Journal of Talian, #2
20th day of Running Moon, 521 A.T.F. (Part 1)
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One should sleep lightly when they're in a dangerous place. Of course my throbbing leg made that the only kind of sleep I was going to get. Fortunately I was not accosted by anything during the night. I awoke this morning to see that the salve had done its work, and my leg, though it would bare quite a scar from now on, was healed. The tomb was quiet, I suppose common catchphrases are not just hyperbole. I ate my breakfast rations, and prepared myself for the day's explorations.
I'm very good at remembering where I've been. Probably more than most. Even Synona would be impressed with my knowing directions, and locations of places I've been. So the first order of business was to sketch out a map of what I'd explored so far. Both to help me for this second day in the tomb, but also to give to Ordonos with the sketches I've made so far of the Divination Room.
The next order of business was to go back to where the Kesh Cultists were. I collected their book, but to be honest, I didn't even want to look at it much less read it, fearing the horrible things they were up to. But something was just "off" about the whole business of them being here in this tomb. How did they get here, and why? To have traveled so far without discovery by any of the Kingdoms south of the Mistfells was downright alarming.
Casting my light spell, I ventured out into the corridors. Keeping with my policy of being as quiet as I could, even with a light showing, I stalked my way back to the tomb where I first saw the cultists. It actually wasn't that far. The twisting corridors made the original walk there seem long, but connecting the location in my head as I mapped it out this morning, I was able to find a faster route. Soon I was back there. But the scene had changed.
Firstly the skeleton that the cultists were working on was gone. I was weary at what they were doing, but I had thought I had interrupted them early enough that undeath had not been infused into the bones. I may have more to worry about in these corridors now. I know I should have done something about it yesterday, but I was just too wounded and weary at the time.
Secondly, as I looked through what appeared to be their bedrolls, I noticed at once that someone or something had rifled through them. Also, there were two more bedrolls than there were dead cultists. It would seem that my work down here was not nearly complete. And more worrying, the bodies were gone. Underground, dead carcasses don't stay uneaten for long, but this was too soon for something like that. More to worry about.
Leaving the chamber of the cultists they way I entered yesterday, I turned southward and after a quick left turn came to a door. It was a bare wooden door, and I heard no sound from beyond it. Cracking it opened cautiously, I observed a short narrow corridor, and steps down. I saw only a faint disturbance in the dust of the corridor, as if many small clawed feet passed by here, but many months ago. I closed the door, marking that location on the map.
Backtracking a bit to a main corridor, I observed a bit of rubble on the floor up ahead. I passed by another wooden door in the eastern wall, and crept closer to what I now observed was the cave in described by Rimple and heard by Ordonos. Looking at the damage to the western wall, it appeared that it had been knocked down, into the corridor from the other side. Looking beyond the hole in the wall, there appeared to be an open cavern, with no bottom, just a sinkhole about 15 feet across. Looking at the edge, it appears to have been used by several creatures recently. I imagine one of them to be Rimple.
I decided not to leave any unchecked doors behind me so I returned to the door I just passed. Thankfully my silence paid off. Perhaps this time with my very life. I could hear voices beyond the door. Two spoke with the accents of the lands north of the Mistfells. The cultists from Kesh no doubt. I was about to burst in on them with arrows and blades when I heard a rasping third voice. Words that filled me with dread. There is something about the voice of something that no longer needs to draw breath, that chills the bones of those who still breathe. I heard voices such as that when Balinara fell. Undead fiends that acted as commanders of the Kesh armies. As much as I hated it. I was no match alone against even one of them.
I backed away slowly, redoubling my effort to keep as silent as possible. As I crept away from the fiend currently speaking to its minions, I turned down another side corridor, to get as far out of earshot as possible. Moving as slowly as I was, I was so preoccupied with what was behind that door that I failed to notice more tracks in the dust of the hallway. I did see another door however, and wanting to put as many barriers between myself and the Keshian Fiend, I quietly opened the door and slipped into the dark of what was beyond. Closing the door behind me.
I have to admit it was a mistake. But my luck seemed to at least be holding out a little bit longer. The reptilian inhabitants of this room were completely surprised. I recognized them as much as by their smell as by their appearance. They would occasionally harass the tribal people of the Mistfells, raiding out from caverns in the mountains, killing herdsmen and stealing their flocks. I had never seen their lairs before, so I wasn't sure if the giant mushrooms that filled the room were their doing, or just a natural occurrence here in the tomb.
The room appeared to have been originally used for priests to store and put on vestments and robes for ceremonial work. Now all those robes were just food for the fungus. And I think the fungus was food for these vicious reptiles. I could see only two, so standing and fighting seemed a better idea than running blindly down an unknown corridor, or backtracking past where the fiend was.
Not wanting to draw this out into the corridor, I put an arrow into the closest one. Then as they composed themselves for battle I was able to wound it a second time. It was now very hurt, but still snarling. Then clusters of mushrooms made navigating around the room difficult, so I remained in place and shot at them as they approached me. Fortunately this meant only facing one at a time, I thought as I drew my swords. The wounded one got to me first. Raking a claw across my arm. Just as the stench of its presence hit me, almost as hard. But I was able to bite back both my bile and the shout of pain from the wound.
I quickly stabbed as fast as I could, it's body falling lifeless into a clump of fungus that used to be what looked like sitting cushions. Of course, I could see that these cold blooded creatures would fight no matter how many of them fall. So intimidating this one into surrender wasn't going to work.
I struck as it approached cutting it across its chest. But still it came at me. Its claws flashed, which I parried with my two short swords, but that left me open for its jaws that bit hard down into my shoulder. I pushed it away, buying me enough time to drink part of the healing potion taken from the dead cultists.
It's a good policy to have healing potions in a place that you can easily get to in a fight. That will let you drink without dropping your guard. It takes time, and your opponent may get a chance to get in an attack unanswered, but falling from wounds if far far worse.
The drink kept me alive, I felt the burn of the energy, pour into my open wounds, closing them and staunching the bleeding immediately. But the reptilian was able to strike again. But this time with only one claw finding its way past my parries. Renewed, I struck as hard as I could, stabbing it in its arms. I thought that would at least slow the claws, but I was mistaken as it ripped at me in a fury of snarls. I was pushed back against the door with tears in the flesh of my arms and chest. I could see darkness closing in again in my vision as I bled and I stopped swinging to drink the rest of the potion.
This was just the boost I needed. The snarling beast in front of me must have been feeling his wounds as well as his next assault failed to find an opening. And now I was able to attack unanswered. I stabbed at his face, piercing his eye with the point of my sword, and pushing it through his head. It slumped as I pulled my blade out, then sat against the door to catch my breath.
It was then, in the quiet after the fight, that I heard a voice from the other side of the door. It sounded a ways off, but I could make out "No mistress, it's just the trogs again, snarling at each other." Then the distant sound of footsteps moving away.
I waited about 10 minutes in silence before moving. I searched the bodies of the troglodytes finding some coin, but nothing else of use. I then checked the corridor. Dousing the light on my glove before opening the door as quietly as I could. The cultists were human, if they were wandering around down here, they would need light as well. But I saw no glimmer in any direction, and felt now would be a good time to move. I exited the room, and turned away from the direction the cultist had gone. But that corridor ended only a short distance away.
I was about to turn around when, by pure chance, I noticed a small misplaced stone in the wall. Examining it closely, I saw that it was the switch to a hidden panel in the wall. Opening that, I saw a lever. Pulling the lever caused the wall to silently crack open. I pulled the secret door wider, slipped beyond and closed it behind me. I heard clicks behind the now closed door as the panel slid back into place hiding the lever. Hopefully the cultists didn't know about it and I would be safer beyond.
The corridor beyond was narrow, only about five feet wide. After a little bit, it branched into a similar corridor to the right, approximately northward. I decided to turn there as I saw a door a little way down that passage. Coming to the door I listened, only to hear silence beyond.
I opened the door. Inside appeared to be the remnants of some kind of camp. There were the skeletons of small creatures clustered around what looked like a long cold campfire. The skeletons looked reptilian, but far smaller than the ones I just dealt with. And these were long dead. But just as I was thinking this. I noticed that the bones, were just a little too bare. I took a step into the room, when I noticed one of the skeletons begin to move. Its head twisting to face me, its hollow eye sockets glaring right at me. I froze in my place raising my bow to aim at what I thought would turn out to be an undead horror.
Instead there was a low simmer of buzzing clicks, and out of its skull poured a swarm of insects. Vomiting out of the skulls mouth and spewing out of its eyes those insects were joined by others pouring out of similar orifices of the other skeleton. The swarm gathered size as I stepped back. I knew that an arrow would be likely useless against any kind of swarm.
However, light is not the only effect I can produce with the magic I learned as an apprentice wizard. I can use fire. I spoke a quick incantation and a bolt of fire erupted from my fingers. It stuck the swarm, and I immediately backed away from it and back down the hall. Likely it would follow the sound of my steps as I retreated, but I knew it would be slower than me. Swarms like these, need to be on you to hurt you. The key to this fight was to keep my distance, and hit it with fire at range. I backed down the corridor shooting fire from my fingers as I went. Fortunately the floor was stone, and not likely to catch fire, but the glow growing in the room I just left showed that it caught something there, and it was now burning. I had to end this as soon as possible. The light of the fire may not show very far, but smoke could be smelled for a long ways off.
The swarm finally died, the remaining insects crawled off as the flames tore into it. I returned to the room with the camping skeletons and stomped out the little fire that had started there. Kobolds, small lizard creatures that can be either a nuisance or a threat depending on what their numbers were. Something must have killed them in their sleep, then they were devoured by insects, who multiplied with the feast until they reached swarming size. Searching through what remained uneaten of them and their gear I found a rather sizable pile of copper. Not enough to wear me down, but bulky nonetheless.
I continued my journey down the dark halls. As I made some more turns, I noticed more footsteps in the dust. These were new. Smaller that a human, so not the cultists, but wearing some kind of shoes. They seemed familiar, but I couldn't place them. They were almost elven though.
I followed them silently up to a door. Listening intently, I could hear movement, but not much else. Readying my bow, I decided to open the door, shine the light and hopefully give myself a second or two of surprise to ascertain what I was dealing with.
Bursting through, I saw what looked like another camp setup. Smaller than the one with the kobold skeletons, with only one occupant. An Elven female, but with dark skin and pale white hair. It's black armor glinted with spiderweb symbols. My light caused her to jump back, shielding her eyes. She swore at me, in undercommon, but quickly switched to the common tongue. "Arrgh! Get that light out of my eyes! If you dull eye'd surface scum want my help navigating back to Kesh, you had better stop blinding me with all your flashes! At least use a candle or something less bright."
"BACK to Kesh?" I exclaimed. Awareness growing about what was happening down here. How the Cultist of Xall could get this far beyond the mountains without alarm. Here was their scout, likely hired from some underdark tribe of elves. I had heard of them. Slavers who kidnapped and murdered with giant spiders and poison.
I let my arrow fly. Missing her as she ducked to the side. Her surprise at the shot might have made her momentarily off balance. Her own small crossbow sending a bolt that struck the wall near my head. My next arrow found its mark and the Drow hissed at me, "You will pay for that in pain!" as she shot another bolt, which hit my chest, finding enough purchase to puncture my skin. I felt myself getting drowsy, but I was able to fight through it. My next arrow pierced through her throat, and she hissed again as she fell backward. Her breathing stopped as she hit the floor.
I took some time to collect myself and make sure I wasn't poisoned. After that I took a short time to patch up my armor and bandage my wound. I had no more healing, and I now knew I had to make it out of here. This was now more than just an errand for an old sage for some coin. I needed to report all of this to the local lord. And I needed help to deal with the fiend from Kesh, before it returned home with news of a route under the mountain. Its scout was dead, but if I was correct. The thing that was down here would only be slowed for a short while from such an inconvenience.
I searched through the Drow's belongings and found some gold coins. They bore symbol of Kesh. Partial payment for the deed I suspected. I also took her armor and weapons. Proof of what what happening.
I looked at my map and estimated that if I followed the secret passages as far north as I could. I might get past the spot where the fiend and its minions were. If they stayed in the same area. I set off down the hallways. I passed one door, and hearing sounds within, I cracked it open. Not wanting an enemy advancing upon me from behind. The room glowed red and gold as I saw a small group of fire beetles. Fire beetles are mostly harmless, and in fact can be harvested for their light glands, so I just left them be.
Still traveling north down the corridors I came to what looked like the end of the northward hallways. Ending in a door. It was another iron door, but unlocked, like the one to Rimple's hopeful soon to be trading post. Inside I was greeted by scenes of heroes and battles all in classical Sargunian style. It was some kind of gallery, no doubt glorifying the deeds of those buried here. Ordonos will cry with glee when he hears of this, I thought to myself. Still not wanting to break the silence. I began to pick my way carefully through the statues, only just noticing the loose flagstone in the floor after stepping on it. I dove out of the way, as a giant blade on a pendulum swung past the spot I was standing. It completed it's arc across the room then receding into a slot in the ceiling on the far side with a loud click.
Looking up, I saw many such slots in the ceiling of the room. Dust on the floor made picking out the triggers very difficult. I slowly made my way, towards the nearest door, which was in the eastern wall. Fortunately It was not that far. Had I penetrated deeper into the room before triggering the trap. I'd of had a much worse time of it. Not sure how Ordonos will react to this. I hoped his zeal wouldn't get him killed.
The door out of this room led to the back side of another secret door. This one opened up, as expected, farther north than from where I encountered the fiend. It was a short trip to Rimple's room. Knocking on that door, I announced myself, but quietly. Rimple seemed surprised enough to see me so soon. I offered him the rest of my wine and told him what I found on the other side of the tomb.
"That's horrifying!" He exclaimed. "There's no way I can set up here with that thing creeping around. You said it was near the entrance to the caves below?" He then asked getting more nervous as he spoke.
"Yes, and it's not alone. At least two more cultists are with it, and it may have created more minions out of the dead here in the tomb. The only thing keeping it from creating an army is the lack of material. Most of the crypts seem filled with urns of ash. It seems most of the wealthier dead who could afford coffins are on another level." I stated as calmly as I could, trying to calm Rimple down in turn.
"Well it has some more that you left in your wake." Rimple stated as he began to pick up his belongings and put them in a pack.
"Yeah, but that couldn't be helped." I said. "Where are you going now?" I then asked. "Up to the surface, or will you try to sneak past them?"
"Sneak." He said. "I'm very good at getting around in the dark without surface people seeing me." His tone then changed to one of regret. "It's too bad though, this would have made a good venture."
"Perhaps it still can be. It's a tough fight, impossible for just one. But give me a day, stay out of sight, and I'll be back with help." I said strengthening my tone. "If I can get help from above, will you help me fight the thing as well? You could make your venture secure, and introduce yourself to the local surface community in a way that will assure a good opinion of you."
Rimple thought for a moment. "I'll give you one sandglass, then I need to leave." He said then switched to a rather broken and heavily accented common,"Ontiil nun tomarra. Den I go. Kay?"
"Okay" and we shook hands on it. I left Rimple who was still gathering his things, and headed down the corridor to the outside.