Prelude: Sacrifice

"Sometimes it is not enough to simply start at the beginning;
Sometimes it is necessary to go back and see why it was begun."

- Proverb from the collection "Teachings of the Roadmaker"
by Kazmahar Farwalker, Cleric of Fharlanghn

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Chapter 1: Four Roads

" Once, I came to a place where four roads met. There, a man had built a fire and invited me to sit and rest.
I answered that I would, but only for a brief moment, for in coming to this intersection
I suddenly found that I had three new journeys ahead of me... "

- From "Musings on the Road"
by Kazmahar Farwalker, Cleric of Fharlanghn

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Chapter 2: Sights, Sounds, and Smells

" Good adventures start in a tavern. Great adventures end in one. "

- Saying among local free companies

" CARAVAN HIRING GUARDS GET GOOD WORK NOW! Ask for Danova at Drunken Morkoth "
" Don't wait for a RAINY DAY! Get your FLOOD FESTIVAL costumes TODAY! Margorn's Masquerade Shop, Lava Ave."
" HAVE YOU SEEN THIS HALFLING? Callum Sunnyrush, age 37. REWARD OFFERED. "
" HELP WANTD - COOK - Tipped TanKard Tavern - See Rivek Mol "

- Selection of postings outside the Tipped Tankard Tavern, Cauldron

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Chapter 3: Diplomacy and Intimidation

" A glib tongue may open many doors, but a strong arm will keep them from closing. "

- Common saying among adventurers

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Chapter 4: Vanished in the Night

" WITHIN LAW LIVES HOPE "

- Inscription above the entrance to the Church of St. Cuthbert, Cauldron

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Chapter 5: Jzadirune Lost

" One and Two and Three and Four!
She broke her tooth on a tooth-ed door!

Five, then Six, and Seven next!
The Bad Gnome cursed her with a hex!

Eight comes Nine then Ten is here!
In Jadda's Room she'll disappear! "

- Child's Skip-rope Rhyme

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Chapter 5: Jzadirune Lost (continued)

"His golden-haired bonnie lass
he'd hold her hand
his heart beat fast
He promised to hold her to the last
in Jzadirune he loved her...

The darkness came in shadow-light
it caught her hand
in deepest night
He cried as she vanished from his sight
in Jzadirune he lost her..."

- From the Gnomish ballad "In Jzadirune Lost"

After defeating the automaton and discovering the gem and key hidden inside, Lontain, Gjestin, Patamon, and Sindar headed back through the tunnels to the locksmith's shop. There, Miquiztli had occupied himself with examining (and dismembering) the chameleon creature's corpse, while Aeduin had gone to report to the Church of St. Cuthbert. The bard had returned, accompanied by the cleric Ruphus Laro, who came along to offer healing and to confirm the details of the party's discoveries.

After a dinner and a night's rest, the party awoke in the early pre-dawn hours to plan a third descent into Jzadirune. Patamon and Sindar stayed behind to guard the gnome and protect the shop, while the other four again headed for the room of faces at the bottom of the stairs. Upon entering, Gjestin spotted another of the "skulkers" (as he had named them) keeping a lookout, but it quickly fled before the group of well-armed adventurers. Following back through the bored tunnels, the party emerged back into the room where they had fought the automaton without seeing any sign of their quarry. Continuing on into a second tunnel, they emerged into the remains of a room that had once served as a glass-blowing workshop. Not seeing much of interest at first, the party started to continue on before opting to search the room more extensively.

As they split up to search, Aeduin suddenly came under attack by a hidden foe, a slim humanoid dressed in heavy black robes who weilded a poison-coated blade. Aeduin fell from the first blow, and Lontain was also nearly struck down by a second before the party could regroup. Miquiztli leapt to the attack with bite and claw, and managed to wound the creature enough so that it retreated, summoning a roiling black cloud to cover its escape back down the tunnel the party had entered from.

As the group tended to their wounded, another attack came from the north. A gnome-sized creature, dressed in black concealing cloaks and brandishing a multitude of daggers tried to flank them, but was driven back by Gjestin and Lontain. As Gjestin moved to engage the newcomer, a second gnome emerged from the smoke and stabbed Lontain, while the taller creature that had fled rememrged to strike a near fatal blow to Miquiztli. Gjestin turned his attacks to the other gnome, while Lontain felled the first one with a magic missile. The tall creature and its gnomish companion fled again back into the smoke, but this time the party followed close behind (after downing several cure potions), with Gjestin tracking them back through a small warren of bored tunnels.

Turning at a fork in the path, Gjestin emerged into another chamber, only to be ambushed by the black-clad gnomish creature who dropped him with a sneak attack from the shadows. Lontain and Miquiztli fought it to the ground, while Aeduin guarded the rear. Suddenly, the bard heard an approach from behind, and he spun around to find a near-invisible assailant. The tall creature had shed its robe to reveal a gaunt, near translucent body that made it incredibly hard to see in the dim torchlight. Aeduin and the tall creature sparred before the bard tumbled past and ended the creature's life with his rapier.

Tending (again) to their wounded with more healing draughts, the group gathered the possessions of their attackers to try and learn more about them. Aside from a small handful of silver coins, the only item of note was a second slender key for the gnomish doors (marked with the gnomish letter "D"). Suddenly, Lontian made another discovery which sent the group into confusion -- his own hand had taken on a very faint translucence, similar to the fallen humanoid that Aeduin had killed, but to a much lesser degree. The source of this condition remained a mystery as the group contemplated its next move.

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Chapter 5: Jzadirune Lost (continued)

"He searched all day and through the night
for the secret words
to make things right
As candles burn in dark twilight
in Jzadirune he failed her...

At last no answer could be found
So he closed his home
and locked it down
A lonely king crying beneath his crown
in Jzadirune he mourned her..."

- From the Gnomish ballad "In Jzadirune Lost"

From the journal of Aeduin Tharn...

And so it goes on.... We paused for a moment in our searches as we returned to the shop. Here we obtained some little healing and then changed out one of our companions for the other. The lizard man's poisoning has left him a little weak and so we are returning to Jzadirune with his companion, the elf Patamon. Returning we eventually made our way to the room where the ambush began the last visit. We determined to search the room once more in order to ensure they were not trying that again. Instead, we found a secret panel. Opening it revealed a tomb of some sort in which we found a fine treasure and and a full suit of gnomish plate mail armor and shield. Impressive in display, but utterly useless to our party. While we have gnome in the party, his use of armor would impede his ranger abilities as I understand of their ways. Perhaps the trade off would be worth it? If not, it would certainly have some sale value if nothing else. We gathered things up and pressed onward. After some debate regarding where we should go, we decided to return to the area we had been exploring before the ambush. We came upon a room that had been sealed up with planking. Some suggested that it was to keep us out. Other suggested it was to keep something else in. It was also suggested that we go a different route and find another means of entry.

We returned to a room where we had found a lever and threw the switch, hoping for a door to open. If it did, we did not find it for nothing opened in that room. We could hear the sounds of machinery in operation somewhere else, but did not locate it. We returned to the barrier and ripped it open. Entering the room, we discovered a library or large workroom of sorts. There were tables and benches everywhere, but the only sign of life was a giant ornamental gear on one end of the room with a light emanating from the center. Rather, that was the only sign of life until we ventured into the balcony.

Patomon began ascending one stair case. I waited at the bottom of the other spiral staircase. I figured that he, being the warrior, could draw their attention--should anyone be up there--then I could sneak up the other staircase and be behind them. I was totally unprepared for what happened though, as various tentacles emanated from the darkness above and lay hold upon the elf. I screamed for help--yes, it was a scream for help thank you--and moved up the stairs.

Gjestin moved up the stair behind Patamon while Lontain moved into the center of the room and illuminated the darkness above so that we could see our enemy. A gangrel mass of tentacles with a center brain mass. Never in my studies have I read of such a creature, leastwise not out of an ocean or sea. It appeared to have poisoned Patamon as it held the elf's limp body in it's tentacles. I fired bolt after bolt from my crossbow, making one or two good hits on the creature. Gjestin fired a few arrows, but soon found himself grappled as well, though he must have resisted the poisoning and never went limp.

Lontain joined me on the balcony and the two of us continued to fire bolts into our enemy. Eventually Patamon regained his strength and broke free, fighting the creature from the other balcony. I feared for the gnome, though, as a poorly aimed bolt from myself found purchase in the gnomes entangled body. I feared that I may have killed him for as the creature descended from the ceiling I could no longer see the gnome. Between the three of us, though, the creature was finally felled. Patomon climbed up to the creatures nest and found the gnome, still clinging to life. As I gave him the last of our healing potions, we determined our next course of action.

At one end of the room lay two great double doors. I determined to see if any threat lay from there and opened them up into a small room with four of the gnomish locked doors within. There being no immediate threat, we determined to camp and rest on the balcony, it being the most defensible position we have found down here.

I had thought that a sealed room would be a good place to look for the missing children. Instead we nearly found our death. I don't think we should continueing venturing forth with just four of us. We need some more help.

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Chapter 6: Light Fades, Memory Lingers

" ...And so it is that we fall into disaster, and the Light that is Jzadirune our Home will soon
fade from all save our peoples' memory... but none will be safe until that, too, is extinguished.
Our Legacy will not be an Undoing."

- Last words of the Chief Archivist of Jzadirune

From the Journal of Aeduin Tharn...

Help has arrived! The cleric and lizard-man have joined us and we have decided to push onward. We examine the rooms beyond the great doors to find another secret room. At first our thoughts of another treasure vault seem to hold sway as we find a row of cupboards filled with bottles. But doubt sets in and I call upon my humble skills to detect magical auras. Alas, our joy, however brief, was in vain. Whether or not they once held power within them, these bottles are all dead and without any energies about them now. Having found no treasure here we move onward.

Breaking down the second barricade we venture into parts of the hall as yet unexplored. We have found a few items of interest as we go forth. In an alcove we find a mechanical device of some sort with ropes and gears and pulleys. I am tempted to manipulate the device, but none of my companions will countenance that now. They all err on the side of caution. Perhaps they are right? In any case I have left it alone for now. In the room at the end of the hall we find a cloaked machine standing in the center of the room. Having not been with the party during their last encounter with such a device I pull the tarp off in my interest to examine it. At first nothing happens, but it soon comes to life and the party is embroiled in combat. Whoops! Though with six of us, we are able to strike it down with better efficiency than their last encounter.

Moving beyond this we continue to find no evidence of the children or the other missing persons. We do however find another workshop. Suprise! Who would have thought that in a gnomish city we would have found a workshop? Or even a few workshops? Or even the dozens, possibly hundreds or THOUSANDS of workshops that must litter this tomb... er, city?--You know, now that I have written it, it dawns on me that sarcasm comes across much less efficiently on paper than it does when spoken. Add that to my notes to self.

Anyhow, in this workshop we find an unfinished construct such as the one we encountered only a few minutes previous. I am eager to examine it's inner workings and hastily move forward. That was my mistake, as from nearby a creature jumped forward and attacked. It is wrapped in a bandages and I am certain our little party has stumbled across a mummy! From the tales I have heard we stand no chance against the creature of darkness! As it turns out, it was not a mummy. Somehow, the bandages themselves are alive and they live as a sort of parasite. They wrap themselves around a helpless victim. It is difficult, nearly impossible, to attack the bandages themselves without harming the victim and our party suffers a number of hurts in trying to deal with it. Apparently, though, we dealt enough damage and the creature fled down a hall. A couple of our party pursued, but it escaped.

And in this moment of peace, I am going to examine the unfinished construct....

Posted by Terrepin at 04:01 PM on February 15, 2005 | Comments (5600) | Post a Comment