#111 - Weapons, Shields, and Scrying Eyes

From the Analects of Simel, veteran of Karrnath 

Zarantyr 24th, 999 YK

This was no place to rest.I touched the bow we had retrieved from the bottom of the pool and a power seemed almost to call out from it. Magnus looked through the other objects the creature had left behind. Perhaps it was an odd moment to expound on the many advantages of using a bow, but Magnus seemed more receptive than previously to its many charms and it was such a beautiful weapon with its darkwood and deep red dragonshards.

Izzeth himself had claimed—rather, reclaimed—a gleaming sickle with a purplish hue to its blade. It was clearly a weapon intended for druids and he explained in brief that it was one of a set of twelve. Each is named for one of Eberron's moons. The one he carried was the Crescent of Therendor, the Healer's Moon. The material, byeshk, was a rare metal mined in the mountains of the same name and, according to Izzeth, was the perfect blade to use against aberrations. Magnus said he and Cypher had seen a similar weapon before—carried by a former companion—but now it was in the hands of Governor Trazzen, the vampire at the end of this deadly maze.

Despite Izzeth's magics allowing us to navigate the putrid water in this room, our various injuries burned with the unclean contact.  We did not, however, take the moment to rest or fully take stock of what we had found.

Aleae did try to stuff all of the gems we discovered into an improbably small pouch and we moved the other items to the ledge out of reach of the water should it come crashing back down unexpectedly. The druid's control of the water was impressive and he seemed able to keep it at bay as if a giant plow had passed through untilled soil.

Despite the concentration required for this impressive feat, Izzeth demanded we quickly explore below the membrane at the bottom of the pool—the one from which the brain-and-beak tentacled monster had emerged during the battle. He believed there might be a seal below that was weakening and thus allowing aberrations to come through into our world.

During Izzeth's impassioned plea, Arafin quietly watched our deliberations and Clarion seemed lost in one of his deep magical musical meditations. Agreeing, we watched as Izzeth cut the membranous material—which had reformed itself—with his sickle. Then Magnus lowered Izzeth through the membrane by a rope and I followed. Wynn, in turn, lowered me into a darkness relieved only by my magical eyewear.

The well below the membrane was empty of water and as we slowly descended, the well opened out into a larger cave filled with water. The water, though dark, did not appear as corrupted as the water above. Bubbles began to disturb the calm surface below and I signaled to Wynn to stop. Magnus continued to lower Izzeth and I watched the water with an arrow knocked.

A large brain-like shape erupted, dripping, from the waters below us. Apparently a cousin to the beast who emerged earlier and who ruined so many of the arrows I had peppered it with.

Izzeth yelled out that it was another grell and Magnus and Wynn rapidly pulled us up. While I was unable to wield my bow effectively as I twisted dangling from the rope, I quickly passed through the membrane and positioned myself at the lip of the well followed by Izzeth.

The grell rapidly ascended and seemed undeterred by the arrows Magnus and I sank into its spongy but prodigious flesh. Its barbed tentacles began to stab at us repeatedly and one of them pierced my leggings. Apparently having enjoyed the taste of my blood, it rose to eye level and bit me with its beak. Wynn took advantage of its focus on me and slashed and stabbed it repeatedly as Magnus hammered at it.  Fluids, not recognizable as blood, flowed from its wounds. Enraged by the pain of its bite, I drew my rapier and buried it to the hilt in the creature's beaked maw.  Awareness faded from its alien eyes. The creature descended from whence it came carrying with it more of my arrows.

We agreed that we had had enough of a taste of grells and, in an attempt to flood the cavern below, Magnus excised as much of the membrane as he could.  We all retreated to the pathway surrounding the empty pool and Izzeth allowed his concentration to lapse. The waters rushed downward with a roar. The foul liquid obviously began to drain down the well as the waterline subsided, but then stopped at a depth of 5 feet. The membrane must have healed as we had seen it do previously. One of the shields placed against the chamber wall popped aside and more dark liquid poured out through a conduit that had been hidden by the shield. The chamber seemed intent on erasing our activities and the pool slowly filled again.

With our attention drawn to the shields we decided to try to hinder whatever power the chamber held in another way. Izzeth, driven by his hatred for aberrations that seemed the defining trait of his druid's order, seemed especially eager to unmake the devices of the naga we'd slain. According to Arain, all of these nagas would return to life in due time. Why not spoil its lair?

Wynn began to pry the shields from the walls and Clarion handed them to his unseen servant—an invisible and insubstantial entity—to carry. At first Wynn met with success, but then as she gripped a plain unadorned shield, its form flowed to form appendages that bound and pummeled her. Magnus leapt at the shield-thing with his mace and found his mace stuck fast to it. This was undoubtedly a mimic! I joined the fray piercing it with two arrows, but it seemed not to notice. Magnus struggled to pull his mace away and the shield opened a toothy mouth and bit down on Wynn's side.

Not all mimics choose to resemble chests.
Only the meanest ones.

I found myself momentarily blinded as Arafin joined in with a bright bolt of light that irradiated the creature even as Magnus and Wynn struggled to escape it. A chill blast swept by me aimed at the thing, sent by Aleae. Magnus finally tore free and with him no longer blocking my view of it, I sank two arrows into it, finally seeing it show some sign of pain. Again, Arafin blasted it with a white light and it fell from the wall dead, if it was ever alive.

Arafin seemed to have enough of our games and slithered out the passage the way we had come.  She didn't go far, but waited for us with a hint of impatience marring her regal calm.

We followed her back the way we came, through the cage room where up and down were interchangeable.

I couldn't help but notice that Cypher had shown an uncharacteristic disinterest in everything we had found. If we have time, I must try to talk to it. I find these construct beings fascinating. It's almost like they have moods.

Our wounds continued to burn but, other than a strong desire to cleanse ourselves, we noticed no ill effects. It appeared that Clarions' earlier blessing might have minimized the foul fluid's ill effects on us.

Despite Arafin's restlessness and Cypher's apparent frustration at our progress, we took the moment to rest and regather for an hour. I spent the time studying the darkwood bow and came to feel a better understood its magics; Izzeth recognized its make and warned me that using it might release a captive fire elemental held by the bow. Given Magnus's newfound fondness for bows and his ability to handle fire better than I, I offered him the weapon. Two archers wielding magical bows would certainly be more useful than me holding a bow in either hand.

Arafin suddenly drew in a breath and turned her head to focus on a point in space across the room.  The hairs on the nape of my neck stood up and I felt the presence of something watching us.  "Something is here!" I whispered to the others.

Arafin uncoiled and approached the opposite end of the room, muttered a word and an invisible sphere was outlined with faerie fire. She spit a few words at it in Draconic, that seemed a challenge. Possibly a litany of curses.

Magnus followed suit, yelling "We are coming for you and you will die!" He is always very to the point.

From Clarion came "Your rule of this place will come to an end."

I whispered to myself, "Who are they talking to?"

Arafin had the last word and with a surge of magic, she dispelled the unseen sphere. The sense that we were being watched ended, but it was clear we were expected.

Having finished a brief rest, we followed Arafin back the way we had come, revisiting various grisly reminders of our battles. Finally, Arafin took us through the tunnels in which a fork in the tunnel presented two passages. One led to the naga's one-time lair, where she and her mate had once lived before the coming of our enemies. Arafin was deeply disquieted even looking in that direction. She said that her former lair was now a place corrupted and she did not wish to go there again. The other passage led on ostensibly to the upper dungeons of Glyphstone Keep—where we had once been.

However, in that direction we saw scattered pieces of heavy armor simply lying discarded upon the ground.  Experience informed what our more veteran companions saw: We had previously encountered unfriendly animated suits of armor controlled by the Blue Wraith—the criminal I had come here to take down.

The bounty on his head was considerable. Was it worth stumbling into deeper threats and vague prophecies? I do not know. I had at least found competent allies that I can now say I well and fully trust with my life. In a very short time I have fought many battles with them already. I feel as though we have shared an extended campaign during the war. It was a warrior's camaraderie. Perhaps in time I will feel comfortable enough to explain the less savory parts of my life. And clearly they have sins of their own that have led them on these present dangers. I have begun to consider what I will next. When I return to Wroat with the Blue Wraith, or with his head, what then? I am seriously contemplating staying with this group.

In any case, Aleae concentrated and magically carried a piece of the armor—a gauntlet—towards us, confirming her fears as to what it was, and then she sent it drifting away down the leftmost tunnel. Separating pieces of the armor seemed prudent.

Just then, beyond the armor in the right-hand passage I heaard a disquieting chittering noise. Before we could act, the armor pieces scraped and snapped together, less the one hand that Aleae had removed from it.

The guardian suit of armor stood and called out "Intruders!" Very loudly.

The chittering grew louder as two giant scorpions scuttled out of the blackness, speeding towards us past the animated armor. Showing unusual coordination we seemed to focus our attacks on one of the scorpions badly injuring it. Aleae immediately released a fireball upon the scorpions and animate armor. The injured scorpion was burnt to an eight-legged cinder, while the other badly was merely badly scorched. The armor seemed resistant to the spell.

From the left tunnel a faint rustling become a roar and a giant purple worm rushed at us.  It could easily swallow one of us whole.