We rest at the top of the stairs, allowing the spell casters to replenish their spells. Tasha casts a protection spell on herself and the goblin. We proceed down the spiral stair down to a square room with 2 exits out 3 pairs of armored figures flank each of the two doors. There is a thick layer of dust on the floor.
We cautiously enter and examine the statues. It looks like plate armor secured on wooden dummies. Obba tries to open a door but bounces off it, claiming it is magically sealed. Balthor steps up and opens it, a hall ends in a door about 30 feet away.
Moving through the door at the end we are great with what happens to be our first of many odd things. Pair of skeletal figures are seated at a table surrounded by parchment. They appear to be writing southing then move the paper to the next pile. They seem to be totally oblivious to us. Since the skeletons are not bothering us we leave them alone. The parchments are blank even though they just finished writing, and Balthor notices that the inkwells are empty. Lorias pulls out a bottle of ink, and refills the empty inkwell.
Meanwhile the skeletons continue to write and now start to use the new ink. Both of them appear to be writing the same gibberish over and over. 'Lipsum Forgum Mlogum Ragnumm'
I tell the group that I hear something from the opposite door. In walks a skeleton pushing a wheelbarrow full of parchment. He dumps it on the floor next to the other skeletons. Then collects all the paper they had written on in the wheelbarrow then leaves. Balthor stuffs a copy that he had been trying to decipher in a pouch and then we set off to follow the curious skeleton.
The skeleton continues down the passage that he had emerged from, past a couple of doors. It then enters a door just shy of the door at the end of the hall. Looking into the door the skeleton enters is a passageway about 20' long that ends in a door.
Inside this one the skeleton is placing the paper from the wheelbarrow on to the multitude of shelves in the room, which are also filled with paper. We later discover that nearly all of it is blank. The wheelbarrow, now empty, the skeleton takes with it when it leaves. Obba, Tasha and her pet leave the room following the skeleton. Lorias, Balthor, and I search the room. Way up on a shelf, we find some faded parchment with writing on it. 'Lipsum forgum mlogum ragumm' We decide to try and catch up with them.
As we are leaving a skeleton with a wheelbarrow comes out of the next room over and enters our room. We stand aside and let it pass. It fills the wheelbarrow with paper then returns to the door it came out of. Meanwhile we see Obba and the others enter the door we passed first following the skeleton.
Our skeleton take the paper and puts it on a desk it then goes begins to clean it in a tub next to it and scrubbing it clean. However the tub is empty.
We finally meet up with Obba and the others. To our best guess they are to inscribe the words, store the parchment, and then clean it for reuse.
We decide to check out the door at the end of the hall. It is a large room that seems to be some sort of classroom with a chalkboard, desks, etc. It is a complete with a teacher and young students all skeletons off course. The teacher seems to be trying to write something on the chalkboard.
Tasha puts a piece of chalk in the teacher's hand and it writes 'nhow peul otta ehl' over and over. Great, an odd clue. We stand around confused and try to figure out what to do when Kyres says "I got it! Open the south wall."
I search the south wall and find a well hidden secret door, but no way to open it. Obba and Balthor start looking over the 2 sheets we have. After Balthor gets the first word 'Lipsum' out, the door opens to reveals a pair of passages.
We head down one of the passages and I notice another hidden door. Balthor starts running down our assumed list of passwords, and it finally opens.
After several failed attempts to get in the door, Kyres pulls the door open. Inside the room it is bare except for a book sitting on a pedestal covered by a glass case, and a soft blue glow inside.
Kyres and Tasha advance to look at the book and case. There is no writing on it. When Tasha touches the case there is a flash and 3 large humanoid zombies appear and move to attack.
Tasha moves to attack actually hitting once. Lorias misses with Books' Truth. I put a couple of flaming arrows into one of them. One attacks and hits Tasha. Balthor uses magical missiles on the one I hit. The second also targets Tasha and misses. Obba strikes and then the last one also targets and hits Tasha. Apparently there was a trap that she triggered. Kyres fires at one of the wounded, and drops it. Tasha misses the third one, and Lorias casts a spell on Tasha. I place a couple more flaming arrows into the last one standing. The zombie strikes Tasha again hitting. Balthor drops it with a few more magical missiles.
Kyres and Balthor try our magical passwords, which seem to have no effect. Tasha then removes the glass case with prompting from Balthor. When she tries to pick up the book a black smoke billows out. I step back through the door, coughing as I do so. The smoke then ignites into a big ball of flame. I am lucky enough to have missed that blast. When I manage to see into the room, I see Balthor is down and the goblin is charred corpse.
They heal up, and get Balthor back on his feet. Little remorse is given for the dead goblin. Tasha examines the book and then tries to open the clasps. She gets a shock from the book and it remains locked.
We pack up the book and then back up and take a different path. When we open the door we come to, we are greeted by the sight of a library with a female librarian who looks up at us and goes 'Shhhh'.
Obba and I start scouting out the room as the rest try to talk to the librarian. Kyres manages to get some information regarding our scepter, there are two of them. Anonuviet was created by a long lost race or a copy, the Veltarii Scepter, created by the Mage Kings of Aganon. The Mage Kings had collected some of ht lost info of the lost race into 2 old works 'Imal Un Tyr' and the 'Tar Al Kyn'. Kyres recognizes the titles.
Trying to get more info is frustrating as most of the answers to our questions is "That information is restricted."
She does say that only the proper words can open the books. A few more questions which yield little info and we head back out to the halls. We then have a bit of a discussion then continue on, trying to find the symbol that will get us into the restricted section.
Pressing on the next door we open is empty except for a pair of zombies dressed in servant’s formal clothes next to a set of double doors at the far side. We hear faint sounds of music. As Obba enters the room the zombies bow and then open the door revealing a ballroom and the volume of the music gets louder.
Slightly confused we enter the ballroom with several pairs of couples dancing to the skeletal band at the far wall. At the ceiling, a faint star field shines down on us.
I mention quietly to Kyres if we weren't so busy solving this mystery, I'd ask her to dance, which gets me a blush and a smile. I check out the room for other doors and don't find any.
In a corner of the dance hall, we have a discussion on the scepters, books, and a story regarding that this dungeon was sealed to prevent the escape of evil...probably the scepter. Kyres then goes on to explain the stories about this told to her by Kyres (her goddess).
Well determining we need to locate the second scepter, which is probably in here we set off again. We find a long hall with a mural of the necromancer recovering the scepters, using them and placing one in a strange holder. It continues on to see a band of adventurers being killed and then being raised as zombies by the scepter.
Further down behind a door is what looks to be a large eating hall. A skeleton comes out with a platter puts it on a table.
Tasha pushes past us, and attacks one of the nearest to us much to our surprise. As she attacks a second, I step up to grab Tasha, asking her what the hell she is doing. About this time a huge zombie with a meat cleaver advances on Tasha and me. I step back telling Tasha it’s her fight.
The two of them fight. I briefly leave to escort Kyres where she can relieve herself and when we get back the zombie is dragging Tasha by one leg back to the kitchen. Balthor drops the cook and then Tasha gets healed.
While we spend a few minutes exploring the kitchen, we chastise the bard for her idioticy. Kyres thinks she's onto something important here, and wants to talk the librarian.
I volunteer to escort Kyres so she won’t be wandering all by herself. Kyres and I head back to the librarian where Kyres has a talk with the librarian. Where she is able to learn a little bit of information for us. Apparently anything slain in here rises as a zombie within an hour if not beheaded. Also we found out that the librarian is an outwolder bound to serve.
On our way back, Kyres discovers a hidden compartment with a sphere in it. Shortly there after Obba and the others join us. We exchange the information we got. The most interesting seemed to have come from a ghost named Talesin with following:
Breathe deep the gathering gloom
Watch lights fade from every room
Bed sitters people look back and lament
Another day's useless energy spent
Impassioned lovers wrestle as one
Lonely man cries for love and has none
New mothers pick up and suckers her son
Senior citizens wish they were young
Cold hearted orb that rules the night
Removes colors from our sight
Red is grey and yellow white
But we decided which is right and
which is illusion.
Balthor then shows the red orb they found. So we head off the library (yet again), where Kyres shows the orbs to the librarian. She says there nice but not the symbol and we should try to the other passage.
Off with Her Head!
So we thank her and leave. We head back to the other passage. Moving down the passage we open a door revealing a small library of sorts. A blue haze is in the door or in the room. I toss a silver coin into the room and it vanishes. Not knowing how to get in, we bypass it for now.
The next room has zombie military types in it going over some maps a planning a battle of some kind. We continue past.
The next door has a pair of zombie trolls guarding the door on the far side. We make a quick plan that Lorias will try to turn them. As he starts to do so, Obba steps into the room. Then a hauntingly familiar tune starts and panic runs through the minds of most of us. I know it did for me. A blast of fire goes off in the middle of the room. Obba seems to be the most put out about the situation.
Instead of attacking the trolls, he turns and attacks Tasha. I drop one of the trolls with a pair of arrows. Balthor and Tasha drop the other with spells and Obba slices Tasha who drops like a rag doll. Then states "I warned you." He then turns his back on the bard. I think that it’s kind of interesting that no one really objected to what he did.
Lorias heals the bard. I tell Tasha the next time she is going to try something like that to tell us ahead of time or I will finish what Obba started. I then turn away.
Opening the door we get a small room with a breeze flowing out of it. Tasha moves to the far side to check for traps. As she starts to do so, the winds begin to pick up and swirl around into a whirlwind.
Balthor casts a spell with no visible effect. My arrow has no effect. It slams Tasha up against a wall and she collapses. Obba moves in for the attack, Lorias moves around and casts a spell on Tasha. Kyres draws Retribution (her sword).
Balthor casts a fan of fire which misses. Obba and I attack with Lorais casting a spell on Tasha.
Tasha sits up and starts playing her harp. A bolt of lightning leaps forth from the harp bouncing off a wall, through her, Lorias and the whirlwind. Tasha collapses back to the ground. Kyres slices through it and Lorias casts a spell upon himself.
Balthor tries to cast a spell on it again with no effect. It tries to hit Balthor and fails but does hit Tasha, slamming her up against the wall. I put another arrow into it and Lorias finishes it off with thrust of his sword.
Kyres seems to be a bit upset that Tasha is dead then remembers the bit about rising from the dead. I say that isn't a problem as I draw my sword. With a prayer I sever the head, as Kyres averts her eyes. We carefully move the corpse off to the side. We retrieve the easily portable and potentially useful items and then cover her with a blanket. We determine to come back later and bury her.
We rest for the night allowing the spell casters to recover any spells they may need. The 'next day' as we are planning to continue on the door behinds us burst open. Obba and I recognize Carol, the Yuletide troll. She gives us each a box muttering something about silly adventurers. Obba and I thank her as the Rest look confused. At least until Obba and I explain who she is. We each got a healing potion from her.
Through the door is another room with a half blue sphere in the middle of the room. There seems to a trapdoor in it. Next to the sphere is a pedistal with a symbol carved into it. Several of us get the impression it is a lock of some sort. So we set off to look for the key.
Continuing on we seem to find a large storeroom. Crates in it there have labels like costumes, hats, shoes and the like. In one corner we find a chest that Balthor opens with a spell. Inside is a bunch of copper, silver, and gold coins, along with 3 gems. Kyres puts the coins in her pouch and we continue on down the hallway.
Kyres and I spot a secret door along the hall and Kyres manages to open it. The large room is empty except for a pair of ogres on the far wall near a door there. On the other wall there is another door. When I try to enter the room I bump into some hidden object it feels like a table.
Everyone looks at me a bit odd as I try to get around or over it, so I do my best to explain it. I slowly make my way to the unguarded door, marking any items with arrows so I can find my way back quickly. The door looks to be untrapped to my untrained eye. We try to move the table next to the door into the hall as an experiment and it reappears as we do so.
Obba says that he has an idea and slowly makes his way to the ogre guarded door. Cautiously he tries to open the door but fails. I give the door a try and it opens just fine for me. Two other things happen, first is that the ogres disappear, and the second is that all the furniture reappears.
Headed over to us, Balthor trips over a chest, or what turned out to be a chest that remained invisible. Inside Balthor finds a platinum key on a pillow and a parchment scroll under the pillow.
Checking out the other door from the room inside are a pair of skeletons sitting on beds, looking like they are crying. As we stand about trying to figure what to do next when there is a flash and 2 figures fall into the room.
We turn to deal with the new situation when I recognize Alkovar! What a shock! We spend abut 2 hours getting introductions done and a bit of a brief storyline to Alkovar. He introduces his associate as Ashley Crommell, who apparently is some sort of proclaimed trap expert. It got briefly interesting when Kyres status as a former Avatar was brought up. Even more so when we stop them from slaying the skeletons.
We check out the other door from this room after Ashley checks for traps. Inside is a large sleeping area. There are several figures in here. Some of which jog the memory to the poem by Talesin. The pair of lovers, the mother and child, and 2 older looking zombies watching the mother and child. Ashley starts to wander and plunder the room when we tell her not to bother the occupants. We tell her not to bother the occupants. We also try to remember the next set of lines of the poem.
We move over to the other door out of the room. When we finally get the door open we start to move down the length of hallway. The light from Nedwig's lantern dims to that of a match.
We force open the door at the end to get into a room with the star field overhead again. There is a door at the far end, and six suits armor stand propped about the room. Obba steps into the room and armor comes to life.
Balthor tries to cast a spell with no effect. Ashley does some sort of tumbling maneuver to get into the room. The suit of armor moves to attack Ashley and misses. One attacks Obba and a third Kyres. I put a couple of arrows in one, as Alkovar smites one of the attackers, Kyres tries to hit one, and Obba does connect. The sixth suit moves up and hits me.
Ashley tumbles into Obba's midst bringing her attacker with her. Balthor drops on with some magical missiles. Alkovar and Obba take hits and put an arrow into the one attacking me. Alkovar hits his attacker. Kyres hits another one and my attacker hits me again.
Balthor's magical missiles drop a second one. Ashley's attacks misses, but then Alkovar is hit by his attacker. The two arrows I plunk into my aggressor causes him to collapse. Kyres's arrow goes wide past the melee swarming around Obba. Obba's attack connects with a suit of armor. Balthor's magical missiles drops a third one. I place a couple more arrows into another one attacking Obba. Alkovar moves to help Obba and Kyres just misses again. Obba drops a fifth one. Ashley try’s to tackle the last remaining suit, and drives it 15' away, but the attacker hits her. I place another two arrows in it right next to Ashley and it collapses.
A minor bit of healing happens while Ashley checks out the suits of armor and the weapons. She then checks the door and finds a pair of circular depressions. One yellow and the other red. We found where the spheres go.
Balthor and Kyres hand up their spheres along with directions on which depression to place it in. As they are placed in the slowly change color to spot they are slotted into. The door opens and the star field fades away. The larger room revealed has a set of spiraled stairs up with large 20' brass snake curled up with bits of armor scattered about.
While everyone is sizing up the situation, the last stanzas are running through my mind. Assuming that this is the illusion we would really need to expect next. I calmly walk to the stairs through the snake and part way up the stairs, and then turn to wave the rest on.
The stairs lead to an 'L' shaped room with an alchemical lab and pair of zombies on one end and a large glowing vat and metal looking giant standing next to it.
The rest except for Ashley, Balthor, and I go and search the alchemical end, then to the other side. Ashley discovers a secret door on the end with the lab while Balthor moves towards the vat. The construct animates and attacks. Hearing the yell for help, I race back to the corner so I can see what is going on.
Balthor casts a spell hitting the construct followed by Alkovar hitting it. One of my arrows hits, doing minor damage. For some reason Ashley opens the door provoking the wrath of the zombies which move to attack her. The construct pummels poor Alkovar to the ground with 3 quick blows. Obba and Kyres miss with their attacks. Balthor tries to slow it down by casting a web spell. Alkovar sits up as an amulet crumbles away. I fire a couple more flaming arrows, unfortunately putting the webs to fire. Sensing Obba as the next major threat it attacks him hitting twice. Obba rages and hits mightily. Kyres misses while Ashley is busy with the zombies.
The creature misses with attacks on Obba and Alkovar. A bolt from Balthor's crossbow goes wide. Alkovar misses but one of my arrows hits. Ashley manages to drop one zombie. The creature hits Obba and Alkovar. Obba's next swing drops the creature to the ground.
A pair of arrows from me finish off the last zombie attacking Ashley. Ashley then proceeds into the room the was revealed. The rest tend to healing and then I have Balthor go check on Ashley.
Ashley spends some time examining, disarming and opening the numerous chests in there. She also manages to set off a few traps too.
I console Kyres a bit again on the loss of Tasha, trying to reassure her that it will be okay. We will give her a nice burial. I know that it’s cruel, but I and suspect Obba feels safer with her gone.
Looking at the cauldron there is a body that seems to be alive in the green goo. There seems to be some silver symbol about his neck. I fish it out with a pair arrows. It is the symbol we are looking for. We tip over the cauldron and what we suppose is the clone of the necromancer Hengest. We pack up the treasure from the chests and start to leave.
On our way back down to the blocked trapdoor, Kyres spends some time telling Ashley that she can not pillage the body of Tasha.
When we put the symbol in the pedestal the force field over the trap door goes away. The platinum key opens a little lock on the trap door. Obba goes down first followed by the rest. It leads to a small room with a small pedestal holding the scepter. Ashley steps up and starts to examine it, about of us started screaming don't touch it. You know, I think we forgot that Tasha was dead for a moment, it was a reflex. We discuss what to do briefly then I reach out with gloved hands and a blanket pulling the scepter free.
There is a fairly loud rumbling noise as everyone panics, and then the noise stops. I put the scepter away as we hurry up the ladder.
The next stop is the force field door which is still there. Balthor goes back and gets the key and symbol from where we just came from. They symbol lowers the impedance from the door.
The library contains rather normal mundane books, unlike the oddly corrupted versions in the previous library.
We head back to speak to the librarian only to find she is gone, as well as all of the zombies. We gather Tasha and all of the odds and ends from the dungeon and leave, taking the key that reseals the dungeon.
We build a cairn for Tasha outside of the dungeon. Lorias and Kyres say a prayer for her. We collect the items from the ambush and return to town.
Wish Upon a Falling Star
Back in town we try to recover and rest. Balthor is unable to get into the 2 big books; we seem to be missing the book with the instructions for the key to get into them so we can figure out how to destroy the scepters. We decide to try and store all that for the time being.
We also divide up the treasure and items we discover. Luckily we had enough treasure to pay Spugnoir for Tasha's debt. Although I was a bit miffed we were the ones who had to pay it. We divide out the items to those who can use them or need them the most. Kyres gets a nice emerald quiver which will yield some magical arrows for her. I just end up with a few potions.
We discuss the possibility of purchasing a place to live, but I don't know if I can afford that. I decide to remain at the inn (Welcome Wench) for a bit.
We have a large celebratory meal; Kyres is showing off her new swords. I tell her that I'd be happy to help her train with them. (At least, I'll be spending her more time with her).
While there we do our best to question Ashley about whom she is. Determining that we probably need someone of her skills we accept her (though she will need to completely earn my trust). We give her the rules of the party.
One by one we break up and head out, Kyres is first. I suspect that she is still mourning for Tasha.
Needing a chance to relax as well, I head outside the village to find a quiet spot to watch the stars and absorb the peace of nature.
On the way out I find Kyres sitting talking to Goddess. I greet her and ask if she wants to join me and we set off to watch the stars. Our talk turns to Tasha for a while. From there the talk turns to about me, where I grew up and the Despora Valley.
I get a feeling of loss talking about my family. Kyres gets a bit choked up when I talk of the stories of the Godhead Wars that happened when I was three.
My story goes on a bit more smoothly as if it gets to talking about the start of our quest and the emergence of the Gods. She seemed to be interested in our story of the Godhead Pools as we've learned to call them.
The arrival of another shooting star, I silently place a wish that I may get to know Kyres better. We both become a bit concerned when it heads right towards us ... and keeps coming.
It races over our head and it lands in a flash of light beyond town. Kyres and I set off after the site. We are shortly joined by the rest of the party.
When we get to site we see a blue glowing orb hovering about 2' off the ground. The only damage seems to be flattened brush, which is odd. As we stand there a feeling of peace and calm comes over us. I exchange looks with Lorias, Obba, and Alkovar, as we realize what it is. The others are confused.
I step up and gently touch the orb, as Alkovar explains that we've seen something like this before. When I touch it, it burst in to a ball of light. The peace continues to reside over us. We explain that they've been touched by the godhead and welcome them to the ranks of the fledgling godlings.
Sairewan Eveningstar
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Last updated 3 May 2003