Tower of Magic #5

[GM Mad]

Tower of Magic #5

Midnight’s task has been completed! The enchanted mace has destroyed the primary altar of Nerull and in doing so, cleaned the Tower of War of the invading god’s forces. The explorers pick themselves up after the battle and find Kharyna laying in the rubble, unconscious.

Lara calls out for a cleric and Geena comes rushing up.

“Is something wrong?” Geena asks before seeing Kharyna. The spellfilcher bends down to examine her fellow Mystran. “She’s alive and doesn’t appear to be hurt, but I’ll heal her wounds nonetheless. She seems to be sleeping. We should try to make her comfortable.”


In her unconscious mind, Kharyna has just met Renee. The brown haired woman tells Kharyna that she’ll be her liaison to Mystra. Renee is the one who grants spells to followers of Mystra in this area of the world. Renee reveals that Nerull’s power in the Tower of War has been broken. Kharyna has questions of her own.

"There is a lot that comes to mind, so pardon me if it doesn't come out in the most organized of manners," Kharyna warns. "Anything you can clear up would certainly be helpful."

“I will do my best to help. I do not know everything about the Lady of Mysteries plans and desires. There are things that she keeps only to herself. My, you are a curious one!”

"Firstly, there seems to be a lot of interest in the Towers at this particular time. Is there a specific reason for that or is it just coincidence?"

“I assume that you mean the Tower of Magic itself and not the ruins of Gaz’s towers. I am not sure of the exact reasons, but the time for the Tower’s return is near. The Tower has been absent for nearly two thousand years now. It is time for Mystra’s greatest work to be restored.”

"The priestess Geena mentioned something about seeing me in some visions. That I was to restore the Tower of Magic? Is this true? If so, why did Mystra only tell me that I was to destroy the temple here and not the whole story? Was it a test or simply to not overwhelm me at the time?"

“You are in the position to restore the Tower, yes this is true. Mystra didn’t speak to you earlier, Midnight did. Midnight is the Mystran Avatar of the Alphatian people. It is she who grants spells to those Mystrans of Alphatian origin. Thus she oversees Geena, much like I do with you. It is possible that Midnight didn’t want to overwhelm you with the immensity of the task. But it is also possible that Midnight has mixed emotions about your success. Surely she welcomes the return of the Tower and wishes you success, but at the same time such a thing signals the decline of Alphatia and the erosion of her station. As the strength of Mystra worship in Cynalon increases, it will wane in Alphatia. Any god is only as powerful as the faith and number of their followers, thus Midnight will begin to lose her abilities as well.”

[GM Mad]

"Geena was told to take me to the last planet of the solar system, part of the original Alphatian home world. Is the Tower of Magic there or is the method for restoring it there?"

“Yes, to the world generally known as Specter. The Tower of Magic is there and has been there since the cataclysm repairing the damage done to it. The shifting of the world away from intruders is the Tower’s way to keeping out those who are unworthy. You are worthy of going there, so you will be able to go where no one has gone for nearly two thousand years. You need transportation there and that’s where Geena came in. Her skills and faith will be a boon in the days and weeks to come.”

"What is the significance of the Tower of Magic being restored now? Gaz supposedly started it over 1100 years ago, so it's been a dormant project all that time. What is different now?"

"Supposedly Gaz was charged by Mystra to build the Tower of Magic, but he went mad. Was it part of the process of creating the Tower or was it a flawed choice on Mystra's part?"

“That is something of a misnomer,” Renee explains. “Gaz was not charged with the task of restoring the Tower of Magic. He took it upon himself to do so, and so came to this area to re-create the tower. He did not realize that Mystra was not ready for the Tower to be restored. Thus, looking back, all he did was for naught. His madness was caused by his limited exposure to the Crowns of Eternal Night that he, and the other mages of the Fellowship took from the Lich Lords. It is that foul artifact that was his downfall, not anything he did here.”

"So much of the Towers have been plundered and corrupted. Is it worth recreating it here in the same failed spot?"

“The towers here will remain here and they are not part of the Tower of Magic itself. Gaz’s original goal was to build these towers, with the Tower of Magic rising over them up into the sky. Gaz did not truly understand what the Tower of Magic really is and thought he could build his own. It was a noble goal, but one that was ultimately doomed to failure. Having the Tower here is necessary to Mystra.”

"The Tower of Magic was purported to be the premier Temple to Mystra and School of Magic in the world. Is this true? Is that was the Tower is to be and why in such a secluded place?"

“The Tower is that and more. It is to be the holiest place to Mystra on this world. Her seat of power in this world, and the one who runs the tower automatically becomes a very important and influential individual. From this location great works in Mystra’s name will be carried out.”

"What is my purpose to be in the reclamation of the Tower of Magic?"

“Your purpose, thus far, was to remove the invader gods from this area and bring the Tower of Magic here. From there, much of what happens next is in your hands. Mystra will offer you the position of Mistress of the Tower with all the powers and responsibilities that go with it. Should you accept, your life will be irrevocably changed. But know this, the Goddess knows you better than you know yourself. She would not choose you for such a task if she didn’t think you had the temperament for it. Being Mistress of the Tower will go along with your own motivations and desires. That is why she choose you from all others.”

"There are many rumors about the Towers. Are any of them true? It has been told that a grand temple to Mystra is said to exist in the Tower of Power, or that Gaz's apprentices still inhabit the Towers and they are known as the Ring of Five. We heard that Gaz's troops still haunt the Tower of War as undead. Others have claimed that the Tower of Gaz is said to house that Archmage's greatest treasures, protected by his deadliest of traps. Another rumor says that the Gaz built his towers in this location because he discovered a great artifact deep within the Earth."

“All of the above, in varying degrees, are true. You fought undead on the upper most levels of the Tower of War. Those were the undead remains of Gaz’s troops.”

"Logically some must not be true, but in a case like this, anything could be true, when a mage goes truly mad. What caused Gaz to go mad and where is he now?"

“Exposure to the Crowns of Eternal Night made Gaz go mad. His towers were already in progress when this happened. Some of the construction reflects this madness. Not so much in the Tower of War, but in the other towers this is true. Gaz has passed into the afterlife. He will not trouble you, but many things he set into motion will. There are things that he did leave behind that will be a boon to you. Seek the Grand Temple you spoke of earlier for some of these.”

"How long will it take to move or rebuild the Tower of Magic and is it to be done by people or through some power manifested by Mystra herself?"

“The task will be much quicker than you expect. But first you must be sure you are ready to bring the tower here. Once that task is started, there is no going back. The tower will come here at your direction.”

[GM Mad]

"I recognize the name, Renee, from some old history on Cynalon. Are you that same woman and what is your role with Mystra?"

Renee is genuinely surprised at that question. “You are far more insightful then I first suspected. Yes, I am that same woman. When I was a mortal, I was Renee Sculley, the first child of James and Stephanie Sculley. My father was the first Archmage of Cynalon. I was the second. Assuming that things proceed as Mystra has foreseen, as her following grows in Cynalon in time a Cynalonian Avatar of Mystra will arise. I am to be that being. Thus my success is tied to yours.”

"How did Vaprak and Nerull's forces manage to take some hold on this place and are the other tower levels corrupted by others like this was?"

“Their followers came from the Underdark at first. There was a capstone outside the Black Pyramid that led deeper into the Earth. Nerull was here first, his followers working their way with the intent of conquest. Vaprak came later as he saw an opportunity to expand his power in this world. Vaprak let loose his avatar within the middle levels of the tower, laying waste to most of it. The Destroyer caused the damage you saw. He also summoned many monsters to fight the forces of Nerull. The Destroyer’s actions sealed off the lower levels, trapping them down below. Since that time they worked to reopen the paths to the surface. But as the conflict between the two raged, the Priests of Nerull no longer had the power to raise the capstone and gain reinforcements. This was the environment that you came into.”

“The other towers are not filled with conflict such as this, but have their own dangers. The Tower of Power was so named as it contains not one, but two great relics that date back to the creation. Gaz build this tower to examine and experiment with the one relic, completely unaware that a second was very close by. The Ring of Five now uses this tower as a base and it is where they conduct their experiments. These relics are the real reason why the Tower of Magic is to be placed here. They must be protected at all costs. That will be the primary task of whoever oversees the Tower. They are both that dangerous.””

“The Tower of Gaz housed his personal possessions and those things he valued. It is the smallest of the three towers.”

"What is to be found in the other towers and what needs to be done here to make it proper?"

“There are many useful things to be found within all three towers such as material wealth, magic, power and knowledge. In time, they could be useful, as areas of training and even quarters should the tower run out of room.”

"Where is everyone else, anyway?"

“Closer than you think. You’re asleep right now.”


Now what?

[Aswansea]

Swanny:

Swanny passes by Lara.

“What happened? Why was that dwarf on top of me? Where are you going? Wait for me!”

“I think it’s all over with, and as for who you spend your time with, that’s not for me to say,” Swanny answers with a grin. “I’m going to look for Kharyna.”

Along the way, Talia is located.

“I’m all right,” Talia answers. “A bit of a headache, but nothing serious. What happened?”

“Judging by the mess, I’d say that Kharyna completed her mission and all the enemy was taken out in the process. When Mystra gives someone the boot, she doesn’t mess around!”

And then Virae.

Sometime later her eyes flicker open, shaking her head as she looks about searching for the others. Gathering up her shortswords, Virae stands and looks at Swanny as she asks of her condition. “I’m no worse for ware, Where’s Kharyna?.” She says evenly.

“That’s who I’m looking for,” Swanny answers.

Kharyna is soon found among the debris. Geena comes along.

“Is something wrong?” Geena asks before seeing Kharyna. The spellfilcher bends down to examine her fellow Mystran. “She’s alive and doesn’t appear to be hurt, but I’ll heal her wounds nonetheless. She seems to be sleeping. We should try to make her comfortable.”

“All right, we might as well make camp here then.” Swanny announces. “Talia and Virae, you might as well scout the vicinity to make sure we’re alone here. Lara can start making something to eat while Geena stays with Kharyna. The rest of us will spread out and secure the area. Looks like we might be here a while.”

[Lara Spellsword]

Lara:

“I think it’s all over with, and as for who you spend your time with, that’s not for me to say,” Swanny answers with a grin. “I’m going to look for Kharyna.”

“That’s not very funny,” Lara objects at the thought of being this close to a dwarf. Shifting the dwarf off of her, Lara follows Swanny. Talia seems okay and then we find Virae.

“Its good to see you’re alright.” She says to the tiny elf.

“Its good to be all right,” Lara responds while helping Virae to her feet.


Kharyna is found and Geena says that she’s just asleep, probably recovering from her task. Swanny takes charge.

“All right, we might as well make camp here then.” Swanny announces. “Talia and Virae, you might as well scout the vicinity to make sure we’re alone here. Lara can start making something to eat while Geena stays with Kharyna. The rest of us will spread out and secure the area. Looks like we might be here a while.”

“I’ll get right on it,” Lara says. She’ll then begin to dig through the food stores to prepare a meal. “Hopefully we can get out of here soon. I miss having the sky overhead.”

[Talia]

Talia:

Talia dusts herself off as Swanny and Lara pass by.

“Judging by the mess, I’d say that Kharyna completed her mission and all the enemy was taken out in the process. When Mystra gives someone the boot, she doesn’t mess around!”

“Good! I’m glad those horrid creatures are gone! Serves them right!”


Geena announces that Kharyna is resting and Swanny takes over.

“All right, we might as well make camp here then.” Swanny announces. “Talia and Virae, you might as well scout the vicinity to make sure we’re alone here. Lara can start making something to eat while Geena stays with Kharyna. The rest of us will spread out and secure the area. Looks like we might be here a while.”

“Right,” Talia nods to Swanny.

“Let’s see what we can find,” Talia says to Virae.

[Zera]

Zera:

Zera awakens to the feeling of something soft and wet on her cheek. Her eyes open to find her trusty steed Bacon licking her!

“Stop that, you critter! You got me thinkin’ that you were somethin’ else! Oh, me head! And I didn’t have a drop of ale!”

Looking around, Zera finds everyone else picking themselves up. The enemy seems to be gone!

“Where’d they go? I was looking forward to bashin’ heads and now they’re all gone!”

The fighting seems to be over with. Setting up camp is declared and guard duty follows. The elf is given the task of cooking.

“I’d be likin’ something warm and filling for my meal! You know, hearty food for a hearty warriror!”

But, with she bein’ an elf, Zera doubts that such a meal is coming.

Picking up her war hammer, Zera begins to look about. A thought comes to her and Zera makes her way over to the remains of the pyramid.

“Come on, Bacon! Let’s see if there is any of that Adamantine left to salvage! We’re going to be rich! Rich I tell you! I’ll even buy you a golden leash!”

[Virae]

Virae

“All right, we might as well make camp here then.” Swanny announces. “Talia and Virae, you might as well scout the vicinity to make sure we’re alone here. Lara can start making something to eat while Geena stays with Kharyna. The rest of us will spread out and secure the area. Looks like we might be here a while.”

“Let’s see what we can find,” Talia says to Virae.

Drawing one of her shortswords, just to be on the safe side,Virae nods in agreement. “Let’s, and once we have secured our camp, Let us see what is salvageable from that remains.”

Virae will help secure the camp then once completed, start to gather what remains of equipment, weapons and jewelry and place them within a pile, not touching it with her hands though.

[Kharyna]

Kharyna of Mystra -

Kharyna has met Renee in her unconscious mind after having destroyed the pyramid of the enemy, Nerull.

“I will do my best to help. I do not know everything about the Lady of Mysteries plans and desires. There are things that she keeps only to herself. My, you are a curious one!”

"I have been told that I am to return Mystra's Tower of Magic to this planet. That quite certainly leaves me with a lot of questions," Kharyna responds.

“You are in the position to restore the Tower, yes this is true. Mystra didn’t speak to you earlier, Midnight did. Midnight is the Mystran Avatar of the Alphatian people. It is she who grants spells to those Mystrans of Alphatian origin. Thus she oversees Geena, much like I do with you. It is possible that Midnight didn’t want to overwhelm you with the immensity of the task. But it is also possible that Midnight has mixed emotions about your success. Surely she welcomes the return of the Tower and wishes you success, but at the same time such a thing signals the decline of Alphatia and the erosion of her station. As the strength of Mystra worship in Cynalon increases, it will wane in Alphatia. Any god is only as powerful as the faith and number of their followers, thus Midnight will begin to lose her abilities as well.”

"Lots of evaluation and no definitive answers," Kharyna answers. "I suppose I shall have to be content with that for the moment. If you do not have the answers, likely only Mystra herself does."

Renee verifies that they are indeed supposed to travel to Spectre, the outer planet and part of what was once the Alphatians' homeworld. And Geena appears to be the one with the means to get there.

She also explains that Gaz took it upon himself to create what was here and his madness resulted in the unfortunate results. Whether Mystra kept him from completing his misguided task or if his madness and compulsions made him unworthy is a question Kharyna may never have answered.

"The Tower of Magic was purported to be the premier Temple to Mystra and School of Magic in the world. Is this true? Is that was the Tower is to be and why in such a secluded place?"

“The Tower is that and more. It is to be the holiest place to Mystra on this world. Her seat of power in this world, and the one who runs the tower automatically becomes a very important and influential individual. From this location great works in Mystra’s name will be carried out.”

"Interesting. And I am the one who is able to bring this about?" Kharna asks rhetorically. She has to allow herself a bit of a smile at that thought. "I will certainly do my best. In fact this is the recovery of what is the greatest magickal find in the world. I wonder whatever I shall do for an encore." However, her levity does not mean that she takes the task lightly. "The seat of power is moving from Alphatian to Cynalon. That must bode well for you then, also."


“Your purpose, thus far, was to remove the invader gods from this area and bring the Tower of Magic here. From there, much of what happens next is in your hands. Mystra will offer you the position of Mistress of the Tower with all the powers and responsibilities that go with it. Should you accept, your life will be irrevocably changed. But know this, the Goddess knows you better than you know yourself. She would not choose you for such a task if she didn’t think you had the temperament for it. Being Mistress of the Tower will go along with your own motivations and desires. That is why she choose you from all others.”

"So I have the choice to move on after the Tower is returned or to remain and become Mistress of the Tower? Interesting. I suppose that is a decision to be made at a later time when I understand better what that is to entail. However, I am intrigued by the thought that it will fit my own motivations."


“Exposure to the Crowns of Eternal Night made Gaz go mad. His towers were already in progress when this happened. Some of the construction reflects this madness. Not so much in the Tower of War, but in the other towers this is true. Gaz has passed into the afterlife. He will not trouble you, but many things he set into motion will. There are things that he did leave behind that will be a boon to you. Seek the Grand Temple you spoke of earlier for some of these.”


"I will do my best to avoid this artifact then. It seems we have much to do. Where is this Grand Temple then? Is it indeed in the Tower or Power and if so, on which level?"


“The task will be much quicker than you expect. But first you must be sure you are ready to bring the tower here. Once that task is started, there is no going back. The tower will come here at your direction.”

"I see. So you are saying that this location must be inspected and possibly changed more somehow? I suppose we need to continue to explore these underground 'towers' further before heading to Spectre."


Renee is genuinely surprised at that question. “You are far more insightful then I first suspected. Yes, I am that same woman. When I was a mortal, I was Renee Sculley, the first child of James and Stephanie Sculley. My father was the first Archmage of Cynalon. I was the second. Assuming that things proceed as Mystra has foreseen, as her following grows in Cynalon in time a Cynalonian Avatar of Mystra will arise. I am to be that being. Thus my success is tied to yours.”

"As you said, Mystra chose me for a reason," Kharyna answers with a gleem of pride in her eyes. "Then we are to be allies, at the very least. how am I to contact you in the future?"


“The other towers are not filled with conflict such as this, but have their own dangers. The Tower of Power was so named as it contains not one, but two great relics that date back to the creation. Gaz build this tower to examine and experiment with the one relic, completely unaware that a second was very close by. The Ring of Five now uses this tower as a base and it is where they conduct their experiments. These relics are the real reason why the Tower of Magic is to be placed here. They must be protected at all costs. That will be the primary task of whoever oversees the Tower. They are both that dangerous.””

“The Tower of Gaz housed his personal possessions and those things he valued. It is the smallest of the three towers.”

"How will I know these relics? Can you tellme of them? What is their power? What is their function?"

"The Ring of Five remains in place? Are the freindly to our task, or will they be our enemies?"


"Where is everyone else, anyway?"

“Closer than you think. You’re asleep right now.”

"I see. That explains the situation much better."

When the conversation and questions are finally finished, Kharyna will ask when she will awaken...

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

While Kharyna sleeps, Swanny takes over. Camp is to be set up and the area explored for any potential danger. Talia and Virae sweep the area but find that no enemies remain. No bodies remain either, but some of their gear was left behind. Mysteriously, the armor worn by the ogre magi remains, although their bodies are gone. This is of great interest to Virae as she recognizes it as enchanted drow chainmail!

Zera goes to inspect what remains of the base of the pyramid, the adamantine. What is left is in chunks. Most of it is only pebble size, but a few brick sized portions remain. There might be enough to create a weapon or a suit of armor.

Ulak calls out that she found a storehouse of food in one of the buildings to the west of the former pyramid. It is well stocked with roots, dried and spiced meats, spices, mushrooms, and fungus. A barrel of wine and a barrel of ale are located.

“The ale is poor,” Ulak notes after taking a deep drink. “But poor ale is better than no ale!”

Other treasures are found and added to a growing pile. Here’s what you’ve found so far.


1 huge fire opal. Talia estimates it to be worth more than 5000gp!

A solid gold chair is found in an area near the pantry. It is inlaid with rust-red jacinth gems. The whole thing is worth over 10,000gp in Talia’s estimate.

Nine suits of drow chain mail are found. As Virae well knows, sunlight will destroy them if exposed.

A scroll is found, but it has yet to be opened.

Six gold chains are found, each with a jacinth dangling from it. Talia estimates that the combination is worth about 3000gp.

Three magical sickles are found. The sickle is the preferred weapon of Nerull.

Lastly, a magical ring and a magical girdle are found.

[GM Mad]

Elsewhere, Kharyna and Renee continue to chat.

"Interesting. And I am the one who is able to bring this about?" Kharyna asks rhetorically. She has to allow herself a bit of a smile at that thought. "I will certainly do my best. In fact this is the recovery of what is the greatest magickal find in the world. I wonder whatever I shall do for an encore." However, her levity does not mean that she takes the task lightly. "The seat of power is moving from Alphatian to Cynalon. That must bode well for you then, also."

“Among the tasks of the Master of the Tower is to locate and retrieve any dangerous magic items and see them destroyed or at the very least neutralized. Chief among these would be the Crowns of Eternal Night. They must be retrieved and disposed of before they can cause any further harm. This is but one of many tasks the Master of the Tower will have to contend with.”

“And yes, the future does look bright for myself and the land of my ancestors. The tower will play a role in this.”

"So I have the choice to move on after the Tower is returned or to remain and become Mistress of the Tower? Interesting. I suppose that is a decision to be made at a later time when I understand better what that is to entail. However, I am intrigued by the thought that it will fit my own motivations."

“Mystra would not put such an important role upon anyone who wasn’t fully committed to the task. The Master of the Tower will be many things. A diplomat, an explorer, and in a sense Mystra’s hand on this world. They will have powers unavailable to any other. This position is highly prized among many Mystrans, but it is the Lady herself who makes the final choice. She would not have chosen you if your own motivations were at odds with hers.”

"I will do my best to avoid this artifact then. It seems we have much to do. Where is this Grand Temple then? Is it indeed in the Tower or Power and if so, on which level?"

“The Grand Temple is on the first floor of the Tower of Power, the lone above ground level. It was guarded by a band of elves whose nature was perverted by the presence of the interloper gods, much like the dwarves in the Tower of War were. Both groups will now behave normally.”

"I see. So you are saying that this location must be inspected and possibly changed more somehow? I suppose we need to continue to explore these underground 'towers' further before heading to Specter."

“Not really,” Renee answers. “My point was that once you reach the Tower on Specter begin the task of bringing it back here, there will be no stopping it. You could go right now and bring the tower back, or you could explore further first. The choice is yours. Either choice has its advantages and disadvantages. I will say that if you bring the tower back and if you should accept the offer, then the exploration of the rest of the towers will be easier. How, I cannot say any more.”

"As you said, Mystra chose me for a reason," Kharyna answers with a gleam of pride in her eyes. "Then we are to be allies, at the very least. How am I to contact you in the future?"

“I will be your liaison with the Lady of Mysteries. I am the one will grants you your spells. When you mediate and pray for new magicks we may speak as we do now. You are now powerful enough for direct communication like this. Eventually you will be able to converse with the Lady herself once you are more experienced.”

"How will I know these relics? Can you tell me of them? What is their power? What is their function?"

“I can say no more about them until after you have accepted the Ladies offer. Such things are not meant for others to know.”

"The Ring of Five remains in place? Are the friendly to our task, or will they be our enemies?"

“Do not consider them to be friends. They have their own agenda and only pay respect to Mystra as she is the source of their powers.”

"I see. That explains the situation much better."

When the conversation and questions are finally finished, Kharyna will ask when she will awaken...

“You may awaken when you are ready. Provided you have no further questions.”


Now what?

[Virae]

Virae

Talia and Virae sweep the area but find that no enemies remain. No bodies remain either, but some of their gear was left behind. Mysteriously, the armor worn by the ogre magi remains, although their bodies are gone. This is of great interest to Virae as she recognizes it as enchanted drow chainmail!

Moving through the hollowed remains of the tower, Virae begins looks for anything that maybe of use to them. Oddly no bodies are about not even a speck of their remains. Powerful this Mystra is to do so much in such time. One not to anger, Virae thinks to herself.
A glimmer of metal catches her eye from beneath the clothing of what once was worn upon the Ogre Magi. Moving to the remains she tosses the rags aside and her eyes go wide,Reaching down she feels the cool black metal within her finger tips as her eyes closely examine the chainmail, It is surely made by the drow.(Don’t think Virae can wear it, Forbidden to wear armor, it annoys her wings.) Her gaze moves about the cavern as she wonders have her former kin been here or if they still are. Grabbing the Chainmail in her hand she carries it with her towards’s Swanny, Dropping it to their feet.

“An interesting thing to see about among whom dwelled here. Elvin Chainmail, but not of your world. It is of Drow nature, of this I am sure. It is said it is as fine as any armor, though sunlight will destroy it in moments.”

“It raises questions.” She says simply. “Have the drow made it this far to the surface? To trade with those in some sort of pact. Or have the Ogre Magi defeated the drow. If I had to wager, I would not bet on the latter.”

In turn 8 more suits of Drow armor are found, furthering Virae’s worries. What city and clan has ventured this close to the surface and what are they playing at. She thinks curiously to herself.

Virae will look over the drow armor looking for clan, city or blacksmith markings upon it, perhaps illuminating some light on where it came from.

[Aswansea]

Swanny:

The cavern is quickly secured. No enemies are found. Not even bodies. But food is found. Or what passes for food down here.

Ulak calls out that she found a storehouse of food in one of the buildings to the west of the former pyramid. It is well stocked with roots, dried and spiced meats, spices, mushrooms, and fungus. A barrel of wine and a barrel of ale are located.

“The ale is poor,” Ulak notes after taking a deep drink. “But poor ale is better than no ale!”

Swanny walks up to see what all the commotion is about. She’ll grab one of the dried meats and give it a taste. Not the best thing she’s ever eaten, but at least it’s edible. The ale, however, is another matter.

“WOW!! That’s like pig sweat! No offense, Bacon. I think I’ll stick to my waterskin.”


Virae makes a discovery.

“An interesting thing to see about among whom dwelled here. Elvin Chainmail, but not of your world. It is of Drow nature of this I am sure. It is said it is as fine as any armor, though sunlight will destroy it in moments.”

“It raises questions.” She says simply. “Have the drow made it this far to the surface? To trade with those in some sort of pact. Or have the Ogre Magi defeated the drow. If I had to wager, I would not bet on the latter.”

“Drow, huh? I can’t say that we’ve seen any dark elves down here before. But, didn’t these guys have access to the Underdark? They might have gotten it that way.”


More treasures are located including a huge fire opal, a jeweled necklace, and solid gold, bejeweled chair.

“Now that is what I call some treasure! Very nice!”

The scroll holds no interest to Swanny and I doubt we’ll do anything with those evil priest weapons. As for the ring and girdle, it depends on what they do.

“Let’s pack it up and take it all with us for now, even the chainmail. We might be able to use it while underground and keep it out of the light. We’ll see what Kharyna thinks once she wakes up. Until then we wait.”

[Lara Spellsword]

Lara:

Lara sets up a campfire and begins to pull a cooking kettle out. Zera puts in a dinner request.

“I’d be likin’ something warm and filling for my meal! You know, hearty food for a hearty warrior!”

“Warm and filling it will be,” Lara promises. Human fare and dwarven fare are not all that dissimilar, so Lara can come up with something acceptable. However, she won’t be able to share in the meal. The elfin palette doesn’t like such a heavy meal. She’ll stick to her dried fruits and nuts.

The other dwarf finds a food store, so Lara goes over to see if anything is usable. Some of it is usable, so Lara will take it back to add to the stew she’s making.

“How’s the wine?” She’ll inquire as she has no interest in ale. It’s a very dwarven beverage and much like their meals, too much for an elf to comfortably digest. Lara can’t imagine that it’s very good, so she’ll most likely stick to her own wineskin.

Virae finds dark elf chainmail and is concerned that drow are in the area.

“It raises questions.” She says simply. “Have the drow made it this far to the surface? To trade with those in some sort of pact. Or have the Ogre Magi defeated the drow. If I had to wager, I would not bet on the latter.”

“Drow, huh? I can’t say that we’ve seen any dark elves down here before. But, didn’t these guys have access to the Underdark? They might have gotten it that way.”

“That’s right,” Lara agrees. “We have yet to come across any drow here, but we did learn that the enemy had access to the Underdark. So I would imagine that they bought it or killed those who had it. I wouldn’t discount any dark elves being about, but we haven’t seen any yet.”

Lara is pleased with what has been found. The scroll is interesting, but she knows better to open it up just yet. Swanny wants to take everything along and dealing with it later. That’s fine with Lara and she goes back to her cooking.

[Talia]

Talia:

Drawing one of her shortswords, just to be on the safe side,Virae nods in agreement. “Let’s, and once we have secured our camp, let us see what is salvageable from that remains.”

“That’s the best part!” Talia answers with a smile.


Talia hears that food has been found, but it doesn’t interest her right now. Drow manufactured armor is found, but again it doesn’t matter much to the dark haired thief. A huge fire opal is found and Talia can’t help but be covetous of it. It’s worth more than Talia has ever held in her hands before!

After the exploring is done, Talia will sit near the campfire to get warm. She’ll eat lightly once dinner is done, but otherwise keeps to herself.

[Virae]

Virae

“Drow, huh? I can’t say that we’ve seen any dark elves down here before. But, didn’t these guys have access to the Underdark? They might have gotten it that way.”

“I would be surprised if you would.” he adds thoughtfully, “Most would feel the sting of their darts then know no more.”

“That’s the best part!” Talia answers with a smile.

“I don’t know, sinking my blades into the Ogre Magi’s flesh was quite exhilarating.” she says back with a wink. “Hope they have some equipment I could use.” she adds thoughtfully.

“Anyway we can wake her up? Or should we just leave her be?” she asks looking to the others.

Finally as their time seems to be on a down, Virae will take out her shortswords and begin shadow fighting, going through her routines.

[Aswansea]

Swanny:

“I would be surprised if you would.” she adds thoughtfully, “Most would feel the sting of their darts then know no more.”

“If I got stung, believe me, I’d know it!”

“Anyway we can wake her up? Or should we just leave her be?” she asks looking to the others.

“Let her rest,” Swanny says after a moment’s thought. “But if she’s still sleeping after we finish eating, it might behoove us to explore a little more and have guards put into place. If you want, you and Talia can scout up the stairs out of here and along that long corridor we traveled through to reach here. Aric and Ulak will take the first guard watch at the bottom of the stairs. Zera and I will relieve them. Everyone else, just kick back and relax. If she’s not awake after we’ve all rested, then I’ll consider moving her.”

[Virae]

Virae

“If I got stung, believe me, I’d know it!”

Looking at Swanny very seriously, sha replies, “You would be asleep and at their mercy; of which they have none.”

“Let her rest,” Swanny says after a moment’s thought. “But if she’s still sleeping after we finish eating, it might behoove us to explore a little more and have guards put into place. If you want, you and Talia can scout up the stairs out of here and along that long corridor we traveled through to reach here. Aric and Ulak will take the first guard watch at the bottom of the stairs. Zera and I will relieve them. Everyone else, just kick back and relax. If she’s not awake after we’ve all rested, then I’ll consider moving her.”

“Alright, it beats standing around doing nothing while we wait,” she says evenly. “You ready Talia?” she says to her thief companion.

Virae will move up the stairs to the long corridor and begin looking for secret doors with one shortsword in her hand

[Talia]

Talia:

"Alright, It beats standing around doing nothing while we wait." she says evenly. "You ready Talia?" she says to her thief companion.

Talia finishes up her meal, setting the bowl aside.

“Sure. I’ll take the stairs on the left; you go up the ones on the right. We’ll meet at the top and search the hallway."

Talia will use her boots and cloak to take the high road up the stairs and down the hallway above.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

While waiting for Kharyna to recover from her ordeal, Swanny has Talia and Virae to explore the path back up the Tower of War. Each takes one of the sets of stairs used to reach this cavern. (These are marked S9 near area B01 on the level 10 map.)

The pair reaches the next level up without incident. The stairs are at the end of a small hallway. A much longer hallway leads off from the smaller one. The stairs used to reach this area are at the far end of the long hallway.

As the explorers move along, they keep their eyes open for any trouble and any concealed or secret doors. Finally, Talia finds something! There is a secret door right across from the stairs used to reach this level! After a few minutes of searching, the brick that opens the door is located. The brick is pushed and the door swings open.

Behind the secret door a small hallway goes forward slightly to your left. It ends at a wall, but this wall is somewhat circular in shape.

Not surprisingly, a second secret door is found and this opens into a large, circular chamber. The room is nearly seventy feet across!

The smell of stale beer and rotting food assaults the pair’s senses. It is clear that this room was some sort of dining hall, but no one is here now. Mushrooms and other fungus are scattered here and there. Some have even taken root on the walls and ceiling.

There are numerous exits from the chamber. Four single doors are spotted, along with a pair of double doors back in an alcove.


GM Notes:

The map in the private area has been updated.

Now what?

[Virae]

Virae

The smell of stale beer and rotting food assaults the pair’s senses. It is clear that this room was some sort of dining hall, but no one is here now. Mushrooms and other fungus are scattered here and there. Some have even taken root on the walls and ceiling.

There are numerous exits from the chamber. Four single doors are spotted, along with a pair of double doors back in an alcove.

Virae’s senses reel as the smell of rotten food and stale air reach her. Not even the rank smell of home compares to this. “Ugh, what died in here?” she says to Talia as she looks up to the ceiling at the mushroom and other fungus grown about.

Virae will be careful moving forward to the left single door, and examine it. If it appears safe she will open it and proceed through.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

While exploring, Virae and Talia found an abandoned dining hall. Several exits are noted.

Virae chooses the closest door on the left. It does not appear to be trapped. Pushing it open, the pair discover what must have been a quarters for some creatures. It has the unpleasant smell of trolls about it, but none are present.

Another door is spotted, but this one is wide open. Both of these rooms seem to have been used as sleeping quarters by trolls. All that remains is their odor.


GM Notes:

The map in the private area has been updated.

Now what?

[Virae]

Virae

Virae chooses the closest door on the left. It does not appear to be trapped. Pushing it open, the pair discover what must have been a quarters for some creatures. It has the unpleasant smell of trolls about it, but none are present.

Another door is spotted, but this one is wide open. Both of these rooms seem to have been used as sleeping quarters by trolls. All that remains is their odor.

“Think it might be wise to light a torch.” She says as the familiar smell of decay reaches her sense of smell. If her partner doesn’t she will light a torch. And move off to check out the room across to the north east.

[Talia]

Talia:

Virae’s senses reel as the smell of rotten food and stale air reach her. Not even the rank smell of home compares to this. “Ugh, what died in here?” she says to Talia as she looks up to the ceiling at the mushroom and other fungus grown about.

“Hopefully the enemy,” is Talia’s quote.

However, other than the unpleasant odor, nothing is around. Weird.

Vi opens a door and the smell of trolls comes out, but no sign of any real trolls.

"Think it might be wise to light a torch."

“Go ahead. If I see a troll, I’m going to be running the other way!”

However, there are no trolls either. Talia already has a torch as she can't see without one.

“You know, I’m beginning to wonder if Mystra didn’t remove all the invaders from this tower. I mean, she cleaned up down below and it’s all empty up here. We might be the only ones left here. It would serve them right!”

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

The next door that Virae chooses is locked. Talia picks the lock easily enough. Beyond is a square-shaped storage room. Shelves about a quarter-full of fungus, mushrooms, and roots line the walls. On a platform in the middle of the room are barrels of ale, beer, and water.

GM Notes:

The map in the private area has been updated.

Now what?

[Virae]

Virae

Upon seeing the tubers and other food items, She looks at Talia, “Seems to me that we might be bringing this back to the others. Let’s check the other small doors, the Large door may get us into trouble.” She says evenly to her thief counterpart.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

Virae and Talia continue to explore. They’ve come across a large dining hall and just exited from a food storage area. There are more doors to explore, so they step up to the next one. This door opens easily and there is a hallway beyond. This new hallway goes about thirty feet and ends at another door.

Virae leads the way down the hallway, moving ahead of Talia. A sudden noise reaches Talia’s ears and she comes to a stop. She turns around and takes a few steps back towards the dining hall searching for the source of the noise.

A gasp from Virae makes Talia turn back around. Much to the dark-haired thieves surprise Virae is gone! No trace of her remains. Talia searches for a few minutes, but there is no sign of Virae. Talia then returns to the others to report this strange disappearance.


GM Notes:

Virae’s tale continues in Hammerfall #10.

Now what?

[GM Mad]

Post Closed