaloth roars as a clawed set of hands rips into his flesh, and the battle is joined. "Sssthp!" Milandison grunts as one of the figures tries to grab him, but he deftly scoots out of the way, the axe of Wargos biting deep into it's shoulder, and causing it to bellow with pain. It turns on the dwarf, claws flashing as it strikes at him. The dwarf grunts in pain as a bloody line is drawn across his abdomen. Tulloch kicks one in the knee, driving it down, and Karnaloth's greatclub smashes into its head. With a strangled cry, the reptile goes down. Terek wades in, a dagger flying from his hand to embed itself into the creature's body. It thrashes about, and it's claws dig deep into Tulloch's arm. Wargos' axe comes down with a final cut upon it, and Milandison's next arrow flies true, straight into the heart of the third. Now breathless and hurting, the small band stops for a moment. Karnaloth dispenses the meager healing he has, his own wounds closing as he prays. Nobody appears to be sorely injured, so they decide to continue on their way.
----Their hisses die with them, but you wish that the battle would have been a bit quiter. Looking down the tunnel, wargos informs you that there are none coming to investigate. Again, the wailing cry of a human child seems to come from further in the earth.----
----Wishing that the battle had went quieter, you move southwards along the tunnel. There is plenty of room now, and it is nearly ten feet wide in most places. Terek is the first to spot the dim light up ahead, and the tunnel seems to open into a much larger chamber. The tunnel itself also turns towards the northwest, extending into darkness that way. Unfortunately it is impossible to continue along the tunnel without also entering the chamber.----
Wargos goes forward by himself, his darkvision helping immensely....
----This huge chamber is obviously the place where the lizard-like humanoids eat, sleep, and normally live. More than a dozen bedrolls are strewn upon the cavern's rough floor, and in its center is a large cooking fire over which is suspended a huge iron pot hanging from an iron tripod. There are six of the lizard-like creatures here, and all of them look at you, hissing agressively, though none step forward to attack.----
Wargos slowly backs away from the chamber's opening, not daring to go in by himself. After reporting to the others what he has seen, they try to decide what to do. "Did you hear the baby?" Karnaloth asks, and Wargos shakes his head. "We could try to talk to them." Milandison says, and everyone collectively shrugs. Keeping their weapons ready, everyone moves forward.
*Out of the frying pan
Yuna prays, hoping that Heironeous will show her what she needs to do. For nearly an hour she remains at the small altar, vowing not panic like the people outside seem to be doing.
Yahyah gathers his weapons and gear, thinking that maybe the city is under attack. If that is so, then he will aid in its defense. Luckily, he is able to scale the wall and get back inside with little trouble, though he wonders at that course of action. Should someone see him and take him for an attacker.... Yet, he gets inside unseen. The streets are filled with running guardsmen, though there seems to be no organization to what they do.
Yuna sees an image in her mind's eye. She flies over the city, southwards, until she hovers over some ruins. Six buildings, mostly destroyed, are all that she can see. Then she sees a dark-skinned man, wielding a half-spear in one hand and a small wooden shield in the other. She knows that she must find this man. Going to gather her things and collect her pony, she prepares to go.
The now weary band of brave men move along the tunnel as it curves northwards.
----The tunnel curves northwards and you can see that it empties into a larger cavern up ahead. An underground stream feeds a small pool of water in the south end of the cave. Stalagmites jut sharply from the floor and stalactites hang from the ceiling, making you feel as if you are walking into some great toothy maw. The light of a small fire can be seen dimly in the far northernmost portion of the cave. There, you also see a rather large figure rise from where it was seated upon the floor. n angry hiss can barely be heard, and you see the curved blade of an axe as the figure moves swiftly behind one of the stalagmites.----
Wargos curses under his breath, and Karnaloth groans. 'Maybe this is the great misfortune I felt earlier today' he thinks, 'My own death....'. Still, the brave men continue forward, knowing that they would rather face an enemy face to face than have one at their backs. Milandison, arrow nocked, takes cover behind a large stalagmite, hoping to see this creature and readying his bow. Karnaloth, holding the torch, moves forward, past several large stalagmites. Wargos moves beside him as well, scanning the dark cavern as well. Terek draws his longsword, and Tulloch moves to the right of Karnaloth. A hiss can be heard, but the room makes it hard to pinpoint the sound. Milandison sees some movement to his left, and his arrow is loosed and on the way.... "Sssthp!".... hitting nothing. A huge shape crashes into Karnaloth. "Oooommph!" and he drops the torch. Standing over him is a huge reptilian warrior, a full seven feet in height. A great stone axe it wields in one hand, and it roars its challenge at the intruders. Wargos bellows back, charging towards it, a dwarven axe raised in defiance. Tulloch leaps to the attakc, but his blows seem to have little effect upon the reptile's scales. Karnaloth hefts his greatclub, and grunts with effort as he strikes at the creature. His eyes widen in amazement and fear as the huge clawed hand of the thing catches his club, and Karnaloth can see the huge stone axe raised to crush his skull. Then Wargos is there, axe biting deep into the thigh of the beast. It changes its swing, and wargos catches the stone axe on the shoulder. He grunts in pain, and goes to one knee. "Sssthp!" An arrow from the darkness catches the reptile in the back, and it hisses in pain and rage. Terek steps up, dodging its thrashing tail, and thrusts, his blow deft and true. The blade slices through the arm of the thing, and it screams. But its other arm is the one which holds the axe, and it crashes down, catching Terek on the side of the head. The half-elf falls, blood pooling from the gaping wound. Tulloch draws his staff, the first anyone has seen of the weapon, and it cracks against the reptile's face. Blinking, it takes a step back. "Sssthp!" Another arrow streaks into the melee and this one is wide. Karnaloth frees his greatclub from the reptile's grasp, and bashes it against the scaly hide of the thing. It goes down in a heap, and Tulloch makes sure that it is finished.
Panting and sore, the group takes note of their damage. Terek is down, though he still breathes, Wargos is barely conscious, as is Karnaloth. Milandison seems to be alright, and Tulloch is wounded but not severely. Karnaloth goes to the pool and drinks while the others search the place. They find a shield and a small lockbox by the fire, as well as a ring upon the finger of the reptile warrior. "We need to get Terek back to the surface." Milandison says, and everyone agrees. Gathering up the half-elf, after Karnaloth has made sure that he is stable, the five men make their way back to the inn. On the way, they keep a slow pace, Wargos and Karnaloth hard-pressed to keep up. Since the pace is so slow, they have plenty of time to rummage through the meager possessions of the lizard things. The few closest to the inn seem to have a bit of coin, and they open the lockbox. A few semi-precious gems are inside, but they are glad to have escaped with their lives.
*Going back down
Making their way back up to the entrance at the pantry of the inn, the men are a bit surprised to find the way is blocked, the secret door back in place. Searching aroud, they do find a lever, to which the door replies with a strange "click-crunk", but does not open. Turning to Karnaloth, Tulloch says, "You broke it!" The priest can only shrug, not knowing what else to do. He moves up to the door, trying it, but the door pushes outwards from inside the pantry and he simply can get no good hold to pull it. Milandison comes up with an idea. Taking a metal piton and a hammer, he makes a makeshift handle on the door. Wargos comes up with a crowbar from his pack, and recieves strange looks. "Hey, you never know when you'll need one." he says, and shrugs. Eventually, they are able to pry the heavy stone door open enough to go through.
Stepping through first, Tulloch ducks as a crossbow bolt strikes the stone above his head. A scared, "By Pelor's robe!" is heard, and Tulloch can see a terrified woman, the inn's cook, a few feet away, her crossbow pointed upwards as she recognized them at the last minute. Piling through the doorway, she helps them as best she can, taking Terek's unconscious form. Telling her of their need for healing, the cook points them in the direction of the nearest temple.... to Boccob. Thanking her profusely, the men leave the inn.... to be confronted with blaring horns and bells in the city. "What's going on?" they ask a passing guardsman, and they get the breathless reply, "The Lord's infant boy has been taken. The Tower Guard have been mobilized." The group, sharing worried looks, proceed to the temple. Once there, the priests of Boccob administer what healing they have, ending the wounds of Terek, and patching up the others as well. In exchange for that healing, and also a few healing potions for each of them, the group gives the temple one of the semi-precious gems from the small lockbox, a purple corundum.
Leaving the temple, healing in their packs, and renewed in their resolve to find the child, they make their way back to the inn. The cook is there still, though she says that the barkeep has left. She leads them back to the pantry, where the secret door still lies open. Moving swiftly down the tunnels, the five men soon move to pass through the stalagmite and stalactite room. From there, the tunnels turn back to the south, though it narrows from ten feet down to five, and is very muddy. Wargos looks over the ground for a few minutes, and says that hugging the eastern wall and moving at a slow pace would be wisest. Without questioning the underground wisdom of the dwarf, they move.
The descent is steep, and even at the slow pace, they often slip and fall. After several dozen yards, they see a light from an alcove up ahead. Moving cautiously now, and Milandison with his bow at the ready, they move towards the light.
----The sound of rushing water echoes loudly in the tunnel. A large opening in the side of the tunnel, and on the right side, leads into a rather large alcove. You almost retch in disgust at the smells coming from inside, and you peek in. Amidst the putrescence sit two huge, hulking brutes. From where they sit you would guess they would be about nine feet tall when standing, and bulky muscles ripple under their grayish skin. They're taking turns peeling flesh from a leg-bone, and do not seem aware of your presence..... yet.----
Trying to communicate without speaking, the light from Karnaloth's torch is quickly snuffed. Once the loud priest finds out that they are trying to sneak past the enemy, however, he seems to have other things in mind. "Where is the child?" he asks from his place in the back, and the two brutes turn to see who spoke. Wargos is in the lead, but Milandison covers them with his bow. Thinking that they might be in over their heads in a fight with these two, the group indicates that Karnaloth was the one who spoke. Turning their attention towards him, they sniff the air. "You have food." one of them says, and Karnaloth repeats his question, this time with an incentive. "Tell us where the child is, and I'll give you the food." The brutes seem to think on this for far too long, but enventually come to an agreement, "You give us food first." Karnaloth sighs and tosses them his rations, all seven days worth. "Snack carried that way by lizard-people.", one of them says, indicating the tunnel continuing to the south. Sighing their relief at the peaceful solution to that possibly disastrous situation, the five men move on.
*The Ruins I
----The tunnel continues to slope steeply downwards for about one hundred feet past the den of the brutes. It widens into a flat, somewhat sandy beach. A roaring underground river churns in a southward direction. A small distance to the left of the tunnel entrance/exit, is a small quay, to which are tethered three small boats. You see a spot for a fourth, but is it gone.----
Investigating the boats, the five see that they have to paddles, only rudders. However, upon the rudders are etched three strange words. Deciding to brave the river first, Milandison grabs one of the boats for himself. Once he has gotten in, he notices something very strange. The boats are made of stone! Still, they seem to be perfectly functional, and seem to weigh no more than a light wooden canoe. Once seated, and with his hand on the rudder, he untethers the boat. Despite the heavy curent, it doesn't budge. saying the first word etched upon the rudder causes the boat to turn and begin moving down the river, though a bit slower than the current itself. Milandison waves the others one, steering the boat from side to side to slow his progress and allow the others to catch up.
Karnaloth and Tulloch go next, the priest experimenting and saying the second word first. The boat does nothing. He says the third word, still nothing. Finally he settles for the same old humdrum of the first word first,a nd the boat starts down the river. Shaking his head, Wargos and Terek come next. Still fiddling, Kanaloth says the second word, and is thrown backwards, almost going overboard as the current picks them up and hurtles them forward. Tulloch easily keeps his balance, and is hardly affected at all. When the third word is spoke, Karnaloth is flung to the front of the boat, as it stops. Completely and suddenly. Rubbing the bruise on his forehead, the curious priest sits back and says the first word again.
----The river whisks you along at a fast pace, though you don't find it terribly hard to steer the craft. You travel for about twenty minutes, guessing that you have moved about ten miles, when you see some light up ahead. It would appear that the tunnel is ending, though you're not really sure where. As the end of the tunnel approaches, you can see another boat, identical to the ones you're in, tethered to the trunk of a small tree beside the river, which turns suddenly into a medium-sized stream.----
The boats are soon tethered, and the men find themselves in some strange surroundings. Ruins.
----About a dozen ruined buildings are choked with reeds and grass, and worn from years of exposure to the elements. Only the sturdiest of the buildings remain, although decrepit nonetheless. There are six buildings which ring the others, as if some great disaster struck the buildings in the center, spilling outwards but only partially destroying the others.----
*The Ruins Part II
Yuna gathers her pony and heads towards the city gates. Keeping her eyes out for anyone fitting the description of the man in her vision, Yuna is more than a bit startled when she does, indeed, see a man which looks exactly like what she saw. Riding towards him, he turns to face her as she approaches. "You must come with me." she says simply, and the dark-skinned man nods, saying nothing. Though they are searched when they leave Longspear, they are allowed to leave. Yuna and Yahyah head south.
_
OOC: Alright everyone! That was where my first session of the new campaign ended. Where does the trapdoor lead? Who are the mysterious figures surrounding the babe? Have they the fortitude to prevail? Stay tuned.....
*New members
With the help of Karnaloth and Tulloch, Wargos manages to pry up the frame of the heavy trap door. Everyone else looks on, weapons at the ready, when they notice two small travelers across the way.
____
The group slowly descends the ladder, one by one, with Wargos and Milandison in the lead.
----As you begin to move down the tunnel, it slowly widens out to ten feet, and the descent soon raises the ceiling to nearly twenty feet. By the way the tunnel has been descending downwards, Wargos estimates that you are soon about fifty feet below ground.----
Milandison lights a torch, the group all the while listening for the cries of the babe. May and Jonolan are filled in on the situation by Tulloch and Karnaloth, and they seem eager to lend a hand.
Milandison moves ahead of the group a ways, and begins searching the tunnel ahead for traps.
*Trapped!
Milandison moves a small ways ahead, lighting a torch so that he may see. Wargos, who is the next in line, uses his darkvision to great effect, even telling Milandison of outcroppings of rock that the human has not yet seen. The group proceeds cautiously, and Milandison calls a halt as part of the tunnel looks simply too neat and tidy. Then, he can see why: just below the surface of the floor, small spiky caltrops wait to pierce the feet of the unwary. Still, it looks like there is enough room to pass, and the group safely skirts around. Milandison once more takes the lead, eyes straining against the dark. It is not long before he spots something else amiss. A long rope hangs down a small bit from the ceiling of the tunnel, and the woodsman can see it attached to a stout log overhead. Carefully, while the others stay back, he searches for a trigger, Not finding one, he ponders what to do. He settles on cutting the rope. As they proceed warily down the hall, Karnaloth unwittingly stumbles upon the trigger, his foot sinking almost six inches into the earth of the tunnel. Luckily, the sliced rope prevents the log from swinging, and it simply crashes to the floor of the tunnel, everyone flattening themselves against the eastern wall. Nobody is hurt, and they proceed onwards. Wargos soon informs Milandison that the tunnel bends to the south up ahead, and the group moves forward as quietly as possible. Unfortunately, their stealth involves in a not-so-thorough trap finding effort, and a bolt shoots from the floor to strike Karnaloth in the shoulder. The cleric curses, and plucks it out, the area already swelling. He swoons, and immediately knows that it was poisoned. However, he steels himself against it, only feeling light-headed for a few moments. Now much more careful, they proceed.
*Royal flush
Milandison finds several more cleverly devised pressureplates, and manages to lodge them so that the group may safely pass. As he does so, Wargos peeks around the corner. Not far down the tunnel, the passageway opens into a small chamber. Within the chamber are four reptilian humanoids, as the ones they had faced earlier. Seated at a table, they quietly play cards. There is only light from a single candle upon the table, and before Milandison comes any further, Wargos motions for the group to backtrack a few steps. He whispers what he has seen, and Milandison's torch is quickly put out.
Using the dwarf warrior as eyes, the group slowly moves forward with what stealth it is able to muster. Milandison readies his bow, though he cannot see, and Karnaloth hefts his greatclub. As the May and Jonolan come around the corner, the small light from the flickering candle disappears. Everyone pauses, and a hiss is heard from up ahead. The humans find that they can only see about ten feet without the light of the torch, which is a bit of a relief. But not much. The lizardfolk warriors leap to the attack, claws bared.
Wargos manages to shout a warning, but then the reptilian warriors are upon them. Karnaloth shouts, "You're my next pair of boots!" as his greatclub arcs through the air. It connects solidly with the shoulder of the closing lizardman, and he smiles. That smile soon turns to a grunt of pain as sharp claws pierce his armor, sinking deep into his shoulder where the bolt struck. Milandison lets fly, "Ssthp!", but the arrow flies harmlessly into the dark, the archer not nearly as effective when deprived of his sight. Wargos finds himself flanked by two lizardman warriors, and he can feel one of them sink its teeth into his arm. Just then, May, the female gnome, lets fly with a spell, her incantation ringing clearly in the air. It seems that the small gnomish female does not have the same sight problem as the humans. The lizard warrior in front of Milandison suddenly spaces out, reptilian eyes looking suddenly very far away. "I know that spell!" Yuna exclaims, and lets fly the spell. Now that two of the fierce wariors have been Dazed, the battle is not as tough. Tulloch leaps in with his three-piece-staff, the metal-shod ends smacking firmly into the temple of one of the dazed warriors, felling it. Wargos chops at another, and it squares off with the hardy dwarf. Karnaloth manages to get in another good blow with his greatclub, staggering the warrior in front of him, and Milandison draws his longsword, piercing the lizardman's chest. It falls with a hiss. May's dazed warrior shakes off her spell, and slashes wildly at Milandison, the woodsman yelling in pain as it's claws rake across his back. Tulloch swings his staff, and the warrior crumples from a crushes skull.
The last dazed warrior soon falls under the onslaught of Karnaloth and Wargos... but the follower of Ralishaz staggers from his wounds.
*Indecision
May quickly moves to the front of the group, ready to heal Karnaloth, but the cleric waves her away and downs a healing draught that he wisely picked up in town. The group assesses its wounds, and decides to continue. So, back to the front goes Milandison, with Wargos following close behind. Moving down the tunnel, which continues on from this small chamber, Milandison keeps a close eye out for traps. Finding none, the party soon comes into a much larger chamber.
----There are four tunnels which lead out of this chamber. One to the northwest, one to the northeast, one to the southwest, and one to the southeast. Three large lizard humanoids stand guard, two at the entrance to the southwest tunnel, and one to the southeast tunnel.----
The group tries to decide which route to take, and upon seeing the guards not so far away, Milandison is quick to dowse his torch. Wargos keeps an eye upon the lizard guardsmen, not so far away. "We should go down the one with two guards." argues Wargos. "I'm sure that that way has much more treasure." Karnaloth mutters, "And obviously much more danger." May and Jonolan both shrug, not seeming to care one way or the other. "Maybe we should explore the other two tunnels first." Yuna says,
"We don't need to get into too many battles at once." Tulloch remains silent on the topic, but it is then that Wargos notices a change in the demeanor of the guards. Whether their talking has alerted their presence, or something else, heavy crossbows are brought to bear upon the huddled group.
"Twang! Twang!" Shots from the crossbows cover the distance in the blink of an eye, one heavy bolt shattering against the tunnel wall to Milandison's right, and the other thudding solidly into Tulloch. The monk grunts in pain, and the guards have closed, teeth and claws bared.
The battle is fast and furious, the lizard warriors on their home turf, and the lighting very poor for the humans. Wargos, Jonolan, and May operate fairly well, though the dwarf best of all. Unfortunately for the reptilian warriors, they are badly outnumbered and should not have closed for melee. Few injuries are inflicted upon the brave party, and the warriors fall. Breathless and running out of spells Yuna says, "I think we should stop and rest." To which the group replies with a resounding, "Where?" Yuna falls silent, and the group once more tries to decide which way to go.
----Tulloch walks down the crowded wharf, humming to himself as he listens to the street vendors hawk their wares. The midday suns shines down upon his head, and he occasionally wipes at the sweat that beads there. He looks back at the ship that he has just disembarked, the Questarion. The crew is busy, unloading their cargo, and Tulloch looks forward to the city before him. It is the first time that he has been in a large city in a long time. He hopes that this one isn't like the last.----
----Yuna sits quietly in the library, studying the tome before her.... but wishing that she was outside. The singing birds call to her and she sighs. She spares a glance at her mentor, Master Marek, the elderly gentleman sitting as quietly as she. Without looking up from his meditation Master Marek says, "Study your book, Yuna. You'll be outside soon enough." With a heavy sigh, the young sorceress turns her attention back to her book.----
----Though he normally does not care for the city life, Milandison approaches Longspear with a smile. The Solstice Festival is underway, and he needs to purchase a few items for the Reunion. The wolf pelts and raccoon pelts he has should fetch him enough money to last the coming months. His peers will be meeting outside of this very city within a fortnight, and he knows that he'll needs to buy a few things to make a good, stout brew. After passing the city gates he heads towards the marketplace.----
----Karnaloth nervously rubs his holy symbol, and can feel something gently tug at his spirit. He knows that some ill fortune is about to take place. He looks about the crowded streets, wondering if this is something to befall him, or somebody else.----
----Wargos watches the Questarion unload its cargo. He has always disliked ships, but been fascinated by them as well. He wonders where the large vessel might head off to next.----
----Yahyah approaches the city warily. This is the first time he has left the lands of his tribe, and to be honest, the place is noisy. Even from outside its massive stone walls, the tribesman can easily hear the commotion coming from inside the city. Still, he knows that the goods he has to barter with need to be taken inside. He enters through the city's gates and heads towards the marketplace.----
*The Cleaved Boar
----The young deckhand, Seaheart, watches as the few passengers disembark from the Questarion. He sighs, wishing that he could go too. He hasn't been on the ship long, so his land privileges fall behind those of the more experienced crew. In fact, the only thing which keeps him from simply running down the gangplank and vanishing into the crowd is First Mate Grunk. The half-orc First Mate is hard on the men. All of them. Still, the brute's great strength has saved most of them at least once. They crew respects as well as fear him. Seaheart snaps to attention as the captain comes into view. "We're to set sail as soon as the cargo is unloaded. Be ready to shove off in five minutes." The cry is soon passed along to all the men.----
Tulloch walks along the streets, looking for the temple district. He hasn't found a temple to his god, St. Cuthbert, since he left his monastery. He casts his eyes about, and he takes notice of a figure, slinking about in the shadows of a nearby alleyway. At first he shrugs it off, but he soon realizes that this shadowy figure is trailing a merchant not far ahead. It is easy to see that the merchant has a bulging coinpurse, and Tulloch is surprised to see no bodyguard or escort of any kind. He decides to follow along as well......
Karnaloth says a small prayer to Ralishaz, the deity of Chance and Misfortune. Whistling to himself he then heads towards the gambling hall, the place he normally goes to worship. He has not gone far when a strange feeling once more comes over him. Turning towards the docks, he has a definite feeling of connection there. Then, he is able to place what it is. His brother, Seaheart, is here. Smiling, Karnaloth continues on his way.
Studying her book for another half an hour, Yuna is surprised when Master Marek gets up from where he is seated. Handing her a small piece of parchment, and an even smaller pouch, he says, "I need you to go to the marketplace, Yuna. Here is the list of the things you need to get, and some coin to buy them." Yuna nods and says, "Yes, sir." and sets out on her way.
Wargos sets up his small stand, preparing to sell the few weapons he has crafted. Sales go well, and he makes a tidy profit. Except on one particular sale. A woodsman, though Wargos didn't catch his name, pried his best handaxe from him for only a gold. Wargos decides then that it is time to break up shop, and catches the attention of a passing guardsman. "Where is the nearest inn, my good man?" he asks, and the guardsman points north. "The Cleaved Boar, sir, is the only inn with any vacancies at all. The Festival has all of the inns completely booked." Wargos nods his thanks and heads the direction that the man indicated.
Milandison admires the handaxe he got from the dwarven smith. He can tell it is good quality, and at such a good price! He chuckles softly to himself and heads towards a tannery, knowing that is probably the best place to sell his pelts. Easily finding one in the merchant choked city, he also inquires about a small spice pack. Assuring him that they can make one, Milandison is soon on his way again. He stops a passing local and asks, "Do you know the name of a good inn at which I can stay?" The young lady smiles and directs him northwards. "The Cleaved Boar is open, sir. Prices are good, as well as the food." The woodsman thanks her and heads on his way.
*Meeting place
Tulloch is able to keep the shadowed figure in sight, and he watches as the merchant enters the gambling hall, money pouch in hand. The darkly clad figure does not follow, but Tulloch does. He has never been in a gambling hall before, and the place rails against his lawful nature. He turns to go, but the doors are flung open in his face. A rather large priest, greatclub across his back, enters.
Karnaloth throws open the doors to the gambling hall, shouting, "I am here! Let the festivities begin!" He vigorously shakes the hand of the well-muscled man in front of him, noting the symbol of St Cuthbert upon his shirt. "Pleasure to meet you, good sir!" he says, nearly shouting at the man. "I don't see many of your ilk in a place like this!" With that, he moves on past, grabbing a drink from a nearby passing tray, and placing a bet at the table of bones.
Tulloch shakes the man's hand, a bit bewildered by the sheer volume of his voice. "Why must he be so loud?" he thinks, and quickly exits the den of chance. It is simply too chaotic for him....
Yahyah finds it a bit difficult to sell his wares, and his misunderstanding of the language doesn't help either. The place is noisy, and dirty, and he soon packs up his things. His head down and trying to keep from attracting attention to himself, Yahyah feels very naked in the city. He heads towards the city gates, a bit dejected about the day.
Yuna makes it to the marketplace, and over the course of an hour, finds all of the items on Master Marek's list. She stops to look at a few of the other vendors, her own money itching to be spent. She refrains, however, and begins to make her way back to the library. As she walks, she feels a small hand gently bump against her waist, evidently on its way towards her coinpouch. Whirling, Yuna sees no one. Now quite wary, the young sorceress braces herself with a simple spell and continues on her way.
Karnaloth finds good luck at the tables, making a small profit. Smiling upwards, he departs the establishment and heads towards one of his favorite businesses, The Cleaved Boar.
Tulloch finishes praying, and asks the priests in the temple if they know of a good place to stay. "I do believe that The Cleaved Boar is the only inn with any vacancies. Maybe you should try there." After getting directions, Tulloch thanks the priests and heads towards the inn.
*Slowly gathering
Wargos easily finds The Cleaved Boar, and goes inside.
----The inn's common room is small, but adequate for its duty. The place is well-lit, the floor is covered with a scattering of fresh straw, and the tables appear to be cleaned regularly. As your eyes adjust to the inn's interior, you can see that there are three other patrons enjoying a respite at the inn.----
Wargos moves to the bar and orders a stout brew.
----Behind the bar stands a middle-aged man wearing a dark leather apron over his clothes. His rugged features speak of life as a militiaman before retiring to domesticated life. He is powerfully built, and his arms, face, and head are covered with thick black hair. He has a tattoo of a purple four-pointed star on his right forearm.----
Wargos gets his brew and sits at an empty table. His eyes drfit across the three other patrons, two of which are sitting together and appear to be farmers. The other is at the bar, a half-elf. The slender figure has a lute across his back, and Wargos thinks the instrument looks sturdier than the owner....
Tulloch soon finds The Cleaved Boar, and enters. The smell of good food assaults his nose, and he moves to the bar to order. He passes by a small table, where to farmers talk quietly, and another at which sits a rather violent-looking dwarf. A half-elven man sits at the bar, his long silvery hair falling over his shoulders. Tulloch oders some bread and chese, and takes a seat at the bar.
Milandison finds The Cleaved Boar easily enough, and enters. He is a bit surprised at the scattering of people inside, but takes a seat at a vacant table. He catches the eyes of the man behind the bar, and orders some stew. His order is promptly called back through a small shuttered pass-through behind the bar, which evidently leads to the kitchen.
Yuna soon arrives back at Master Marek's. Handing him the items he requested, she is surprised to hear him say, "I have taught you everything that I can at this time, Yuna. Now you must go out in the world and find your own way. Once you have learned more of the world, becoming wiser to its ways, then you may come back and we will see about continuing your training." And just like that, Yuna is on her own. "You can still stay here until you find a place to stay, but I wsill no longer require you to study." Master Marek smiles at his pupil, and Yuna, a bit disheartened, heads back out.
Yahyah sets up his tent just outside of the city walls. It feels much better now that he is outside of the city, and he relaxes a bit. The sun has begun to set, and he settles down to go to sleep.
As dusk begins to fall over the city, Karnaloth finds his way to The Cleaved Boar. Throwing open the doors, he announces his presence. "Let the celebrating commence! I have arrived!" With that he promptly orders a stein of ale, and sits down with the two farmers.
*Retiring
At first the farmers shy away from the loud boisterous priest, but they soon warm up to him. Wargos watches from his seat at a nearby table, easily overhearing the conversation as it ranges from the weather, to the Festival, and then to the Lord who lives in the tower at the edge of town. Milandison tries his best to ignore the loudmouth, but to no avail. Tulloch takes note of the symbol about the priest's neck, that of Ralishaz. He shakes his head, wondering what ill fortune might befall the two farmers for talking to the man. Still, nearly all conversation stops when a dazzling beauty walks into the place.
Yuna walks into The Cleaved Boar, something having guided her here, though she knows not what. She can feel the eyes upon her as she walks to the bar and orders a drink. Almost immediately, the half-elf is beside her. "I'll pay for that, m'lady." he says, then introduces himself. "My name is Terek." he says, extending his hand. Yuna takes his hand and gives him a bashful smile, introducing herself as well.
The conversation soon resumes, and Terek soon gets up to play. He seems very skilled, and he spins a tale of three adventurers of old. A wizard named Ren, a warrior named Hedras, and a rogue named Thayer. The story is well-recieved by all, and Terek continues to sing and tell tales as the evening wears on. Soon, however, the barkeep announces that they will be closing. Wargos, Tulloch, Milandison, Karnaloth, and Terek all acquire rooms at the inn, though Yuna soon departs.
*Confusion
Late that night, Milandison is awakened by a strange tapping sound coming from the direction of the kitchen. He gets up to investigate. Moving silently down the hallway towards the kitchen, his eyes strain to see in the darkness....
Karnaloth is sleeping rather soundly when a starnge noise outside his room causes him to stir. The sound of quite footsteps reach his ears, and he immediately grabs his greatclub, now wide awake. Moving cautiously to his door, he throws it open....
Milandison nearly shouts in fright as the door behind him bangs open, a form wielding a huge club emerging from the inky darkness. "You'll not rob me, thieves!" the figure yells, and Milandison shrinks back, thinking he is attacked by a madman.....
Startled from his sleep by shoutng, Tulloch leaps to investigate, moving out of his room and into the hallway....
Wargos dreams of beautifully muscled dwarven wenches, when a loud bang and shouting cause him to sit up, making his head spin. Staying in his chambers he yells, "Keep it quiet out there, you idjits!" With that, he vainly tries to lie back down and go to sleep....
Karnaloth can't see anything in the darkness of the hallway, though the half-naked form of someone emerges from a few feet away. He whirls, eyes straining, and nearly beans the man holding the symbol of St. Cuthbert with one of his throwing clubs. "Are you trying to rob me?" he says, his voice lowering as he leans towards the figure....
Tulloch instinctively dodges as the wooden club is swung at him, and he shakes his head as he is asked if he is trying to rob the swinger of the club. Realizing that the club-owner cannot see him, he says, "No. I heard shouting and came to investigate."
Milandison listens to the conversation between the priest of Ralishaz, and the follower of St. Cuthbert, having placed their voices from earlier. He can still hear the faint "tap-tap-tap" from earlier, and slips into the kitchen.....
Karnaloth sees a humanoid figure slip into the kitchen, just to his right and he shouts, "Food thief!" just before barging in afterward....
Tulloch winces at the sound of the shouting once more, and can now partially see the figure before him run into the kitchen....
Milandison can see the form of the priest rush past the doorway, where he has sidestepped. He also sees a light come on from inside the room across the hall... the room of the barkeep. He starts to slink back out of the kitchen when the follower of St. Cuthbert enters.....
Wargos finds that he simply cannot sleep with all this racket, so, grabbing his axe, he barges out of his room. "What the bloody #### is going on out here?" he yells, ending his shout just in time to hear the cry of "Food thief!" from further down the hall. Grumbling to himself, the dwarf begins to make his way towards the kitchen....
Terek listens to all the commotion outside his room, and sits, writing down notes for an impromptu song.....
*The secret door
----The kitchen is a large chamber with two immense fireplaces and many counters, cupboards, and cutting tables. Sausages and dried meats hang from the ceiling beams, while various knives, spoons, pots and pans are hung indiscriminately about the place.----
Karnaloth and Tulloch look about the kitchen, a small sliver of light providing some means to see as they look for the "food thief". Not finding anyone, Karnaloth soon exits the kitchen, dragging the hapless Tulloch along. He knocks loudly upon the door of the barkeep. The dark-haired man soon answers, and Karnaloth asks for some torches. To keep things quiet, the man readily complies.....
Wargos turns the corner, to see the barkeep handing a loud priests and a well-muscled half-naked man a torch. He starts to say something, but that is when he hears it too. "tap-tap-scraaape" Wargos pauses, turning back around....
Milandison watches the exchange from a little ways off, staying to the shadows. He can hear the tapping again now, and turns his head as he sees Terek peek out of his room. The half-elf looks a bit flustered, and soon shuts his door again....
Karnaloth thanks the man and lights the torch. He turns, almost bumping into the axe-bearing dwarf who has suddenly shown up. The dwarf glares up at him and says, "Keep it down, ya loud-mouthed...." he goes into grumbling and says, "I'm goin' back to bed. If I hear one more peep outta you...!" he leaves the threat to hang in the air, and Karnaloth looks to Tulloch, shrugging. Tulloch merely shakes his head. The dwarf disappears back to his room, and then they all hear it.
"Tap-tap-scraaape"
"It's coming from the pantry!" Karnaloth exclaims, and makes his way down the hall to the rear of the kitchen. Throwing open the door....
----A short stairway leads down to the inn's pantry, which is slightly below ground in order to keep the foodstuffs there cool. Barrels of salted pork and fish are here, as well as kegs of ale and beer and sacks of meal.----
Tulloch and Karnaloth begin to rummage through the pantry, the tapping and scraping definitely more defined. Wargos watches for a few minutes and then makes the proclamation that he is going back to bed. This goes completely unnoticed by the two humans, who now seem intent on finding where the noise is coming from....
Yuna finds that she cannot sleep, and gets up to go to the library. She has pulled out a book and begun to read when Master Mareck taps her softly on the shoulder. Nearly jumping out of her seat, Yuna breathlessly asks him what he wants. "You know that there is evil to be fought, apprentice. Your time for study is over. Now is the time for action."
----------------
Milandison stays where he is at, confident that, although blustery and bumbling, the priest and his friend will find what caused him to rise in the first place. Terek, the half-elf, soon emerges from his room, strapping on a longsword and some daggers as he stands at the entryway to the pantry. "What have you found?" he asks, to which he gets a muffled reply that Milandison cannot hear.
Tulloch and Karnaloth rummage about, and it is only by the tiny footprints of mice that the two find the small crack in the wall of the pantry. Upon further inspection, they find a small seam, then an outline. "There's a door here!" Karnaloth exclaims loudly, and Tulloch finally tells him to tone it down a bit. "Sorry." Karnaloth whispers, though his excitement is evident. Tulloch pushes upon the door, but can't get it to budge. "Here, let me try." Karnaloth says, and a wild light begins to shine in his eyes. Tulloch backs away, and the large priest puts his shoulder to the stone, veins standing out on his neck from his exertion. With a rumbling groan, the wall slides back, inch by inch, revealing a passageway beyond. Karnaloth smiles, and happily points towards the opening, redeemed in his own mind.
*First fight
Milandison hears the low rumbling from the pantry, as does Wargos. Deciding that he'd better see what they're up to, he steps towards the pantry's doorway. Wargos grumbles as he gets out of bed, opening his door once more.....
A small conversation ensues, as Karnaloth tries to persuade Wargos to go with them, insisting that they'll need his underground expertise and darkvision. The dwarf resists, but is soon persuaded. Milandison remains quietly in the background, stringing his bow and making sure his equipment is secured. Terek takes a few notes and indicates that he is game. The five men, suddenly partners, turn towards the opening....
----Beyond the secret door is a short stair with a landing, almost ten feet square. You can see the silhouette of some reptilian form ducking just out of sight around a corner, but that is not what attracts your attention the most.... a small cry, like that of a human infant, barely reaches your ears.----
Wargos going first, the five men begin to move cautiously down the tunnel. Holding the torch, Karnaloth stays in the middle of the group illuminating the area around them.
----As you move down the tunnel, following the shadow that has just disappeared from sight, a large hulking figure emerges from the darkness. A tall, scaly, reptilian humanoid, some seven feet tall, with brown mottled skin and a heavy tail, hisses aggressively as it moves quickly towards you.----
"Ssssthp!" Milandison looses an arrow at the thing, the wooden shaft mostly turned aside by the creature's scaly hide. With a roaring hiss, the thing claws at Wargos, the dwarf swinging his axe, the blade biting deep into the creature's leg. It is then that Tulloch sees the symbol presented upon the dwarf's shield. The symbol of St. Cuthbert. Going to the aid of his brother, Tulloch is watched with amazement as his half-naked form closes for combat with the reptilian monster. Karnaloth lets fly one of his clubs, the stout wooden weapon striking true with a loud "CRACK!" against the ribs of the thing. "To your right!" Milandison shouts, the first words he has truly spoken to the others ringing down the tunnel as another of the reptilian humanoids emerges from the darkness, tail lashing. "Sssthp!" Another arrow flies from his bow, and the second creature stumbles. Karnaloth finishes off the first with a blow from his greatclub, the heavy weapon crushing the back of the creature before him. Wargos' axe bites deep into the newly presented creature, and with a hissing breath it dies.
----The creatures do not carry any torches or lamps, and the smell of offal and decay hang heavily upon them. The dim roar of rushing water echoes up the tunnel.----
*Living quarters
Everyone seems to be alright after the small skirmish, and they congratulate each other one a job well done. They continue moving forward, spurred on by the remembered cry...
----The lighting here is now nonexistent, even the small bit of light from aboveground now gone. You can see or hear no more of the lizard-like creatures about. As you proceed down the tunnel, you come upon a small alcove. As you peer into it, a hiss greets your ears.----
Wargos peers into the darkness, but sees nothing. Milandison moves quietly past him, an arrow nocked. Karnaloth has his throwing clubs at the ready, and even Terek has his sword drawn. Only Tulloch has no weapons, and everyone looks at him as if he has lost his mind. Karnaloth moves up with the lamp, wanting to bathe the alcove in light. Whatever is inside seems to have other ideas....
Wargos leaps back as a large tooh-filled mouth comes into view. Three of the lizard-like monsters leap from the darkness, hissing and shouting in some strange tongue. Before they can react, the five men are set upon. Karnaloth roars as a clawed set of hands rips into his flesh, and the battle is joined. "Sssthp!" Milandison grunts as one of the figures tries to grab him, but he deftly scoots out of the way, the axe of Wargos biting deep into it's shoulder, and causing it to bellow with pain. It turns on the dwarf, claws flashing as it strikes at him. The dwarf grunts in pain as a bloody line is drawn across his abdomen. Tulloch kicks one in the knee, driving it down, and Karnaloth's greatclub smashes into its head. With a strangled cry, the reptile goes down. Terek wades in, a dagger flying from his hand to embed itself into the creature's body. It thrashes about, and it's claws dig deep into Tulloch's arm. Wargos' axe comes down with a final cut upon it, and Milandison's next arrow flies true, straight into the heart of the third. Now breathless and hurting, the small band stops for a moment. Karnaloth dispenses the meager healing he has, his own wounds closing as he prays. Nobody appears to be sorely injured, so they decide to continue on their way.
----Their hisses die with them, but you wish that the battle would have been a bit quiter. Looking down the tunnel, wargos informs you that there are none coming to investigate. Again, the wailing cry of a human child seems to come from further in the earth.----
----Wishing that the battle had went quieter, you move southwards along the tunnel. There is plenty of room now, and it is nearly ten feet wide in most places. Terek is the first to spot the dim light up ahead, and the tunnel seems to open into a much larger chamber. The tunnel itself also turns towards the northwest, extending into darkness that way. Unfortunately it is impossible to continue along the tunnel without also entering the chamber.----
Wargos goes forward by himself, his darkvision helping immensely....
----This huge chamber is obviously the place where the lizard-like humanoids eat, sleep, and normally live. More than a dozen bedrolls are strewn upon the cavern's rough floor, and in its center is a large cooking fire over which is suspended a huge iron pot hanging from an iron tripod. There are six of the lizard-like creatures here, and all of them look at you, hissing agressively, though none step forward to attack.----
Wargos slowly backs away from the chamber's opening, not daring to go in by himself. After reporting to the others what he has seen, they try to decide what to do. "Did you hear the baby?" Karnaloth asks, and Wargos shakes his head. "We could try to talk to them." Milandison says, and everyone collectively shrugs. Keeping their weapons ready, everyone moves forward.
*Out of the frying pan
Yuna prays, hoping that Heironeous will show her what she needs to do. For nearly an hour she remains at the small altar, vowing not panic like the people outside seem to be doing.
Yahyah gathers his weapons and gear, thinking that maybe the city is under attack. If that is so, then he will aid in its defense. Luckily, he is able to scale the wall and get back inside with little trouble, though he wonders at that course of action. Should someone see him and take him for an attacker.... Yet, he gets inside unseen. The streets are filled with running guardsmen, though there seems to be no organization to what they do.
Yuna sees an image in her mind's eye. She flies over the city, southwards, until she hovers over some ruins. Six buildings, mostly destroyed, are all that she can see. Then she sees a dark-skinned man, wielding a half-spear in one hand and a small wooden shield in the other. She knows that she must find this man. Going to gather her things and collect her pony, she prepares to go.
The now weary band of brave men move along the tunnel as it curves northwards.
----The tunnel curves northwards and you can see that it empties into a larger cavern up ahead. An underground stream feeds a small pool of water in the south end of the cave. Stalagmites jut sharply from the floor and stalactites hang from the ceiling, making you feel as if you are walking into some great toothy maw. The light of a small fire can be seen dimly in the far northernmost portion of the cave. There, you also see a rather large figure rise from where it was seated upon the floor. n angry hiss can barely be heard, and you see the curved blade of an axe as the figure moves swiftly behind one of the stalagmites.----
Wargos curses under his breath, and Karnaloth groans. 'Maybe this is the great misfortune I felt earlier today' he thinks, 'My own death....'. Still, the brave men continue forward, knowing that they would rather face an enemy face to face than have one at their backs. Milandison, arrow nocked, takes cover behind a large stalagmite, hoping to see this creature and readying his bow. Karnaloth, holding the torch, moves forward, past several large stalagmites. Wargos moves beside him as well, scanning the dark cavern as well. Terek draws his longsword, and Tulloch moves to the right of Karnaloth. A hiss can be heard, but the room makes it hard to pinpoint the sound. Milandison sees some movement to his left, and his arrow is loosed and on the way.... "Sssthp!".... hitting nothing. A huge shape crashes into Karnaloth. "Oooommph!" and he drops the torch. Standing over him is a huge reptilian warrior, a full seven feet in height. A great stone axe it wields in one hand, and it roars its challenge at the intruders. Wargos bellows back, charging towards it, a dwarven axe raised in defiance. Tulloch leaps to the attakc, but his blows seem to have little effect upon the reptile's scales. Karnaloth hefts his greatclub, and grunts with effort as he strikes at the creature. His eyes widen in amazement and fear as the huge clawed hand of the thing catches his club, and Karnaloth can see the huge stone axe raised to crush his skull. Then Wargos is there, axe biting deep into the thigh of the beast. It changes its swing, and wargos catches the stone axe on the shoulder. He grunts in pain, and goes to one knee. "Sssthp!" An arrow from the darkness catches the reptile in the back, and it hisses in pain and rage. Terek steps up, dodging its thrashing tail, and thrusts, his blow deft and true. The blade slices through the arm of the thing, and it screams. But its other arm is the one which holds the axe, and it crashes down, catching Terek on the side of the head. The half-elf falls, blood pooling from the gaping wound. Tulloch draws his staff, the first anyone has seen of the weapon, and it cracks against the reptile's face. Blinking, it takes a step back. "Sssthp!" Another arrow streaks into the melee and this one is wide. Karnaloth frees his greatclub from the reptile's grasp, and bashes it against the scaly hide of the thing. It goes down in a heap, and Tulloch makes sure that it is finished.
Panting and sore, the group takes note of their damage. Terek is down, though he still breathes, Wargos is barely conscious, as is Karnaloth. Milandison seems to be alright, and Tulloch is wounded but not severely. Karnaloth goes to the pool and drinks while the others search the place. They find a shield and a small lockbox by the fire, as well as a ring upon the finger of the reptile warrior. "We need to get Terek back to the surface." Milandison says, and everyone agrees. Gathering up the half-elf, after Karnaloth has made sure that he is stable, the five men make their way back to the inn. On the way, they keep a slow pace, Wargos and Karnaloth hard-pressed to keep up. Since the pace is so slow, they have plenty of time to rummage through the meager possessions of the lizard things. The few closest to the inn seem to have a bit of coin, and they open the lockbox. A few semi-precious gems are inside, but they are glad to have escaped with their lives.
*Going back down
Making their way back up to the entrance at the pantry of the inn, the men are a bit surprised to find the way is blocked, the secret door back in place. Searching aroud, they do find a lever, to which the door replies with a strange "click-crunk", but does not open. Turning to Karnaloth, Tulloch says, "You broke it!" The priest can only shrug, not knowing what else to do. He moves up to the door, trying it, but the door pushes outwards from inside the pantry and he simply can get no good hold to pull it. Milandison comes up with an idea. Taking a metal piton and a hammer, he makes a makeshift handle on the door. Wargos comes up with a crowbar from his pack, and recieves strange looks. "Hey, you never know when you'll need one." he says, and shrugs. Eventually, they are able to pry the heavy stone door open enough to go through.
Stepping through first, Tulloch ducks as a crossbow bolt strikes the stone above his head. A scared, "By Pelor's robe!" is heard, and Tulloch can see a terrified woman, the inn's cook, a few feet away, her crossbow pointed upwards as she recognized them at the last minute. Piling through the doorway, she helps them as best she can, taking Terek's unconscious form. Telling her of their need for healing, the cook points them in the direction of the nearest temple.... to Boccob. Thanking her profusely, the men leave the inn.... to be confronted with blaring horns and bells in the city. "What's going on?" they ask a passing guardsman, and they get the breathless reply, "The Lord's infant boy has been taken. The Tower Guard have been mobilized." The group, sharing worried looks, proceed to the temple. Once there, the priests of Boccob administer what healing they have, ending the wounds of Terek, and patching up the others as well. In exchange for that healing, and also a few healing potions for each of them, the group gives the temple one of the semi-precious gems from the small lockbox, a purple corundum.
Leaving the temple, healing in their packs, and renewed in their resolve to find the child, they make their way back to the inn. The cook is there still, though she says that the barkeep has left. She leads them back to the pantry, where the secret door still lies open. Moving swiftly down the tunnels, the five men soon move to pass through the stalagmite and stalactite room. From there, the tunnels turn back to the south, though it narrows from ten feet down to five, and is very muddy. Wargos looks over the ground for a few minutes, and says that hugging the eastern wall and moving at a slow pace would be wisest. Without questioning the underground wisdom of the dwarf, they move.
The descent is steep, and even at the slow pace, they often slip and fall. After several dozen yards, they see a light from an alcove up ahead. Moving cautiously now, and Milandison with his bow at the ready, they move towards the light.
----The sound of rushing water echoes loudly in the tunnel. A large opening in the side of the tunnel, and on the right side, leads into a rather large alcove. You almost retch in disgust at the smells coming from inside, and you peek in. Amidst the putrescence sit two huge, hulking brutes. From where they sit you would guess they would be about nine feet tall when standing, and bulky muscles ripple under their grayish skin. They're taking turns peeling flesh from a leg-bone, and do not seem aware of your presence..... yet.----
Trying to communicate without speaking, the light from Karnaloth's torch is quickly snuffed. Once the loud priest finds out that they are trying to sneak past the enemy, however, he seems to have other things in mind. "Where is the child?" he asks from his place in the back, and the two brutes turn to see who spoke. Wargos is in the lead, but Milandison covers them with his bow. Thinking that they might be in over their heads in a fight with these two, the group indicates that Karnaloth was the one who spoke. Turning their attention towards him, they sniff the air. "You have food." one of them says, and Karnaloth repeats his question, this time with an incentive. "Tell us where the child is, and I'll give you the food." The brutes seem to think on this for far too long, but enventually come to an agreement, "You give us food first." Karnaloth sighs and tosses them his rations, all seven days worth. "Snack carried that way by lizard-people.", one of them says, indicating the tunnel continuing to the south. Sighing their relief at the peaceful solution to that possibly disastrous situation, the five men move on.
*The Ruins I
----The tunnel continues to slope steeply downwards for about one hundred feet past the den of the brutes. It widens into a flat, somewhat sandy beach. A roaring underground river churns in a southward direction. A small distance to the left of the tunnel entrance/exit, is a small quay, to which are tethered three small boats. You see a spot for a fourth, but is it gone.----
Investigating the boats, the five see that they have to paddles, only rudders. However, upon the rudders are etched three strange words. Deciding to brave the river first, Milandison grabs one of the boats for himself. Once he has gotten in, he notices something very strange. The boats are made of stone! Still, they seem to be perfectly functional, and seem to weigh no more than a light wooden canoe. Once seated, and with his hand on the rudder, he untethers the boat. Despite the heavy curent, it doesn't budge. saying the first word etched upon the rudder causes the boat to turn and begin moving down the river, though a bit slower than the current itself. Milandison waves the others one, steering the boat from side to side to slow his progress and allow the others to catch up.
Karnaloth and Tulloch go next, the priest experimenting and saying the second word first. The boat does nothing. He says the third word, still nothing. Finally he settles for the same old humdrum of the first word first,a nd the boat starts down the river. Shaking his head, Wargos and Terek come next. Still fiddling, Kanaloth says the second word, and is thrown backwards, almost going overboard as the current picks them up and hurtles them forward. Tulloch easily keeps his balance, and is hardly affected at all. When the third word is spoke, Karnaloth is flung to the front of the boat, as it stops. Completely and suddenly. Rubbing the bruise on his forehead, the curious priest sits back and says the first word again.
----The river whisks you along at a fast pace, though you don't find it terribly hard to steer the craft. You travel for about twenty minutes, guessing that you have moved about ten miles, when you see some light up ahead. It would appear that the tunnel is ending, though you're not really sure where. As the end of the tunnel approaches, you can see another boat, identical to the ones you're in, tethered to the trunk of a small tree beside the river, which turns suddenly into a medium-sized stream.----
The boats are soon tethered, and the men find themselves in some strange surroundings. Ruins.
----About a dozen ruined buildings are choked with reeds and grass, and worn from years of exposure to the elements. Only the sturdiest of the buildings remain, although decrepit nonetheless. There are six buildings which ring the others, as if some great disaster struck the buildings in the center, spilling outwards but only partially destroying the others.----
*The Ruins Part II
Yuna gathers her pony and heads towards the city gates. Keeping her eyes out for anyone fitting the description of the man in her vision, Yuna is more than a bit startled when she does, indeed, see a man which looks exactly like what she saw. Riding towards him, he turns to face her as she approaches. "You must come with me." she says simply, and the dark-skinned man nods, saying nothing. Though they are searched when they leave Longspear, they are allowed to leave. Yuna and Yahyah head south.
_
OOC: Alright everyone! That was where my first session of the new campaign ended. Where does the trapdoor lead? Who are the mysterious figures surrounding the babe? Have they the fortitude to prevail? Stay tuned.....
*New members
With the help of Karnaloth and Tulloch, Wargos manages to pry up the frame of the heavy trap door. Everyone else looks on, weapons at the ready, when they notice two small travelers across the way.
____
The group slowly descends the ladder, one by one, with Wargos and Milandison in the lead.
----As you begin to move down the tunnel, it slowly widens out to ten feet, and the descent soon raises the ceiling to nearly twenty feet. By the way the tunnel has been descending downwards, Wargos estimates that you are soon about fifty feet below ground.----
Milandison lights a torch, the group all the while listening for the cries of the babe. May and Jonolan are filled in on the situation by Tulloch and Karnaloth, and they seem eager to lend a hand.
Milandison moves ahead of the group a ways, and begins searching the tunnel ahead for traps.
*Trapped!
Milandison moves a small ways ahead, lighting a torch so that he may see. Wargos, who is the next in line, uses his darkvision to great effect, even telling Milandison of outcroppings of rock that the human has not yet seen. The group proceeds cautiously, and Milandison calls a halt as part of the tunnel looks simply too neat and tidy. Then, he can see why: just below the surface of the floor, small spiky caltrops wait to pierce the feet of the unwary. Still, it looks like there is enough room to pass, and the group safely skirts around. Milandison once more takes the lead, eyes straining against the dark. It is not long before he spots something else amiss. A long rope hangs down a small bit from the ceiling of the tunnel, and the woodsman can see it attached to a stout log overhead. Carefully, while the others stay back, he searches for a trigger, Not finding one, he ponders what to do. He settles on cutting the rope. As they proceed warily down the hall, Karnaloth unwittingly stumbles upon the trigger, his foot sinking almost six inches into the earth of the tunnel. Luckily, the sliced rope prevents the log from swinging, and it simply crashes to the floor of the tunnel, everyone flattening themselves against the eastern wall. Nobody is hurt, and they proceed onwards. Wargos soon informs Milandison that the tunnel bends to the south up ahead, and the group moves forward as quietly as possible. Unfortunately, their stealth involves in a not-so-thorough trap finding effort, and a bolt shoots from the floor to strike Karnaloth in the shoulder. The cleric curses, and plucks it out, the area already swelling. He swoons, and immediately knows that it was poisoned. However, he steels himself against it, only feeling light-headed for a few moments. Now much more careful, they proceed.
*Royal flush
Milandison finds several more cleverly devised pressureplates, and manages to lodge them so that the group may safely pass. As he does so, Wargos peeks around the corner. Not far down the tunnel, the passageway opens into a small chamber. Within the chamber are four reptilian humanoids, as the ones they had faced earlier. Seated at a table, they quietly play cards. There is only light from a single candle upon the table, and before Milandison comes any further, Wargos motions for the group to backtrack a few steps. He whispers what he has seen, and Milandison's torch is quickly put out.
Using the dwarf warrior as eyes, the group slowly moves forward with what stealth it is able to muster. Milandison readies his bow, though he cannot see, and Karnaloth hefts his greatclub. As the May and Jonolan come around the corner, the small light from the flickering candle disappears. Everyone pauses, and a hiss is heard from up ahead. The humans find that they can only see about ten feet without the light of the torch, which is a bit of a relief. But not much. The lizardfolk warriors leap to the attack, claws bared.
Wargos manages to shout a warning, but then the reptilian warriors are upon them. Karnaloth shouts, "You're my next pair of boots!" as his greatclub arcs through the air. It connects solidly with the shoulder of the closing lizardman, and he smiles. That smile soon turns to a grunt of pain as sharp claws pierce his armor, sinking deep into his shoulder where the bolt struck. Milandison lets fly, "Ssthp!", but the arrow flies harmlessly into the dark, the archer not nearly as effective when deprived of his sight. Wargos finds himself flanked by two lizardman warriors, and he can feel one of them sink its teeth into his arm. Just then, May, the female gnome, lets fly with a spell, her incantation ringing clearly in the air. It seems that the small gnomish female does not have the same sight problem as the humans. The lizard warrior in front of Milandison suddenly spaces out, reptilian eyes looking suddenly very far away. "I know that spell!" Yuna exclaims, and lets fly the spell. Now that two of the fierce wariors have been Dazed, the battle is not as tough. Tulloch leaps in with his three-piece-staff, the metal-shod ends smacking firmly into the temple of one of the dazed warriors, felling it. Wargos chops at another, and it squares off with the hardy dwarf. Karnaloth manages to get in another good blow with his greatclub, staggering the warrior in front of him, and Milandison draws his longsword, piercing the lizardman's chest. It falls with a hiss. May's dazed warrior shakes off her spell, and slashes wildly at Milandison, the woodsman yelling in pain as it's claws rake across his back. Tulloch swings his staff, and the warrior crumples from a crushes skull.
The last dazed warrior soon falls under the onslaught of Karnaloth and Wargos... but the follower of Ralishaz staggers from his wounds.
*Indecision
May quickly moves to the front of the group, ready to heal Karnaloth, but the cleric waves her away and downs a healing draught that he wisely picked up in town. The group assesses its wounds, and decides to continue. So, back to the front goes Milandison, with Wargos following close behind. Moving down the tunnel, which continues on from this small chamber, Milandison keeps a close eye out for traps. Finding none, the party soon comes into a much larger chamber.
----There are four tunnels which lead out of this chamber. One to the northwest, one to the northeast, one to the southwest, and one to the southeast. Three large lizard humanoids stand guard, two at the entrance to the southwest tunnel, and one to the southeast tunnel.----
The group tries to decide which route to take, and upon seeing the guards not so far away, Milandison is quick to dowse his torch. Wargos keeps an eye upon the lizard guardsmen, not so far away. "We should go down the one with two guards." argues Wargos. "I'm sure that that way has much more treasure." Karnaloth mutters, "And obviously much more danger." May and Jonolan both shrug, not seeming to care one way or the other. "Maybe we should explore the other two tunnels first." Yuna says,
"We don't need to get into too many battles at once." Tulloch remains silent on the topic, but it is then that Wargos notices a change in the demeanor of the guards. Whether their talking has alerted their presence, or something else, heavy crossbows are brought to bear upon the huddled group.
"Twang! Twang!" Shots from the crossbows cover the distance in the blink of an eye, one heavy bolt shattering against the tunnel wall to Milandison's right, and the other thudding solidly into Tulloch. The monk grunts in pain, and the guards have closed, teeth and claws bared.
The battle is fast and furious, the lizard warriors on their home turf, and the lighting very poor for the humans. Wargos, Jonolan, and May operate fairly well, though the dwarf best of all. Unfortunately for the reptilian warriors, they are badly outnumbered and should not have closed for melee. Few injuries are inflicted upon the brave party, and the warriors fall. Breathless and running out of spells Yuna says, "I think we should stop and rest." To which the group replies with a resounding, "Where?" Yuna falls silent, and the group once more tries to decide which way to go.