Day 15 (continued)
The party sets up their camp just off the road in an alpine forest. Anaphel examines Korako, whom Temerity has just presented to them. He likes the rabbit and asks to pet him. Temerity is overjoyed at this response and tells Anaphel that they may prostrate themselves before the rabbit deity. Anaphel is unconvinced but nevertheless genuflects and asks Korako permission to pet him. Korako enjoys being petted. Temerity reveals to Anaphel that others have been driven to obsession by the sight of Korako. Anaphel comments on Temerity’s bond with his rabbit. Temerity states that it has deepened since their recent fey exposure.
Anaphel discusses “wild wanderer” with Temerity, which are the words printed on Chikatika’s collar. They tell Temerity about druids that live in the forests around Avalon and Durvish City and that they may have answers for him. Anaphel’s wings spread and they fly to the top of a tree to take first watch for the night.
Gage has wandered off into the forest. He is scavenging, foraging for foodstuffs and practising with his bow. He notices small green lights in the grass, but as he approaches one and it disappears. Gage has heard legends of will o’ the wisps and recalls them as he watches the strange lights.
Gage ties a rope around himself and a tree and follows the lights into the forest. He travels a fair distance. They disappear as he approaches and others appear in the distance. Eventually, the rope goes taut but his destination is visible just beyond the extent of the rope. Gage shoots an arrow through the gathering of wisps. It lands just beyond them, causing them to dissipate briefly and then return.
He unties the rope and stakes it to the ground with an arrow. He then steps forwards towards the wisps, causing them to disappear. The sound of his footsteps changes and he glances down to see that there are small animal bones cracking beneath his feet. There is absolute silence except for his footsteps.
The wisps form a circle around a humanoid skull. The eye sockets contain diamonds, to which he is drawn. A large bony hand grips his ankle, but he kicks it off and starts backing away. He stomps backwards but does not see the will o’ the wisps beginning to gather around him nor the shadowy figures approaching from his flanks, nor someone beginning to cast a spell on the skull.
He shoots an arrow at the skull, which hits the skull but there is no visible damage. The skull turns towards him and the eyes glow a deep, malevolent green and he passes out.
Back at the camp, Theren watches the fire whilst thinking of home and he realises how much he misses his father. Flecks of blue appear in the core of the fire. He can feel that they are magical. He assumes someone may be trying to contact him. Theren thinks it is his father trying to contact him, but the fire does not respond to him. He hears snippets of conversation coming from the fire.
Theren casts comprehend languages on the fire and divines that the person is speaking common – he hears the words “necro”, “danger”, “signal” and “message”. He also hears “companions”, “intercept” and “communications”.
He looks around the campfire and notices that Gage is missing, he sends Runcible to find their missing companion. Anaphel flies down when they notice Runcible flying off. Anaphel reassures Theren that the fire is not speaking to him and that it is simply an elemental message. They fly up to check above the trees and tell Theren to check Gage’s tent.
Temerity is playing with animals and singing to himself quietly. Lavender is meditating and hears monastic chant. She feels a comfortable chill settling around her. She looks for guidance and reassurance from Auriel. When she thinks of Anaphel, she feels the parental concern of Auriel. Lavender reassures Auriel that they will all look after Anaphel.
Anaphel lands beside Lavender and tells her that they found something. They tell her that it is an area of darkness further into the forest. The party heads into the forest and find the rope, deciding to follow it. They recall the time they encountered something similar.
Theren recalls Runcible as he runs but his pseudodragon doesn’t appear, causing him concern. They spot the arrow fixed in the ground. Theren senses magic all around but nothing specific. Anaphel takes point and leads the party onwards for what feels like ages.
The darkness closes in and the floor begins to turn to stone. Temerity fires an arrow with light cast on it in to the gloom. The arrow lands in a sack and illuminates a courtyard with a mausoleum in one corner. This place is old, weathered and mossy. Temerity has Korako and Chikatika on his shoulders and Aurius on his head, having left Guido behind in the tent in a drunken stupor. He cautiously asks Korako to sniff out Gage, but he smells only death and decay.
Theren uses prestidigitation to try and open the door but it is locked. There is a small arcane lock on the door. Temerity rushes at the door and whacks his head off the wall beside the lock, missing it completely. Lavender uses her sword pommel to bash the lock and chips it. She bashes it again and the lock snaps off completely. Anaphel takes point heading into the mausoleum. A staircase leads down a long way.
Gage awakens in chains with a pickaxe in his hands. He is tired, for he’s been working for hours, perhaps days. He knows not. He is compelled to continue working somehow. He resists the urge to work and looks around, seeing others are chained up and forced to labour in the mine. Dark-robed figures with torches and whips are standing guard. Gage diverts his attention from them and looks down, trying to mimic the workers. He gathers the pickaxe and fakes hitting the stone. A guard whips him across the back, so he collapses to the floor and fakes passing out. The guards grab him and drag him to the cells, locking him in.
Once alone, he investigates the cell walls. There are etchings of skulls on the walls and he sees that it is the same skull that he saw before. He notices that his fingertips and nails are broken and chipped, realising that he etched these skulls is his delirium. He chooses to sleep and recuperate.
The group reaches the bottom of the stairs and enter a cavern. They hear sounds of distant pickaxes. Anaphel points out a few passageways off the cavern. Theren suggests a side passage to remain hidden. Lavender wants to head to the noise down the central passageway. Anaphel agrees with Theren. Temerity is still a bit dazed and doesn’t offer an opinion.
Theren investigates the two side passages. He notices that the left has food smells and voices, while the right has much quieter sounds. Theren and Anaphel agree that the right hand passage is the best choice. Anaphel robes fully to hide their light.
They walk down the right hand corridor, trying to keep a low profile. It branches into a corridor at the end – to the left, open archways with sconces, to the right an archway with dark stairs heading down. Lavender wants to go left, but Theren again says to the right. Anaphel asks Temerity for his opinion, but none is forthcoming. They agree to head to the right down the stairs.
They hear a couple of voices ahead. They are laughing and relaxed. There is also a few shouts and groans. Anaphel manages to disappear into the shadows. A drow elf comes round the corner, shouting for his comrade to bring food and accompanied by a dwarf. Gage in his cell is awakened by the shouts.
Theren uses psychic lance on the drow, causing damage but failing to stun him. Temerity uses cutting words to help Theren, who steps away from the others and activates his cloak of flies. Anaphel appears suddenly right behind the drow, removes their glove and reaches for the back of the drow’s head, casting their spell and freezing the drow’s bodily fluids. Lavender charges at the dwarf and they grapple, but he uses his short stature to his advantage to avoid her. The drow attacks Anaphel, causing some damage, and then moves across to attack Theren. Lavender attacks the drow as he passes her, causing some damage. This causes him to miss Theren due to his injuries. The dwarf attacks Lavender, causing some damage. Temerity casts charm on the dwarf, succeeding in charming him.
Theren uses agonising blast, but it passes either side of the drow and hits the wall. Anaphel freezes the drow in a chilling, grotesque pose. The enemy screams and then goes silent. Theren deactivates his cloak of flies and they back off from the charmed dwarf. Temerity and Gage (within his prison cell) see fear flick across Anaphel’s face as he steps away from the dwarf.