The Troupe have infiltrated Section’s underground base, finding yet another secret mine below Beregost. The ore in this mine is also poisoned, leading Aegon to believe Section may be a druidic order, but there still remain questions unanswered, including the reason they attacked the Troupe.
21 Eleasias 1368
We wander the empty tunnels as they get deeper. The stone walls are no longer the clean cuts of a mine, but irregular, almost unnatural caverns. The air is dry. Lava flows through narrow veins in the stone, casting flickering orange light on our path. Some rocks are hot enough to burn at the touch.
We tread carefully, but I am not careful enough. Even with Imoen scouting for traps, I rush ahead and trip wires she hasn’t spotted yet.
I down a few Potions of Healing and we press on, my pride wounded more than my flesh.
Wind howls through the tunnels and the air hisses as it touches lava. But I pick up another sound, I’m sure it was… footsteps?
I call out a warning, grabbing Bashrik’s Hammer and my Heart of the Dragon. A flash of light blinds me momentarily, and suddenly a man-shaped spectre materializes mid-thrust, sword aimed at my chest.
I twist just in time, deflecting the blow, but the figure vanishes in another flash. Then another flash, it appears again, slashes at me, then disappears in yet another flash. It keeps doing this, and I can barely keep up. Then there are two with their swords raised to strike. They are not alone.
We can’t hit what we can’t see. We have nowhere to aim our bows. I can only swing Bashrik’s Hammer at the air. I can’t even target them with my Wand.
But I have a plan. I reach for my scrolls and Summon a Lesser Fire Elemental.
The elemental can’t be hurt by my Wand of Fire. So if it can draw their attacks I can use the elemental as a target and…
…they burn. The tide has turned. As long as we know where they are, we can hurt them.
I shout for the others to fall back. No sense putting themselves in danger. The elemental and I can handle this.
The ghoulish things try to escape, but the elemental and I keep them penned in, away from the others.
A sword clatters to the ground and I see a blackened, smoking corpse materialise. One of them is dead.
We press the attack, and during the times when it is visible I can see it burning. It’s barely alive. We almost have it.
Before we can finish it off, the elemental vanishes, returning to the plane from whence it came. The spectre disappears one last time and I hear footsteps echoing into the darkness. It has escaped.
I retreat the opposite way down the tunnels, searching for the rest of the Troupe. After a short while I hear voices ahead. It’s Imoen and the one-handed dwarf engaged in conversation.
Imoen: Can I ask you something, Breagar?
Breagar: Wouldn’t stop you if I said no, wouldn’t it?
Imoen: There is this rumour about dwarves…
Breagar sighs.
Breagar: What rumour?
Imoen: Well, it’s a little embarrassing but…
Do dwarves hatch from stones?
Breagar: What? Buzzurk, who would spread such nonsense?
Imoen: That’s what they say, here and there, so I thought…
Breagar: Doesn’t sound like you thought at all! My mother is an honourable decent dwarf. Hatching from stones, pah!
Imoen: Please, don’t get mad, I just…
Breagar: Next you’ll ask me if we eat coals, huh? Listen, girl. No dwarf ever crawled out of a rock. Dwarves reproduce just like humans. You see?
Imoen: Hm… not really. How do humans reproduce?
Breagar: That is… erm. Maybe someone else should explain that to you.
I try to hold back my laughter as I approach. I have read books that mention this stone-hatching theory, but never with any seriousness.
Imoen smiles when she sees me, and remarks that she’s been learning a lot by adventuring with us.
Gameplay Note
She gets one extra Weapon Proficiency which I put into Single Hand Style. She gains 25 Skill Points, so I put 15 into Open Locks and 10 into Find Traps. Her Polymorph and Spells saving throws improve by 1 point. She gains 5 Hit Points and 3 points of Lore.
I explain to the others what happened. One spectre remains and he is constantly invisible. I can’t summon more elementals to help us. I need time to study my spellbook and prepare some magic to counter their ability.
We set up a watch, and rest for around eight hours. Thankfully we aren’t discovered during this time. Our opponent is heavily wounded, and I can detect it now. Time to hunt.
We move down the tunnels quietly. Footsteps echo nearby. I use the Weave to cast my spell and it reveals the spectre.
But it is not the same one from before. There are more of these things down here.
I hit it with my I Wand of Fire and flames engulf the creature
The flames don’t hinder it, and its sword slams into my shoulder. I try to retaliate with a barrage of Magic Missiles, but it vanishes before they strike. My magic isn’t proving as effective as I hoped.
It reappears and drives its sword into my leg. I stagger back, I need to heal.
We retreat back down the tunnels and it follows us. I consume one Potion of Healing before I unleash my Wand again.
The creature writhes, and I heal again while Imoen peppers it with arrows.
It disappears and attempts to retreat. But through my Detection spell, we can still see it. I target it one last time with the Wand. Flames consume it, leaving only a burning pile of flesh and a sword behind.
We suspect that there are more may lie ahead so, despite Helga’s protests, I go in alone to see if I can detect any before the others move in. Sure enough, I manage to spot another one before it can attack.
I engage the creature and call to the others for backup. They file in and start firing missiles.
It wounds me and pushes past, its sword drawn toward Imoen. I hit it with another blast from my Wand.
It keeps trying to get away, and I keep burning it over and over. I notice too late that my wand is out of charges, and the creature is still alive. Just as panic begins to rise, Breagar yells “Buzzurk!” and hurls an axe. It buries deep in the spectre’s back. Bile pours out of its mouth as it collapses.
We stand in silence, catching our breath. There could yet be more of these creatures. We listen, but only the wind and the hissing of lava remain. We hear nothing else. Even so, it takes a few minutes before we feel safe again.
Kieria says she has a better understanding of how magic can help shape the battlefield.
Gameplay Note
She gets 1 extra Level 1 Mage Spell, 2 additional Hit Points, and 2 more points of Lore.
With renewed connection to the Weave, I take the time to Identify some of the items we found when we infiltrated the Section base. The amulet is a tool for a thief, enhancing their skills and granting Invisibility. Imoen takes it and slips it over her head.
Gameplay Note
With her magical items and her Artefact, Imoen effectively has a Dexterity of 21! She’s probably the best thief in our roster right now.
The heavy sword is cursed, like the one that drove Captain Brage to insanity. We will keep it hidden in the Bag of Holding so it do no more harm.
I also use the Weave to look at some of the arrows we’ve been holding onto as well. A couple of them are explosive. These could bring fiery death to any who attack us.
Five more of our arrows are able to dispel magical effects on any target they hit. These will come in handy next time we face a necromancer.
Despite her new amulet, Imoen somehow manages to blunder into a trap.
Embarrassed, she downs an Elixir of Health before disarming the two traps that block our way.
She double-checks the tunnel to be sure it is safe, then waves us forward. We follow the tunnel and descend another set of stairs.
We find ourselves in a small room with a couple of wooden tables and several guards sitting on stools. They leap to their feet as soon as they see us.
I invoke my dream-given abilities to instill Horror on the operatives. They scream as they run for the doors.
One operative runs right into our bolts and bullets. The others panic, realising they’re going to die soon.
We focus our attacks on the heavily armed archer. Breagar finishes him off with a well-placed blow, but one of the operatives manages to slip away down a corridor.
We dispatch the straggler and check the bodies before their friend returns.
Two are only armed with chain mail and a long sword. The archer is much more heavily equipped: full plate mail, magical arrows and potions. We give the arrows to Imoen and distribute the potions.
There are three exits from this room, but I see visions of death from the corridor to our right. I lead the other down the central corridor, in the hopes of avoiding that fate.
Another operative guards a door ahead. While we fight him, we hear the chanting of a priest within the room. They are preparing to fight us.
Helga crushes the operative and we rush into the room to find the priest.
The priest is protected by one other guard as well as the wards he prepared while the first guard occupied us. Breagar yells that he’s run out of throwing axes.
I throw him my sling and Bag of Plenty. He can’t run out of infinite bullets. Then the priest Dooms me, and his guard slashes open my back.
I retaliate with a barrage of Magic Missiles. The priest is bleeding, but remains upright.
While I reach for a Potion of Healing, Kieria Silverstring Commands the priest to fall unconscious. He slumps as his eyes close.
Skeezer jolts him awake with a Magic Missile.
I finish drinking my potion and start swinging Bashrik’s Hammer again. He manages to loose another spell, this one to Hold us in place.
Most of us are able to resist the effects of the spell. Skeezer and Breagar freeze where they stand, unable to move a muscle.
The priest calls upon his god to grant him a magical hammer. His guard wounds me once again, forcing me to rely on more Potions of Healing to maintain my strength.
The priest yells out the name of his god as he attacks. Tempus. The Lord of Battles. Maybe Section isn’t a druidic order, after all.
I launch another barrage of Magic Missiles at the priest. He is weak now, barely able to stand, yet still he persists.
Kieria uses her Command to knock him unconscious, and as he collapses I strike. The priest is no more.
Without the support of the priest, the remaining operative is stuck with several quarrels. But his attacks still strike true, and I’m forced to rely on healing magic to stay in the fight.
Imoen sends a final arrow through his neck. With everyone slain, we’re able to take a better look at the room.
It’s a shrine of some kind, likely dedicated to Helm given the priest’s words. I ask Imoen to check for any traps while I search the priest’s corpse.
Apart from his arms and armour, I find 5 Scrolls of Cure Serious Wounds on his body. I give these to Helga. She can use them to support us if we get seriously injured in our next fight.
Imoen says there are no traps, but she found some potions in the pots placed on the altars. There is an Elixir of Health, as well as a Potion of Healing. She also hands me a Potion of Stone Giant Strength.
Another potion grants whoever drinks it temporary Invulnerability from attacks.
Breagar and Skeezer remain frozen in place. The dwarf is blocking the doorway, and we can’t squeeze past him. We will have to wait for the priest’s spell to wear off before we can continue.
It’s probably a good time to rest anyway.
