The Lake and Beyond

Eyre 19th, Zor, 998 Y.K. (continued)

Katerina suddenly falls into a blank state, a few moments later she comes to and explains that she has just had a vision.

*Katerina comments

All of a sudden the darkness was washed away and I was standing on a vast plain amidst the cyclopean ruins of a city that was lost hundreds of millenia ago. Above me in the endless silver sky a dark vortex swirled, drawing in the faint whisps of cloud and dust that hang in the atmosphere. Orbiting this vast and distant vortex was a single dark speck almost imperceptible in its distance.

Surrounding the ruins were countless emaciated humanoids with skin ranging in colour from black to white and all hues that lie between, a low sonorous chant droned steadily forward from their masked faces. As they raised their faces to the sky, the tendrils that could be seen from behind their masks began to writhe frantically.

The ground began to erupt as decayed hands reached from the barren earth, and from the cracked ground crawled all the creatures that accompany decay; centipedes, flies, maggots, spiders and all types of vermin.

Almost in unison with the crescendo of the humanoids the centre of the ruined city erupted and a great creature with a scorpion-like body and an almost indescribable countenance burst forth and began to devour the humanoids.

The object orbiting the vortex grew in size with each consumption and swirled into the whirling clouds before disappearing from view.

Then there was simply nothing.......

1.00 p.m.

The heroes have spent some time checking over the new equipment that they have found. They have also dragged the bodies of the fallen adventuring party to the room that once served as a kitchen. Here they erect a crude pyre, as the flames begin to lick about the wood, Katerina speaks a brief prayer for their souls and as the fire begins to take and the smoke begins to thicken the party close the door and bid the "Lightbearers" safe travels in their new existence.

Anvil collapses. Everyone shows concern and begin examining him but he regains composure in a few moments.

*Anvil comments
The world about you suddenly falls away, like paint running from a water-colour on a rainy day.
You are suddenly bathed in light and your senses are filled with the gentle hum of magic. As you step forward you see, for the first time, your creator. He smiles as he looks you over, walking around you with eyes filled with pride.
Glancing towards the man you came to know as master he says, "This one is special Devlin, take great care of him his potential is strong."

Once more the world swims and you are standing on the plains, far behind you the collection of buildings that housed the Cannith forges stand silent, hidden by the rocky outcrops that border the plains. To the east, over the plains and hills you are aware of an gathered army, ready for battle. As the sun gradually descends behind you, you hear the ring of steel far in the distance and the sounds of war reach you. Looking down you are surrounded by a ring of nine children, all under the age of two. With fear in their eyes they turn their faces upwards and watch as as the sky begins to burn, as they do so a fog rises from the ground about your feet, enveloping you in its obscuration. You hear voices nearby calling to the children and as you look down into their pleading eyes one steps forward on legs unaccustomed to walking, leaning down you take the child in your arms and as you lift him from the ground he whispers one word as he touches your Ghulra, "Dream....."
The light from the sky intensifies and the children one by one simply vanish before it engulfs you, taking your sight and once more leaving you in darkness, the world you are familiar drifts back into focus.

The group head back the way they came to the Inner Sanctum (50) and head down the tunnel. The tunnel is reasonably well travelled and after about 75 feet the tunnel splits, the main tunnel carries on and the sound of crashing water can be heard ahead. A less well travelled and more natural looking passage through the rock carries the rich smell of sea air and the cold wind of the sea, the party head down this tunnel.

It is not long before the group see the cold light of day and the grim storm that rages outside, the tunnel emerges on the face of the cliff and the party take some respite in a more 'natural' environment.

*Ajax comments
After the unatural darkness and oppressive atmosphere of the mine, even a cold day and a storm are a welcome touch of nature in a unnatural place. Ajax as a shifter is partially beast and feels the atmosphere of the mines especially, though Kapek who grew up on the open plains also seems badly effected both by the atmosphere and the enclosed space of the mine.

*Anvil comments
Anvil indeed delights in the cold rain drops splashing against his Adamantine plates and ash toned living wood. He also marvels at the many changes and different places the world has to offer him, most of his time and memories are of the heat and grime of the Cogs deep within the bowels of Sharn. Exploring forests and caves seeing the vastness of the ocean before him, Anvil wonders what other sights will be seen and exotic places he will travel to.


A grappling is secured at the tunnel mouth, over the edge of the cliff a rope hangs to more easily scalable rocks below. The keen eyes of Lorric and Anvil spy a rope tethered to a rock by the crashing waves at the waterline. It is not apparent whether or not there was perhaps a boat tied here. Looking about the rocks far below they can see remains of many ship wrecks, broken masts and the like crash into the sharp rocks at the foot of the cliff.

2.30 p.m.

Having had some time to enjoy the fresh air, and make suppositions as to why the rope is here, they decide to head back into the caves and take the tunnel that leads to the sound of crashing water.

The Lake Level

The Cave Entrance (1)

The temperature drops substantially and the air takes on dampness. Ahead of you the sound of crashing water booms through the tunnel. The narrow passage you are travelling along widens out into a 15 foot wide platform that overlooks a huge lake filling a natural cavern.

Water from the river above gushes through the ceiling here in a spectacular display of mist and dim blue light. The heavy rains over the past few days have swollen the river and so the force of the water here seems to be particularly amplified.

Around the edges of the lake are walkways some 10 feet above the water level, and dotted throughout the lake are huge natural pillars that connect to the walkways by natural arched bridges. The who area is illuminated with dim light, Kapek surmises it is emitted by natural glowing algae that has grown on the bed of the lake.

*Anvil comments
Anvil is pleased to have his halfling friend with him and hopes to learn much about the natural world from him.

As the cavern is entered the darkness that has hampered the party this far becomes even worse, movement becomes even more hampered as the darkness takes form, tenebrous tendrils reach out from shadowy areas to pull at the group, the pervasive feeling of being observed becomes ever worse and their limbs feel tired and sluggish. A dark intellect fills the air.
(All players are now at -3 attack/damage/AC, movement is reduced by 10ft., light sources are one quarter as effective. Thoughts become distracted, concentration is difficult. Any activity that requires any kind of coherent thought requires a Concentration check DC 20 to even attempt.)

*Ajax comments
The atmosphere worsens and Ajax weapons seem heavier and his strength sapped by the foul atmposphere of this place. Even worse the tentacled goblins seem to be getting bigger. Well aware of the fate of the LightBearers and the other group the group wonder how far they dare push on. The matter is discussed but no firm conclusion come to. All feel, though for different reasons, (duty, reputation, stubborness, compassion) that they should push on.

The party head out across the bridges of the nearest pillars and look out onto the beach ahead. They can make out many strange effigies crafted from driftwood, rags and other organic materials, that litter the beach. These bizarre designs look as though they may have some kind of religeous importance, but it is unclear from this distance.

The Camp (2)

The strong smell of fish oils and salt-water drift from the mouth of a recess ahead.

The hushed chattering of strange gurgling voices emanates from the darkness.

The group stumble upon five of the strange tentacled aberrations, these are somewhat larger than those they have previously encountered, seemingly created from hobgoblin stock. As the fight progresses Katerina notices two dark shapes coming through the water towards them, it is not long before two more tentacled creatures join the battle.

Several severe wounds are taken before the foes are slain, but the party prevail victorious and head on.

As the group reach the peninsula-like protrusion on the path they are following, Lorric notices a large mass of tentacles deep in the centre of the lake, after pointing them out to the others Anvil decides to pull out his new wand of Magic Missiles and send some in the direction of the aberration, it recoils in pain. After several more volley of magic missiles it sinks out of view and the group wait with baited breath.

After a few moments they see the large mass of dozens of tentacles moving towards them and as Lorric move back to hide in the shadows he is stopped by an impenetrable and invisible wall of force, preventing any retreat. Kapek feels his limbs begin to stiffen, but with great resolve he shrugs the effect off. Ajax begins to continue along the walkway, effectively leaving the fight. The tentacles sink back into the deeper waters.

*Ajax comments
Just after Kapek has thrown off the strange paralyzing effect a strange feeling dawns on Ajax. He realises the creature below is friendly and means them no harm. He moves along the path and tries to encourage his comrades to follow him hoping to forestall any violence by removing the group from this friendly creatures home.

Suddenly with a surging of water the mass of tentacles thrusts out of the water and onto the walkway. Kapek recognises the creature from tales he heard from Q'barra, it is a creature that normally lives in swamps, it is known as Darktentacles. After several frenzied attacks by the creature, Lorric steps forward and with a flurry of lethal blows with his favourite tankard he strikes into the heart of the creature and it slumps lifeless to the ground. The group begin to move on.
 
*Ajax comments
When the creature surges from the water Ajax grips his sword and prepares to hurl himself back towards the group with the intention of disarming the rest of the Crimson Fist and preventing them hurting his new friend. However before he can take more than a step the creature is dispatched with lethal efficiency and Ajax is left standing there wondering what on earth he was thinking.
No-one in the Crimson Fist seems to have noticed anything strange about his behaviour so, in a rare burst of wisdom, Ajax decides to keep quiet.

As they continue around the walkway sudden movement catches their eye from a huge pillar across the water (5). A flock of creatures fly from it and begin circling the area. These small creatures are identified as stirges, evil blood-drinkers that are bear a passing resemblance to huge mosquitoes.

They circle several times before returning to the pillar from which they emerged.

The group see a shingle beach ahead and Ajax decides to try out his new boots, granting everyon the ability to walk on water for a limited time, they step out onto the lake and head for the beach (3).

*Ajax comments
Ajax has been dying to try out his new gear and so jumps at the chance. He is delighted with the effect and happily bounces along the water. Once again he is delighted by the wonders the world has, all the things he would never have known if he had never left the Fallen.

As they are crossing, Lorric spies several forms hiding on the platform of a nearby pillar (6). He informs the rest and as he does the creatures slip silently into the water and move to attack.

In perhaps the strangest battle the group have had so far, they meet six of the hobgoblin-like creatures, all of their attacks are aimed beneath them as the creatures remain under the water as they attack. This being their home environment, the creatures are also able to rake at the group with their 'feet'. The attack is vicious and the party take some severe wounds but are ultimately victorious.

The Shingle Beach (3)

The walkway slopes down gently to a smooth pebbled beach. The water here appears shallow enough for a medium creature to wade across waist deep to the nearest pillar of rock (6).

The shore is littered with organic debris, branches, bones and dead leaves, two battered chests lay amidst the debris, well away from the water line, it looks as though they may have been dragged here away from the fluctuating water level.

They reach the shingle beach to find two large chests that have recently been forced open, their interior is dry and empty, tracks where they have been dragged up the beach are less than two weeks old.

The Whirlpool (7)

From this corner of the cavern comes the source of the thunderous roaring that fills the air. Here the water turns white with rage as it swirls maddeningly into depths below.

The Passage Down (8)

A corridor off the walkway leads gently down to a natural spiral stairway leading down, the smell of rock-pools and sea water drifts up from below.

The party head down the stairs and eventually come across an more well hewn stretch of level corridor, investigating one way they find that the tunnel has collapsed, and about fifty feet from the stairs a vertical shaft in the ceiling heads up into the darkness. Once they find that they can travel no further, they double back and head towards the smell of the sea.

Yberrigan’s Lair

As you head down this tunnel the smell of salt air fills your nostrils and the sound of lapping water can be heard ahead.

The further down you get the greener and slicker the walls and floor become.

Anvil is the first to enter the room and is immediately assaulted by crossbow fire from a natural crack in the cave wall. Some of the other party members move into the cave ready for attack.

The sound of water echoes as it laps against the walls of this large cavern, a gentle greenish glow emanates from the farthest point of the pool, probably diffused daylight from a submerged source. The rocks beneath the feet are slick with fine green algae or sea-weed like growth, making movement treacherous.

From within the water shadowy shapes can be seen moving and circling, the occasional flash as light reflects from something shiny, like a fishes scale.

A moment later several forms move out of the water towards the group, four of them are the hobgoblin creatures and two are apprently from bugbear stock. A final figure can be seen in the water, hideous in appearance, almost jellyfish-like in translucency, with the visage of an old woman dressed in tatters.

The battle commences. The goblinoids move forward across the slick rocks while the group decide to make a tactical retreat into the corridors so they are fighting the creatures one at a time.

The old woman figure catches Kapek with a glance, his heart fills with terror and threatens to stop beating completely, he draws upon all of his will and shrugs the effect off.

Several Sound Bursts, are centred on the group as they pull back. And then the Goblinoids reach them.

Lorric throws a flask of alchemist's fire into the throng and Anvil and Kapek hold the front line. One by one the creatures fall.

Then a nauseating mist rises from the ground about their feet. The stinking cloud succeeds in causing Ajax to vomit uncontrollably, the rest of the group, and several of the attackers move back into the cave to escape the cloud, some of the attackers are also worse for wear due to the cloud. Attacks are focused onto the witch, who gradually moves back into the water.

Lorric in a heroic moment leaps into action, deftly skipping across the slick rocks he leaps into the water and proceeds to grapple the creature, Anvil follows closely behind, beating the woman with Guardian, his shield. In a few short moments her lifeless body lies limp in Lorric's grasp, he continues to beat her.

Meanwhile on the shore the rest of the group are faced with the last of her guards and one by one they fall, as Lorric emerges from the water carrying the corpse of the sea witch he spies his moment, and the last blow of the battle is struck as he beats the bugbear creature to death with the corpse of its master.

The water is searched and amongst a pile of coins and other trinkets they group find a flask of vile smelling black liquid and heavily wrapped in cloth made from seaweed is the incredibly huge and startlingly bright Eberron Dragonshard that once graced the lighthouse above.

*Kapek comments
Kapek muses that if the Lightbearers did indeed come in from the sea entrance, it was a grim jest that made them turn left instead of right in the corridors. Who knows if their strength would have prevailed here, where it failed against the Tombspider?

The Profile of the Tunnels Beneath the Lighthouse

The Descent

Eyre 18th, Wir, 998 Y.K.

2.00 a.m.

As the group are sleeping, except for Anvil and Kapek who are on watch, the first few heavy drops of rain begin to fall from the sky outside.

The entire group are suddenly awoken by a deep groaning creak like the headland itself is trying to split in two, followed by a booming resonant thud coming from far below them, it rings through the ground beneath their feet for a few moments before fading to silence once more. The rain outside begins fall heavier and distant storm clouds crack with thunder and flashes of lighting. Ajax takes a moment to check the cellar before the group go back to their beds.

The following morning the clouds are still dark and a heavy rain falls outside the warmth of the lighthouse. By mid afternoon the group are finally prepared to head back into the tunnels beneath the them.

*Anvil comments
With the completion of Anvil's weapon familiar, Guardian has been created and given instruction to protect the weak and to destroy Anvil's enemies.

They head down, after a brief foray down the rails on the winch level, where thy find that the tunnels have long sinced collapsed, they continue past the Merchants level and into a once well decorated wide and heavily travelled stairway that winds down some 75 feet before they come across a door, above it in dwarven is the word "Stables". The stairs continue down but the group decide to investigate beyond the door.

Some 50 feet down these stairs the darkness that suffuses every inch of the environment takes on a more sinister and substantial feel.
(All players are now at -2 attack/damage/AC, movement is reduced by 5ft., light sources are one half as effective. Thoughts become distracted, concentration is difficult. Any activity that requires any kind of coherent thought requires a Concentration check DC 15 to even attempt.)

The door opens to reveal a wide avenue thick with dust and rock debris. There are rooms down each side that appear to have been large stables, each entrance adorned with ornately carved stone jambs, the doors themselves have fallen from their hinges in places. There are no marks or track and it is determined that this are has not been touched in centuries. The party push on down the avenue, some 200 feet ahead it begins to slope downwards, they continue. Further along the tunnel they come across a section that doubles back upon itself and heads back in the direction they have just come from, but on a level. Above the avenue a section of the ceiling hangs a little lower, carved into this, in splendid Dwarven runes is:

Clan Thuldark

Stables          Temple

The group continue in the direction they were going until they find that their path is blocked by a long forgotten cave-in.

The double-back on themselves, this time heading along the tunnel sign-posted as the Temple.

This grand terrace is lined with statues of warrior dwarves, obviously once adorned with precious metals and jewels which have since been stripped from the stone. The ground seems to have once been painted with pure gold.

About 150 feet along this avenue the party are faced with a huge set of stone doors, one of which stands open about 6 inches.

The group try to heave the door open but they are simply not strong enough, Kapek decides to squeeze through the gap and take a look around.

As his eyes become accustomed to what he is seeing he can make out through the thick darkness two braziers burning on large stone pillars to either side of a raised dais, beyond which is an altater and a massive statue.

The Royal/Temple Level

The Temple (43)

This huge room was a temple, that much is clear, 2 rows of 8 ornately carved pillars frame a great plinth with two pools of water behind and two huge ever-burning braziers in front. This plinth houses a great statue of a scarred and mutilated figure, behind an altar.

Alcoves line every wall of the room at 5 foot intervals, with which can be seen skeletal remains, some of which are still standing.

In front of each brazier he can make out the large forms of 2 creatures, they fix their gazes upon him their incredibly long claws twitching.

These large skeletal humanoids claw-like fingers are at least two feet long. Worse, the slender, knife-sharp claws contract and extend in length from moment to moment, sometimes instantly reaching a length of ten or more feet, before slowly contracting.

He sneaks out again, a little more quickly than he entered.

After some discussion and further attempts to open the door they decide that Kapek should search for some kind of mechanism that may open the doors, so once more he heads in. In the first alcove by the door he finds a winch and begins to turn it, with each ratchet click the door opens another inch, once the door is fully opened the two creatures snap into life and the sounds of rattling bones emanate from the alcoves.

Seven skeletons form into rank and file on either side of the door awaiting intruders.

The fight is long and at times difficult as the skeleton warriors seem to be working as units, defend each other and distracting their opponents to leave gaps in their defense, meanwhile the other creatures, that Katerina identifies as Boneclaws, stab at the group from a distance using their huge claws.

*Anvil comments
Anvil felt no real great effort in crushing the animated remains of these crude creations. Anvil fought with deep resolve fortified by his new ally Guardian infused with a Bane against undead.

Towards the end of the battle it becomes apparent that the altar is surrouded with negative energy that seeks to sap the life from any living creature that ventures too close.

As the last skeleton clatters to the ground the room falls into silence once more. The door on the far side is examined and seems to be barricaded from the other side, with a group effort they all charge the door, and with a creak and a sharp crack they hear the planks that have been nailed across snapping and the door opens.

*Ajax comments
Ajax is disgusted to discover that once again the enemies have no ears to take and complains bitterly. This leads to a short debate as his companions suggest he should take fingers or teeth instead. Ajax decides to take a tooth each but only when they don't have ears.

The group enter the next room.

Entrance Hall (42)
Two stone benches sit facing south in this chamber, towards a fountain that was once quite beautiful, now decayed, it occasionally gouts a grotesque bubble through the viscous green liquid that fills it. Vivid murals and curtains once depicted the glories of the Duergar race, now the paint has peeled from the murals and the once bright curtains hang tattered and faded from their rails, the air is fetid with the smell of stagnancy (like the mulch at the bottom of a pond).
Once this room was where guests awaiting an audience with the Priests would sit upon the benches and contemplate their reasons for being here under the watchful eyes of the Royal Guard. A fountain bubbled gently in the centre of the room and brightly coloured murals and curtains danced in the lamplight.
The party head down the first tunnel on their left, some 20 feet along it opens out into another room.
Anvil, at the head of the group, peers through the darkness, he can make out several forms moving through the shadows between the bunks, an occasional tentacle drifts into view, others in the party can hear scuttling feet from the darkness beyond.

*Anvil comments
Anvil moves to position Guardian to cover his companions as the familiars unseen eyes pierce the darkness searching and scanning, silent communication pass back and forth about the shadowy movements in the room ahead.

Royal Guard Bunk Hall (44)
In this room there are 14 bunks, each with the remains of a thin straw (or similar material) mattress. 2 small chests lie at the foot of each bed most have been smashed open and lie empty save for the odd few playing cards or dice, a couple are still intact but are open and empty.
This is where the Royal Guard would rest, and relax if they were allowed a few moments by the priests.
Anvil is the first into the room and he heads for the closest figure he can see. Combat is initiated and the black blood begins to flow like some vile wine. Eleven of the strange tentacled goblinoids move out of their hiding places in the room and as the party move forward to attack they are quickly surrounded. The creatures ability to strike true is devastating to the group, although luckily for them the monsters seem limited in their use of this power.
As the combat fades and they resign themselves to mopping up the last couple, the group assess their situation and realise once again just how low their resourses have fallen. As they begin to relax, feeling little threat from the last pair of goblinoids, more of the tentacular aberrations begin to pour into the room from the two other exits.
The party make a tacticle withdrawl and find that their retreat has made fighting the creatures more favourable to them due to the fact that they have headed down the way they came thus funneling the blue monsters into their assault one at a time.

Towards the end of the battle Ajax reaches his sword towards the hostiles and spontaneously his arm becomes a single tentacle. This throws much concern into the party as they feel that he has been somehow tainted by their surroundings. He claims that he is fine but the others are not so sure....

*Ajax comments
Ajax was suprised that his hand had unconciously shaped itself into a tentacle during the fight. He is however much more suprised, and a little shocked, to discover as the fight ends with his comrades wepons pointing at his throat.
He holds up a tooth on a string at his neck and explains it was taken from an old foe, Ragnar. Ragnar's spirit spoke to him in the Fallen and told him of a way of fighting he called the 'War-Shaper'. Ajax has been practicing all his life and has now it seems started to master its secrets.
His comrades put away their weapons but Ajax notices they are still watching him out of the corner of their eyes.

*Anvil comments
Anvil watches the reactions of his friends closely, noting their dislike of Ajax's change, and agrees that in this place where we have had word of things changing in the depths of this disquieting place that Ajax shouldn't use anything that would cause the rest of the party to distrust him.

The group search the next few rooms.

Guard Mess Hall (45)
Several broken tables and chairs lie scattered about the room and a rancid stench arises from a pile of offal, food waste and faeces.

*Anvil comments
Anvil is once again pleased that he doesn't have to do any of the eating, drinking and waste process of the rest of the party

Guard Kitchens (46)
This room was once a kitchen; it is now a ruined, decayed tip, everything that was once a tool or utensil is bent broken or smashed. The only thing that is still functional is the fireplace and the large pot hanging over it.
This is where once the Guard would prepare the meals for the Royal troops.

Royal Hall (47)
This exquisite hall has been carved with utmost care and precision. 2 rows of 5 pillars run down each side of the hall and a narrow bridge crosses a river of about 10 feet wide. On the other side of the bridge is a pair of intricately carved thrones standing on a raised plinth, behind which is a beautifully embroidered curtain.
Once more Anvil enters the room first, as the group acclimatise to their surroundings, they can make out several small figures hiding around the room, more of the strange goblinoids. Anvil begins to cast an infusion and the rest of the group watch as several of the creatures slip away into the river.

Once the group are ready for battle they begin to move forward and engage the enemy. The battle is swift and deadly, although as it begins some of the group experience strange memories or hallucinations.

*Ajax comments
As the group rest after the brief battle. Ajax decides to tell his comrades about the vision that hit him before the fight started.
He tells of how his mind was flooded with images of his childhood in the Fallen. How pieces of memory slowly threaded together to form a sentence in his mind. How the various memories of his tribe's shaman became a message warning him that one of his comrades was not what they seemed. That one of them was spying on them and reporting back to one of the DragonMarked houses.
Ajax had briefly considered not sharing his vision with the rest of the Crimson Fist but had quickly decided he trusted the comrades he had fought and bled with more than any vision he received in this dark and corrupt place.
He also felt that one of his comrades reporting to a Dragonmarked house is not that big a deal, he is more concerned with Kapek's vision of Darkness in the sky and blue eyes. This is particularly because he has blue eyes and his comrades still seemed strangely worried by the whole tentacle thing.

*Kapex comments

After Ajax speaks, Kapek relates his own strange experience. He too had visions of his childhood, when his mother was teaching him how to understand the beasts his tribe herded out on the eastern plains. This idyllic vision was shattered by an ominous darkness rising in the east, with tumult and thunder. Through it, a pair of blue eyes can be seen peering out over the land. His mother hastened to escape with him, saying that something was trying to escape and that they had an imposter in their midst.
In view of Ajax's recent . . . . changes . . . Kapek is suspicious again. The cloying darkness and the strangeness of these experiences is making the halfling increasingly edgy and irritable. He even starts suspecting the stoic Anvil of dark designs, especially after Ajax's references to a traitor working secretly for a Dragonmarked House.

*Lorric comments
Lorric listens to Ajax and Kapek relating their visions, and becomes more suspicious of his own experience, which he had initially thought to be a memory. But if it was a memory, why did it come to mind now, and with such force? And why did others have a similar experience? Also he could not remember this memory from before, altho, in all fairness, flashbacks were nothing new to Lorric, he frequently could not remember events, due to penchant for all things alcoholic.
Lorric explains his own 'experience' also of a childhood memory, of coming to in the gladiatorial arena, covered in blood and sweat and watching as the sky turned from day to night, the twelve moons racing across the heavens as though time was passing quickly, an almost imperceptible black shape moving nearer in the night sky, as the crowds age, die, rot and then rise again as undead.
Having related his own tale, Lorric wonders why there was no mention of an impostor in his experience, and wonders if he is unwittingly reporting back to someone, he is after all a good talker, particularly after a few dozen jugs of ale.
He goes on to mention to the others that there were rumours of the Order of the Long Arm having ties to some of the Dragonmarked houses, he also explains that he had asked the master in Sharm if he knew anything about this, (someone had asked Lorric previously, "Don't you know who you're working for?" or something like that - but Lorric had been drinking, of course) but the chapter master had refuted any knowledge of such claims.
Noting the distrust evident between the companions, and still curious about how and why this memory/vision had come to him, and why some of the others had had a similar revelation, Lorric asks Katerina if she has any way of divining if they have been bewitched. Alas, she is unable to do so that day, and they are forced to wait til the morning to ascertain that there are no lingering magics in effect.
Lorric is still puzzled however, and tries to remember more of this fleeting vision, which seems to evaporate in the cold light of day, like a dream upon waking. He is sure the master of the gladiator pit was saying something but he could not quite remember what.

One of the doors is daubed with several marks and is wedged tightly shut with pitons, the marks are quickly daubed and depict a spider with a skull and cross-bones beneath. Below this is a rough picture of a candle, the letters "LB" and the words "Great Danger". Lorric recognises the symbol as the mark of the "Lightbearers" adventuring company of Sharn. The group decide that they should probably leave this exit alone.
Fearful of what is happening, and with limited resources the group decide to return to the surface and recuperate. They spend the night in the lighthouse before returning and exploring the rest of the level.

*Anvil comments
As the rest of the party sleeps Anvil carefully crafts a weapon crystal to infuse his familiar Guardian with the burning touch of flame, as he does so he considers the strange visions or dreams that the others had while down in the bowels of the Duergar ruins. He wonders why he and Katerina didn't see anything, maybe he ponders it is because neither he nor the Elven kind truly sleep and dream in the same way as the rest of his friends.

Eyre 19th, Zor, 998 Y.K.

8.30 a.m.
The party begin their long descent back into the blackness

10.15 a.m.
By mid-morning the group reach the temple level once more and decide to press on through the double doors behind the thrones rather than risk unnecessary danger

Robing Chamber (48)
This area is a series of empty stalls has a pair of hooks in each one as though clothing was kept here.
This room was where the Duergar Priests kept their ceremonial robes and prepared themselves to enter the temple or inner sanctum.

Royal Temple (49)
An altar directly faces you as you enter from the Robing Chamber where 2 huge candles each bearing a symbol of The Mockery gently burn, illuminating the wondrous murals on the walls of the room. The paintings seem to dance in the flickering candle-light, moving with a will of their own, grey skinned dwarves work at glowing forges, cut and mount sparkling gems on fantastic weapons and towering above them all stands a wiry dwarf, skin so dark as to almost be black is flayed to the bone in places and silver hair blowing in the breeze of a forge, an expression crosses his face that at first would appear to be pleasure but a sliced lipped sneer betrays malice.

*Anvil comments
The faces of the Mockery once again make Anvil agree that his masters were wise not to teach the Warforged about religion, it would appear to be a confusing and dangerous thing to mess with, in an already bewildering world.

Inner Sanctum (50)
A plain oval room. One well used exit leads out to the left. The slight scent of sea air drifts up from the tunnel.
The group search this room and soon discover a secret door in one wall, activating the mechanism they enter the tunnel ahead. it turns sharply right and they discover a dead-end that conceals a second secret door.
Upon opening the door they are faced with a corridor filled with masses of sticky webs.

*Anvil comments
Anvil is pleased that his extra training is being of use to the group

Servants Quarters (51)
These rooms are now just damp empty chambers, a simple bed lies in the room with a chest at the foot, thick cobwebs hang like gossamer curtains from the corners of the room and it’s these cobwebs that provide the food for the creatures that hunt here. A thin layer of slime covers nearly everything within each room and a small drainage ditch runs along the edge of each wall and down through a small borehole. These rooms were the damp and leaky ones of the complex.
These rooms used to be where the servants to the Priests lived and slept.

As anvil approaches the junction to the first of the rooms he sees a pair of humanoid fugures shambling towards him, their skin rippling as if they are home to thousands of smaller creatures. He moves forward to block the creatures advance, as he does so the warforged can see into the room where a huge spider paces back and forth spinning a wall of webbing.

The rest of the group move to back Anvil up, they find that the main problem with these creatures is that they are covered in webbing and upon impact these webs seek to wrest the weapons from their hands. In short order the first is killed by Anvil's wand of Shocking Grasp, and upon the final blow the creature explodes into a swarm of fist sized spiders that proceed to engulf the rest of the party. The second humanoid and the swarms are swiftly killed before the group moive intot he room fully to face the spider. After several disappointing attacks and subsequent attempts to try and pull weapons free from the webbing, Ajax finally strikes the killing blow.

Further discussion between Anvil and Katerina concludes that these creatures are Tomb Spiders and their Broodswarm, which in turn create Web Mummies as part of their life-cycle.

*Anvil comments
Given the added success using his crystal of burning touch, Anvil resolves to make more weapon crystal for himself and his friends to prepare them to fight a wide range of enemies in the most effective way possible.

Treasury (52)
A heavy steel bound door made of Rich black wood is locked in this doorway.
Anvil finds a series of traps that surround this door, first a paralysis poison dart is triggered by tampering with the lock, then sharpened steel bars come down to either side, five from the door, and there is also a magical component although it is difficult to discern the effect.
Once inside there are several large but empty chests, lids open, with nought but rotting fabrics and a few copper pieces now going green in the damp (25 in all). A couple of well rusted daggers and short swords lie in one corner and damp rotting leather armour lies by them.
Anvil searches the room and in short order he locates a secret compartment, quickly bypassing the trap that is associated with it, he opens it revealing a shining short sword that hums with electrical energy. Kapek gladly takes the sword as a welcome addition to his armoury.

Royal Kitchen (53)

A large table stands in the centre of the room and a large blackened fireplace holds a huge cauldron. Little of value can be found in here, small jars of old herbs, dull cutlery and crockery and a selection of urns that would have once.

This was where once the Priests had their food prepared.

Two Web Mummies are here with one broodswarm. The empty husks of the tentacled goblin-creatures scatter the floors, some of which are larger and more hobgoblin in appearance than any the group have encountered this far.

*Ajax comments

As hordes of spiders crawl all over Ajax.......yet again, he realises his irrational fear of the creatures seems to be lessening as it is burned away by constant exposure to them (though his perfectly rational fear of the giant versions remains).

As the fight commences Kapek notices that the wall ahead has many fist-sized holes in it, all perfectly clean with no rough edges. As the battle commences his attention is drawn to the wall near his head which begins to glow, gently at first, but rapidly becoming white-hot before the face of the wall melts away and a strange worm-like creature bursts forth to attack.

As more of these creatures appear the battle is fought on two fronts, but it is quickly over as the group over-power their foes with ease.

*Anvil comments
Anvil watches with an odd feeling of delight as Embattle throws a bottle of Alchemists Frost onto one of the creatures before it has had a chance to fully burst out of the wall freezing it instantly it then dissolves away.

Royal Chambers (54)
This once lavish bedroom is now dulled and dusty. A large stone bed dominates the room opposed only by a fireplace of intricate design. All other items are gone from this room, just a thick layer of dust and cobwebs.

Royal Living Quarters (55)
This room is cold and dusty, the chests are empty and the weapon racks only bear the scuff marks where axes and swords once stood. The floor is rough and bears chisel marks, the floor appears to be about 2 inches lower than it should be indicating that the original floor has been removed.
This was the room where the royals went about their daily business, looking over mining reports and merchant details. Of course they wanted to do this in the utmost comfort, surrounded by the things they love so this room was the centre of the Thuldark opulence.

When inhabited the walls were lined with gems and the floor was paved with gold. Weapon racks held the finest enchanted weapons that the clan had possession of, and chests held the most perfect gems and mineral.

Now this room is home to a Tomb Spider with three Web Mummies and two Broodswarm.
The Remains of  adventurers can be seen behind thick webbing in one corner of the room.
The battle is tough and the group sustain some severe injuries but they prevail in the end.

The remains of the adventurers bear papers that identify themselves as “The Lightbearers”, an adventuring company from Sharn. There were four party members, a warforged rogue (Picks), a human artificer (Brugan Jerela), a halfling fighter (Kean Tallgrass) and a human cleric of Dol Dorn (Prulith Lareit). Although only three of the bodies are here, it can be assumed that the fourth (Brugan) was the corpse behind the thrones in the Royal Hall (47).

*Kapek comments
Kapek reflects that this is no way for a warrior to die. He wonders what should be done for their desecrated bodies.

*Ajax comments
Ajax is filled with conflicting emotions about the Lightbearers. On one hand the gear they carried is excellent (a pair of sandals he finds is particulalry fine making him feel as is if his feet are hovering on the air) on the other he feels that being consumed by spiders is a poor end for anyone (who isn't part of the Blood of Vol).
He feels that something should be done to give them a more dignified rest than being consumed by spiders and suggests improvising a pyre from beds and spider webs to give them a proper send off.
He also consoles himself that they have been avenged as their slayers have met their own end at the hands of the Crimson Fist.

*Anvil comments
Although Anvil had never before met Picks, he feels a sadness at the Warforged death and with careful hands removes his Ghulra to return it to Sharn and the warforged community there, to mark his death.

A Return to Gullsnest

Eyre 16th-17th, 998 Y.K.

Eyre 16th, Mol

Shortly after sunrise the group venture back into the tunnels beneath the lighthouse. After some time they reach the Merchants Level once more and decide to try their luck down the stairs.

After some 50 feet or so they feel the darkness coalescing about them, thickening, becoming almost tangible. The pervasive feeling of being observed fills their senses and their worst nightmares sit on the peripheries of their consciousness.

Feeling somewhat under prepared due to the drained resources from the fight in the Lurker's lair, the party decide to head back out and perhaps head to Gullsnest to report their findings, sending word to Sharn so that should they not return then all they have done is not in vain.

It is decided that Ajax and Loric should run back to Gullsnest as they are the fastest members of the party and if they push themselves they can travel the 40 miles each way in a couple of days. And so a couple of hours before midday they begin to run back west along the coast, leaving Anvil, Katerina and Kapek on the imposing headland.

Gullsnest Revisited

The unlikely pair stagger into Gullsnest in the late afternoon after pushing themselves to the limit.

The pair head to the "Empty Nest" to secure a room for the night and to find out how to get a message to Sharn. They are informed that an Orien caravan comes to the town every 2 weeks and the next will be visiting in eight days, however thay are told that should they wish to pay a little more there is a gnome of House Sivis located in the Wayhouse who works primarily for the security of the southern coast, but is willing to sends messages for a few gold.

They head to the Wayhouse where a warrior unit of House Deneith's Defenders guild are stationed at the request of the Brelish crown. Due to the strategic importance of the location they have installed a sending stone and Hilbert d'Sivis sits by it day after day waiting for it to activate.

The pair have a letter that Anvil wrote, addressed to Aleal d'Lyrander, the elf that hired them. They are informed that the letter will take about three hours to arrive in Sharn and should the recipient choose to reply it will obviously take three hours for a return message. They inform the gnome of where they are staying so that he may deliver any reply.

The letter reads:

"Dear Aleal D'Lyrander,

We are the Crimson Fist sent to investigate the troubles at the lighthouse of Bluescar. The town has been wiped out and many of the bodies are missing. There were some signs of zombie creatures, we killed all we found.
The gem of the lighthouse is missing, the family that were there appear to have been scared to death, we have buried the bodies and marked the site.
We uncovered a vast tunnel complex under the lighthouse that appears to desend more than 1500 ft. We met with a non-hostile tribe of kobolds about 100 to 400 ft down, they helped to confirm that some kind of tentacular aberration had come to the surface, we guess that they may have taken the gem. We have fought and killed some of these blue-faced goblin like tentacular creatures.
We found the other adventuring group they are all dead.
We have killed a spider creature called the Lurker and a web golem said to be a great threat by the kobolds. We have also seen Volts in great number.
Magical darkness and an evil feeling has grown stronger the deeper we have gone down, the darkness seems now almost tangible.

Kindly direct any replies orfuther instructions to Lorric the Iron Fist care of the Gullsnest waystation."

Once the letter is sent the pair ask where they can buy Healing potions in the town. They are informed that Saulira d'Jorasco is comissioned by the crown to serve as healer and advisor to the patrols along this stretch of the coast and she divides her time between here and the outpost, luckily this week she is here. She sells the pair several potions, all stamped with the Jorasco Griffon. They ask if she has any repair potions for Anvil and they are directed to Harvath Brell the smith in the forge, they are told that if anyone has anything of that nature it will be him as he is licensed by House Cannith. So they head there before the sky begins to grow dim. They have a letter from Anvil to deliver to the smith with regards to his shield that he had set an unseen crafter to work on before he left.

The pair deliver the message to Harvath and in return he hands them a heavy shield, covered in spikes and an associated strange mechanism attached to the rear of the main body. He can sell them a few dusty old potions of repair oils but there is little demand for them here so he doesn't have many, the ones he does have are several years old. They ask where they can purchase some more obscure items such as alchemists fire and the like and they are directed to Grimshaw the alchemist. As the sun falls past the horizon they finalise their dealings with the grumpy old man, buying several alchemical flasks and items.

Lorric decides it is time for ale and the two head to the inn for the night. He also takes the opportunity to restock his own supplies of ale and spirits

As the ale flows Lorric begins his usual drunken antics and Ajax shows off his collection of ears. The locals are concerned that the group are here and not at the lighthouse so the drunken adventurers begin to recount their tale thus far.

They inform the locals of the growing darkness that is nestled beneath the headland and the strange tentacled goblin creatures that lurk within the nightmarish shadows, they tell them of the web golem and the giant tentacled spider that they slaughtered. The townsfolk show obvious concern as Lorric tries to allay their fears by letting them know that they seem to like the dark. Nervously glancing out into the night the locals begin to head home. He continues to try and ease their fears reminding them that it is forty miles away, Ajax helps by letting them know that they managed the journey in just a few hours and that there is every possibility that there are tunnels stretching this far, and if not then the depths of the sea can be quite dark. The bar soon empties as the terrified locals head to their beds.

Eyre 17th, Zol

The drunken duo head to their beds after some serious beer drinking and awaken the following morning to a knock on their door. Hilbert d'Sivis hands Lorric a message and bids them good day.

The letter reads:

"For the Attention of Lorric the Iron Fist,

Many thanks for your status report, it is most concerning.
I feel that perhaps it is associated someow with the curse of Yarhum Draal.
It pains me to inform you that in the last 3 weeks there have been five more vessels lost in the vicinity and I must therefore stress the imperative nature of the situation.

The Dragonshard from the lighthouse is practically one of a kind, making it almost impossible to replace with any kind of facsimile.
With your undoubted successful return I have been authorised to re-nogatiate your fee.

There are many people anticipating your safe return.

Kind regards,
Aleal d'Lyrander"

Shipping co-ordinater for Brelands southern coast.

As the sun is still low in the sky they set out on their run back to the lighthouse. By early afternoon they arrive at the lighthouse and distribute the goods they have acquired and let everyone read the note, Ajax seems reluctant to let Katerina read it as she has expressed deep concerns for the lives of those lost at sea and feels huge a responsibility to stop the deaths.

Anvil informs the group that he can not travel for the next day as he has to complete the work on his new shield and for the next 24 hours he concentrates soley on his new equipment, imbuing it with sentience and infusing it with a part of his own life essence.

The rest of the group take the time to spar and relax. Lorric in particular finds something inside himself that seems to surface after a few early ales, his movements and actions as he practises his daily kata find a new direction, the ale intensifies his ability and in a moment of pure alcohol induced clarity he turns the weaknesses of the drunk into the seemingly random, yet perfectly calculated motions of the martial master.

Katerina takes some time to bathe, using the softly scented soaps and oils that Ajax brought her back from Gullsnest, her suspicions about his motives ease as the hot water and sweet scents infuse her senses and temporarily wash her troubles away.

Kapek takes the time to tend his mounts and watches with unconcerned tedium as Ajax fixes his clawfoots gaze and begins to speak with it, as the dinosaur looks to it master Kapek asks Ajax, "Let me guess.... He's hungry."

*Ajax comments
Ajax has dreamed all his life of being able to talk to animals like his tribal shaman, Yulunga. So he is slightly disappointed when he uses it on Reaver only to discover the clawfoot mostly thinks about food.

The Lighthouse

Eyre 14th, Sar, 998 Y.K.

Around 10.00 a.m. the group have climbed the steep valley side and arrive at the Lighthouse on the southernmost point of the Brelish coast.

They find that there is a small barn and a couple of rough shacks along with the solid building of the lighthouse itself around a cobbled courtyard.

The Barn (4)

This large building has a sliding, wooden door which stands open a fraction, darkness lies beyond. Strange gasps and wheezes can be heard in the darkness beyond.

The group slide the door open and enter.

The chicken coop has been decimated by a fox. Feathers and blood coat everything. The cattle are weak and cannot walk, rats have begun to gnaw at their ankles and sides, and their breath now comes in laborious rasps. The pig pen has been broken open from the inside and now lies empty as do the horse stalls. The sheep and goats are not well, but not beyond hope, if let out to graze they would recover in a couple of weeks.

A ladder leads up from the chicken pen to the hayloft (5), the darkness up there is silent.

Winterfeed for the livestock was kept here, now several dire rats have moved in, the group rapidly despatch the nests of the vermin.

The cattle are let out to graze and although there seems to be little hope for their survival, the group seem concerned, perhaps moreso than for any other living thing they have come across.

The Kennel (1)

Deep growling comes from the dark entrance, eyes glow green as they catch the light, and teeth bared glisten with saliva. A large dog chained here is in a sorry state, it is half starved, diseased and rat-bitten.

Once more the group display an extraordinary act of mercy and cast healing magics on the dog after feeding it.

They continue searching through the out-buildings before entering the Lighthouse.

The Tool-shed (2)

This is where most day to day tools are kept, gardening equipment, paint, oil, glue etc... Outside the shed are several barrels of some kind of oil or fat (most likely whale).

The Wood-shed (3)

A gentle thumping comes from this area as the wind blows the open door, as the wind builds the door becomes more frantic in its banging.

The wood supplies here are for the home fires as well as any other bonfire they may be having. It is well stocked and ready for winter.

A working water pump stands just outside this shed.

Into the Lighthouse

Living Room (6)

The front door is unlocked and leads through a small entrance room where cloaks are hung and dirty shoes have been discarded. A second door leads you into the living room.

The first thing that hits you with this room is the smell of rot and decay. As your eyes adjust to the dim light seeping through the shutters you can see a large, reasonably well furnished room. A large fireplace would have kept this place warm even on the bitterest nights.

Two doors leave the room, one to the tower and one to the kitchen, a set of stairs lead up and a trapdoor sits in the floor between the kitchen and tower doors.

The smell comes from the body of a man, his face is frozen in a look of sheer terror even though he is obviously many days dead, a short sword lies close by, but it has not even been drawn. Vermin have been nibbling at the body.

Kitchen (7)

In this room foodstuffs were obviously being stocked for winter, pickles, salted meats and smoked fish line the shelves of a pantry. Some of the fresh foods are beginning to rot. A half full cauldron of mouldy old cold stew hangs over a long dead fire.

Tower (8)

Stairs lead up and up and up. The top of the tower is some 50 feet above the rest of the house.

At the top is a small round room with a powerful telescope, a comfortable chair, a hearth and a selection of reading materials.. A ladder leads up to the beacon platform.

The Master Bedroom (9)

The door to this room is open. Immediately facing the entrance is a large double bed, a figure lies beneath the covers moving softly and rhythmically as if sleeping soundly.

Under the covers is the body of a woman, in her open stomach cavity 2 dire rats chew the remains of her organs.

After finding an item that Anvil identifies as "Hulbar's Hat of Infidelity" (a hat of diguise) the group (Loric in particular) take some time for frivolities, practising changing appearances.

The Children’s Room (10)

This bedroom has two small beds against one wall, wooden toys and dolls are heaped in one corner and clothing is heaped in another.

The Chart Room (11)

This room is filled with star charts, books on weather, navigation etc... All are stamped with the Brelish Royal Crest (indicating ownership). These would be useful to a sailor or traveller but not many others. They are the property of the crown and if claimed by those not authorised it is an arrestable offence.

The Cellar (12)

Ales, fruits, fresh and cured meats, pickles, smoked fish, flour, salt etc...pack shelves in this cold room, stocked for a long winter, barrels and crates are stacked on the floor. Some of the food has been spoiled by rats but most is ok, some has recently been disturbed, jars opened and the like.

Unknown tracks in some spilled flour coming from a large cupboard whose door stands slightly ajar. Mostly Dire rat, but one set of small clawed footprints, they appear to be webbed footprints.

The cupboard was home to many jars of herbs and spices, most are now spilled and broken. In the back of the cupboard is a hole bored through the wood from the earth beyond, the wood looks as if it were clawed through. The tunnel beyond is about 2 ½ feet in diameter and extends beyond 15 feet. This heads to the tunnels. (area 13)

Beneath the Lighthouse

The Collapsing Room (13)

As the tiny runnel is crawled along the walls change from earth to stone and it opens out into a small chamber filled with rubble and debris. The walls in this room seem quite recently hewn.
This room appears to have been designed to collapse at the pull of a rope, sealing the tunnels off. A simple strut held the ceiling. A rope was pulled from the shaft, removing the strut and thus bringing down the roof. But the collapse was not complete.
Ahead a shaft leads down a vertical drop of 40 feet before another slick tunnel leads another 80 feet down at a 40 degree angle. A thin trickle of water seeps into the tunnel through the rock wall, the slope then ends in a 20 foot drop onto solid rock.

At the bottom, the group find themselves in a tunnel that leads away some fifty feet before opening out into a larger opening.

The Main Shaft (14)
Before you a wide shaft some 50 feet across drops away into darkness below and narrows to about 10 feet wide some 80 feet above you. A small platform juts out from the tunnel and from here a ladder leads upwards and an iron staircase spirals down into the darkness. Two thick ropes lead from the darkness above into the darkness below in the centre of the shaft.

The Pulley Room (15)

The ladder for getting here goes under an overhang making it very difficult to access this room.

The ladder creaks precariously as you climb into this room, as you reach the overhang you feel the steel shift a little making you pause involuntarily; it is a long way down.

The sickly sweet odour of decay drifts faintly down from the portal above.

As you reach the top of the ladder a small room becomes visible, a large pulley is built above the hole and several barrels stand in one corner, these contain grease and a mop for greasing the axle.

Kapek scouts out this room and after a terrifying climb, which involved him nearly slipping from the ladder, he notices several shapes clinging to the ceiling, wracking his brains he desperately tries to recall what they are, with sudden clarity he remembers what they are - Darkmantles. Quickly and silently he begins to descend the ladder, as Anvil see his return he shouts, "What is up there?"

Kapek freezes in his tracks as he hears a sound from above like the flapping of sheets in the wind, he clings to the ladder with pure desperation and tries to become one with the shadows as the first of the creatures comes driftring down into the shaft.

The combat is fast and furious, Kapek tries to get upward into the pulley room where there is solid rock beneath his feet, but the constant assault of the half-fiend darkmantle makes it difficult for him.

Anvil umbues an arrow with light so that the party can penetrate the darkness, but the other three darkmantles render it useless with their darkness ability and head toward the light sources on the stairs.

Eventually the creatures are defeated and Kapek returns to safety, chastising Anvil for his impatience and instructing that until the scout returns, the area is not considered safe.

*Anvil Comments
Anvil is truly sorry for his action and is pleased that no one was killed by his action. He is now much more aware of his need to be able to be steathly and mentally makes note to make a device to aid him in this way. Once more he also reminds himself that he has no need to be hasty and feels that maybe he has been watching the way in which his friends rush around and his taken the bad elemental of that in his own actions, "Act swiftly when danger is present and act with thought when it is not " he thinks to himself.

The party head down the stairs.
About 50 feet down from the tunnel that they entered the shaft they find a tunnel that heads into the rock face. They head into trhe tunnel with Anvil leading the way searching for traps, it is not long before he finds one, a trip-wire that triggers a rack of spikes to swing from the ceiling. He disables it and they continue along the passage.

Another 100 feet along the passage widens into a small cavern, Anvil detects a false floor and several small figures can be seen hiding among boulders to the sides of the room. He addresses them and a high pitched yapping voice replies. Kapek recognises the voice as draconic and a kobold comes into view.
The Kobold asks what they are doing here and explains that this is their territory, he makes them aware that although they have been into the lighthouse foraging it was not them who dug the tunnel, it was those from below. He tells the group that they must come with him to meet their leader.

The group are led through several hundred feet of tunnels, avoiding many traps on the way before the passage opens out into a huge cavern that appears to be an excavated seam. Within this cavern is a shanty town, bustling with kobolds, loose wooden structures clinging to every available surface. The smell of cooking and smoke fills the air, they are led though the huts to a larger structure where an important looking kobold sit on a veranda flanked by guards and dire weasels. He is dressed in robes adorned with feathers and strange plant materials. He introduces himself as King Gribdel.

They are told that they are free to leave, but if they wish to pass back this way they must help the kobolds. They are told that in the darkness below there is a creature that the have barricaded in, this creature they call the "Lurker", it was once a spider but now it has been tainted by the darkness below into something worse. He can also offer them a cloak in return for this favour.

He lets them know that the things that dug the tunnel came from the darkness below and are warped versions of whatever they once were. One of his scouts tries to describe the creatures in more detail but is vague, Kapek offers the scout the Hat of Diguise that they found in the lighthouse so that he may show the group what the creatures looked like, after several tries he succeeds although he has difficulty with the tentacles that protrude from their shoulders.
It is a goblinoid figure with rough fur growing through its blue scaley hide. A film of black swims across its eyes.
King Gribdel informs the group that his people have lived here for over 250 years and they found that these old mineral seams were a good place to live as fresh water gathers at the base of the seam. It appears that the people who dug theses mines were after a mineral known as violet garnet.

The group are told that another 200 feet down the shaft there is a second kobold colony and a guide will take them that far so that they are not attacked, after that it is another 300 feet or so before they complex begins. They will know when they reach the lair of the "Lurker" as it is well marked.

And so the group move into action once more, heading downward into the shaft's depths.
As promised they are given a guide who leads them as far as the next kobold camp, once there he tells them that he will travel no further.

Some 300 feet further down the shaft the group come across a passageway. The walls and floor of this tunnel are well crafted, the floor is cobbled and the walls are expertly rendered. The group head in, in search of answers...



The Slave Level

The Slave Master (16)

This room was obviously once very plush. Rich linens cover a large well sprung bed, a large chest of drawers stand in one corner.
As the group investigate Anvil disturbs a nest of monsterous centipedes in the chest of drawers, the vermin are quickly despatched before they cause any problems.

The Communal Slaves Quarters (17)
This room has the floor covered with straw and many sacks stuffed with similar fibrous material. The stench of stale excrement is still strong here; you can only guess how it smelled whilst occupied. The walls are covered in graffiti, mainly in the goblin language, it appears as though this room was home to perhaps 40 goblins.

The Slave Cells (18)
Each of these cells is a tiny room with 2 small bunks, they were obviously meant for smaller than average humanoids. Graffiti helps to identify the inhabitants as Dwarves.
One of the bunks holds the skeletal remains of a short humanoid. There is nothing of worth to be found here.

*Anvil comments
Anvil feels some sadness that the Dwarven people had been imprisoned here, although his time with them has only been small he feels some affinity with them and their skill at stone working and crafting armour and weapons. He doesn't show any sign of it upon his face and continues on searching the cells.

The Manacles (19)
In this room there two sets of five huge rings set in circles in the floor, each ring has a length of heavy chain attached and what appear to be huge manacles on the end.
Claw marks etched into the floor around these rings are identified by Ajax as perhaps Umber hulks, huge subterranean aberrations.

The Prison Cells (20)
Thick plant growth fills the corridor ahead; beautiful yellow and purple flowers throughout the greenery emit a heady entrancing aroma.
The group identify the plant as a Yellow Musk Creeper, although they are unaware of any properties the plant has other than the intoxicating smell of it's blossom.
As they enter the corridor several door to the cells open and shambling figures move towards the group, clumps of plant growth sprouting from their bodies. They appear to have once been an adventuring party. The plant begins to fill the area with puffs of dusty pollen, Kapek feels a light-headed intoxication come over him but shrugs off the effects, the rest of the group, other than Anvil, move back out of range of this cloud of spores. The "zombies" are despatched quickly, Anvil remaining in the corridor while the rest of the group attack from a distance where possible. Eventually the plant and it's minions are destroyed and the party make the decision to burn the remains for fear of the spores contaminating anything or regrowing.

*Anvil comments
Anvil wishes the group had listened and he had just moved forward to burn the plant before anyone else was put in any kind of danger, Anvil doesn't like the thought of of the minds of his friends being effected after the trouble caused when Katerina had her mind altered.

The Pit (21)
Beyond the door the corridor slopes steeply down, a 30 foot slide, the sides and floor of this tunnel show signs of things sliding down, scraping their way, perhaps not of their own will....
It emerges into a room with smooth walls the floor is filled with bones, mostly dwarf, gnome and goblinoid. A roughly hewn tunnel leads out of the west wall; it is as though it was clawed through by something particularly powerful.

Water Cavern (22)
The group follow the rough tunnel on its winding path through the dark rock, unsure of the reason why it is not a more coherent path, a few moments later the sound of crashing water can be heard and the sight of a large insectoid creature can be made out staring into the turbulent waters.
This natural cavern has a spectacular waterfall plummeting in to the north and a turbulent whirlpool close to the walkway.
The umber hulk continues to look out over the water, perfectly still and seemingly unresponsive to the presence of the group. After some debate it is decided that Kapek should head into the cavern and see if there is further passage through the room. He heads in....
Once in the chamber he notices that the umber hulk is covered in a thick layer of dust, albeit damp from the spray of the waterfall, he nudges the creature that is still showing no response to his presence and with a sound of creaking and clattering the carapace falls to pieces, whatever flesh it once had is long gone.
The party discuss whether or not it is worth trying to find passage through the river but decide that it is too fast flowing to be safe.
With no further options in this part of the complex they head out to the main shaft and once more begin their descent.

*Anvil comments
Anvil for once wishes his size and bulk weren't causing an issue and begins thinking of some ways in which he can use magic and his artificer skills to craft something to help overcome this problem should it happen again.

Another hundred feet or so down the shaft and the group come across another passage, they enter.

The Workers Level

The Violet Garnet (23)

The door to this room is crudely painted with a picture of a gemstone, the word "Violet" painted above, and the word "Garnet" painted below.

Several rotten barrels lie overturned here alongside tables and benches. Occasional broken bottles or mugs litter the floor. This place looks like some type of inn or tavern. A huge symbol of The Mockery is painted over the bar.

The Store (24)
Barrels line the walls, this used to be where the ales and spirits were kept, and a hot stew would have been permanently bubbling over a fire-pit in the centre of the room with a small crack in the ceiling acting as a natural chimney.
Now this room is home to something else, a small bluish goblin like creature covered in scales and fur with tentacle protruding from its shoulders moves to attack regardless of Anvil's attempts to communicate.
As the group watch the thing changes form, becoming a writhing mass of tentacles, occasionaly a clawed hand or foot can be seen within the mass and as they fight the strange abomination its head shoots forth from the mass to bite at its attackers, the "thing" is killed and it reverts back to its original form.

*Anvil comments
Anvil is shocked by the changes that fleshy forms can alter into.

The Arena (25)
This room has a large set of circular doors on the floor some 20 feet across. They look as though they are reinforced so that they can be walked upon, auditorium style seating lines the walls.
The party lift one of the great wooden doors in the floor and find themselves peering down a deep and exceptionally smooth walled shaft. Anvil surmises, drawing upon his knowledge of architecture and engineering that the wall is so smooth due to the fact that whoever created it spent a lot of time and sand-paper on the project...

The group leave the Violet Garnet and head down the stairs they found near the entrance.

On the first level that the group find they can hear the sound of running water directly ahead, they head straight for this room to find a bath that has a constanly renewed water source as an underground watersource has been tapped into, fillling the bath which overflows into a grate around its base and is presumable drained back into the water flow.
Within this room they find three more of the strange tentacled goblin-creatures and one slightly larger rests in the bath.

The creature in the bath conjures a cloud of foul smelling vapour into the room, Anvil steps forward and begins the assault, the creatures take on the form of their amorphous mass of tentacles. The creatures fall one by one

As the combat continues several more of the creatures begin to move in from the corridors behind them, Ajax covers the rear of the group from the corridor with Katerina but sustains several particularly bad wounds from their viscious bite attacks. Katerina keeps the shifter on his feet but as the fight progresses the creature from in the bath moves down the corridor trying to get away from the party's assault and begins to attack Katerina as she is blocking its escape, the rest make chase, except for Lorric who falls foul of the vapours and begins vomitting. Ajax clears the rear of attackers giving Katerina the chance to get out of her predicament and the leadr becomes trapped between Ajax and Anvil. After a prolonge melee the thing dies at the hand of Kapek who has been attacking from behind Anvil with his sharrash.

*Ajax Comments
Ajax is very impressed with the mettle of the spell casting goblin, standing as he did against the entire group at once. He carefully takes his ear and affords it pride of place among his collection.

Once the combat is over the group search the rest of the level, determining that these were some kind of dormitories. Heading down the stairs they find three more levels of these small simple rooms, each having a rough wooden bed and occasionally a few personal belongings, judging by the apearance of these rooms they seem to have once housed dwarves, now the goblin-creatures have taken up residence in some of them.

Finding no further clues the group head back to the main shaft and begin their spiralling descent into the darkness.

About another 100 feet down the shaft the atmosphere tangibly changes. An overwhelming feeling of nausea, fear, doubt and uncertainty fills the senses. The air itself seems to thicken and coalesce around you, the darkness seems to hold sentience and you cannot shake the pervasive feeling of being watched. Nightmares sit on the periphery of your waking thoughts distracting your every action.
(All players are now at -1 attack/damage/AC.)

The Winch Level

The Main Shaft (Platform Room) (30)

In this chamber the stairs descend an overhang; at this point they become steel grill platforms hanging from the ceiling, an unnerving sight if one were to look at his feet as the entire shaft can be seen below.

A narrow bridge crosses the shaft here. Above the bridge a huge axle can be seen with 2 huge wooden pulley wheels. Ropes from one wheel lead up, the other lead down.

A set of steps lead steeply up to the platform that appears to go up.

Scattered around the floor are several skeletal remains and half eaten corpses most seem to be quite old, but others are much fresher, perhaps a few days.

One platform rests above the actual main axle and leads up to the mineral seam and is still functional, Steps lead from the bridge to a suitable height for loading and unloading. the second platform appears broken beyond repair, the rope has sheared and the platform now hangs precariously, wedged in the shaft.

As the group enter the area, their light source disrupts several Cave Crickets that have moved in and live within the shaft itself, they immediately begin chirping. The sound is almost deafening and the party can barely hear each other talking, when the lights are turned off the chirping stops, however the group decide that they need light in order to function.

*Anvil comments
This only helps to reaffirm Anvils need to begin work on a pair of Cannith Goggles as a part of his ongoing personal quest to overcome any faults or failings he finds in his Warforged body.

Ajax and Kapek search the  area for tracks and determine that several goblin-like tracks came from the narrower tunnel, and that footprints that appear almost boneless and tentacle-like came from the wider tunnel.

As the area is investigated Loric notices several flashes of blue-white light from the darkness of the shaft below them, accompanied by the faint sound of short, sharp cracks of energy. He decides to head back up the stairs a little and warn the rest of the group before going into hiding. Anvil however does not hear this warning above the sound of the crickets, he is busy searching, the narrow passageway for traps.

Moments later thae entire group can see the lights as the creatures that are causing the fly into view and begin to head straight for the light sources.

The creatures are determined to be aberrations known as Volts, it soon becomes apparent as to how dangerous they are when one aataches itself to Ajax's neck and begins to electrocute him whilst sucking his blood.

Eight of the creatures are killed before the assault ends and the group decide to head along the narrower of the two tunnels.

Ore Shipping (29)
A basic rail leads down a tunnel on side of the room and back in on the opposite side. An ore truck sits on rails as if ready for a load; a light chain runs from the front and back of the truck into each tunnel.
Four metal pillars keep the ceiling held up here and as the room is searched many tiny beetle-like creatures can be seen congregating on one side of the room.
Anvil recognises these bugs as Ether Scarabs, these panicky, harmless-looking beetles are native to the ethereal plane. A wide variety of ethereal predators eat ether scarabs, so the latter have developed the ability to flee across planar boundaries. They often appear on the material plane next to buildings or other large objects near which they have made their lair on the ethereal plane.

An Ether Scarab has six tentacle-like legs and a hard, amethyst-veined, chitinous shell marked by swirling, colourful patterns. It sports two pairs of vicious-looking mandibles, which it uses to tear planar boundaries.
The group find nothing else of interest here and investigate the next room, before deciding to finish investigating this level.

The Guard Room (28)

This room is empty except for a rough stone weapons rack. A tunnel leads of to the south where a staircase leads down into blackness.

As the party head back through the ore-shipping room and into the main shaft once more, Lorric decides that it is best for him to sneak some distance behind the party, the rest of the group are crossing the bridge as he leaves the ore shipping room and he notices a blue, spidery hand reach through the fabric of the planes and pluck one of the beetles from the air, he can make out blunt rubbery tentacles twitching in the darkness beyond. He makes the choice to inform the others of his sighting.
Meanwhile in the shaft, a gentle breeze begins to blow from below, the sound of cracks of energy resonates from the depths and a pervasive blue-white flashing begins to rise from the darkness. Concerned for their safety the group retreat to the area they have just explored and here Lorric tells them of his sighting. Concerned that this could be the "Lurker" that the kobolds told them of they make ready for attack. Anvil remains at the tunnels entrance and witnesses a vast swarm of volts rush into the cavern, swirling the air and crackling with energy. He holds his shield in a defensive position and keeps the tunnel blocked, as time passes he hears the cave crickets chirping begin to stop one by one.

*Anvil comments
Anvil is pleased that his size and stoic form can be used to defend the whole group. His ability to stand completely motionless is once again put to good use.

Behind him however the rest of the group seem to have agitated the ether scarabs and they begin to attack, only minor wounds are taken by the party and an interesting effect of the scarabs death is that they explode into a tiny planar rift upon their death, by the time the combat is over, there are sveral of these rifts gradually closing throughout the room. The group take the opportunity to peer through these holes into the ethereal realm and try to see what is behind the veil.
They can see a single form moving in the ethereal, a blue-skinned wiry humanoid with what appears to be a thick mane of short, blunt tentacles, it cannot be clearly made out beyond this shadow visage. Lorric slings a rock at it although can not be sure whether or not he made contact as the rifts close up leaving the worlds separate once more.
The raging activity in the shaft subsides with the rapidity in which it arrived and the tunnels once more fall into silence and darkness. The party head on, across the bridge and into the wider tunnel.

The Winch Room (31)
Two great sets of wooden gears are sat silently here, a barrel of tar by each one. Ropes lead from the vertical gears to the platforms (in area 30), and from the horizontal gears into holes in the walls. The ropes are daubed with some kind of tar or bitumen to prevent them slipping on the pulley wheels.

Ajax notices that there is an unusual amount of brown dusty material around here, and anything metal seems to have been practically destroyed, crumbling to rust as it is touched.

The door ahead can be seen to have no metal components to it at all and appears to have simply been propped up. The group have all heard rumours of rust monsters and fear that they are about to encounter one, Anvil seems particularly concerned.

*Anvil comments
Anvil, twice in the same day begins to think of ways to overcome one of his failings, he needs to get himself enchanted with Blueshine. Anvil is not ashamed by his need to fall back and allow his friends to deal with the Rust monster it is a tactical choice.

Ajax strips himself of as much metal as possible, takes hold of a quarterstaff and heads down the passageway searching for traps on the way. He heads up two sets of steps and reaches the far door in safety. Lorric enters the corridor next and as he does he sees the shape of a humanoid form clinging to the ceiling just over halfway down the tunnel, he manages to distract the creature just enough to go into hiding, this alerts the rest of the party behind him that there is something wrong.
Ajax checks the door infront of him, seeing that like the previous door all metal parts have rusted to nothing, he finds no traps and prepares to push the door open.
Lorric takes the opportunity as the thing on the ceiling is watching Ajax to leap from his hiding place. He pounces into the air and grapples the thing to the ground, the rest of the party move forward to attack and Ajax kicks the door in to be faced with the hugry antennae of a rust monster.

As the combat progresses, it becomes apparent that the creature that Lorric is wrestling is a choker, although larger than the ones they have encountered previously. And it also becomes apparent that they had not noticed one as they entered the tunnel, it was on the ceiling directly above the door, and as the party charged in they left Katerina on her own at the rear. The elven healer soon finds herself in the vile clutches of the aberration, unable to speak or breath. Without the quick thinking of Kapek and generous usage of his wand of cure light wounds Katerina would certainly have died of her injuries.

*Anvil comments
Anvil is pleased that the tactics to save Katerina worked well, but is aware that Katerina needs to always be in a more secure postion.

Meanwhile Lorric continues to wrestle with the other choker and Ajax battles the rust monster alone except for the help of a celestial dire badger that Anvil summoned from a wand. Ajax's fury grows as the monster before him smells gold in the shifter's belt pouch and brushes it's antenna into the bag destroying nearly 200 gold.

The combat ends leaving the group decidedly low on resources, Ajax is to weak to shift or rage without rest, Katerina has no more healing spells left and so the group decide to return to the Slaves Level to rest there. They assume that it is perhaps 4 or 4.30 in the afternoon, a little early but it gives them plenty of time to recuperate.

*Ajax Comments
While the rust monster is dead, Ajax is still in the grip of his ferocity and there is a short interlude as he stomps the unfortunate's creatures remains while yelling, "That's 5,000 beers you just cost me!" and similair complaints...

They examine the room that they are in before journeying back.

Device Room (32)
The central focus of this room is a polished metal disc some 12 foot in diameter and at least 6 inches thick. A series of large pipes and cables run to and from the disc.

Looking up you can see a shaft that is exactly the same size and shape as the disc.
Rings are welded to the steel in places where it seems things were tethered.
As the disc is investigated it becomes apparent why the rust monster did not destroy it, it has a purplish sheen to it, Anvil identifies the metal as Byeshk.

*Anvil comments
Anvil is amazed at the metal and may look into getting some as a possible coating for his adamantine body to futher fortifty his armour, he also marvels to the workmanship both here and in the device room and wonders at the times gone past, he makes a mental note to look into history books when the group passes by the Sages home.

The warforged spends some time attempting to cobtain some of the Byeshk for further study. As he chips away at the disc he finds that it is a thin coating, perhaps 2-3 mm thick over the disc and pipes.

Mined in the Byeshk and Graywall Mountains bordering Droaam, this rare metal is prized by smiths for use in jewelry and weapons. It has a lustrous purple sheen and is hard and dense. Byeshk weapons are known to be anathema to creations of the daelkyr, which can be resistant to other weapons.

Anvil also determines that a huge device behind the disc heated cold water in a boiler and the rising steam pressure filled a piston beneath the disc causing it to lift. Once at full extension the shaft could be locked into position.
The group assume that it rises into the arena several levels above.