Chapter 3 Part II

In which the group encounters many strange wonders and narrowly avoids death by many  strange swarms

Valeria and the half-orc found only a wand of disrupt undead and seven silver holy symbols of Pharasma behind the goddess’ door and very little else.  While Valeria felt that clearing the undead out of this holy place dedicated to Pharasma, who is against the undead, the rest of the group agreed that they could always come back to this place at a later date... for now they had other monsters to slay.

They headed for the doors on the opposite of the room.  The doors opened easily.  Beyond was a staircase which led to a landing.  Above it they could just see a shaft or hallway which crossed perpendicular to the staircase at the ceiling roughly twenty feet above.  The floor of the landing is mounded with various rotting body parts, air pungent with the smell of rot and chemicals.  Beyond the pile of refuse another hallway extended on the group’s level to junction with another passage that ran perpendicular to this hallway.

Magipe’s hands glowed briefly and he clacked his beak, clearly agitated as he pointed at the pile of rancid flesh, “There is something moving in there!”  he squawked.

Drawing their weapons, the party moved cautiously towards the pile.  Yuri hung back, wisely staying a few steps above the ground as a small swarm of dismembered hands popped loose and started crawling towards the stairs.

While many members of the party shivered in disgust, Akura leapt forward, stomping and kicking at one of the hands.  His stomp managed to break two fingers, but his kick flew wide as he slipped in a puddle of good and landed on his rump.

Frelik, meanwhile, preferring a more arm’s length approach, withdrew his vial of precious holy water and hurled it at the floor admist the creatures.  The one Akura had stomped exploded in a flurry of gore as a splash of the liquid contacted it.  The other two, struck by some of the water, hissed but continued to advance. 

A heartbeat later things became much, much worse as the two remaining creatures bent their fingers and launched themselves into the air, flying at the monk and the barbarian.  Clawing at Frelik’s  throat in an attempt to strangle him.  Luckily the barbarian was stronger and hurled the thing back to the ground.

With a shriek Valeria drew her scimitar and stepped forward, slicing the unfortunate creatures to ribbons.

Akura pulled himself back to his feet, brushing gore and bits of flesh from his clothing as he muttered, “Well that was creepy.”

Poking at the pile with his toe, Magpie bent, pulling a golden ring set with an emerald off of one of the non-animated hands and proceeding to eat the hand.

Returning to the main room with Pharasma’s spiral inlaid in the floor, curious about the upper level they’d glimpsed from the landing, Frelik nimbly scaled the pitted wall to the bridge only to discover that the twenty-five feet of rope he’d brought with him was utterly inadequate to assist anyone else in following him – and he’d forgotten to bring a light source with him.  Foolish barbarian had apparently been too cheap to purchase a full fifty feet of rope and too foolish to think to grab one of the multiple light sources in the party prior to his climb.

“It’s dark up here!” The barbarian called down.

Davros chuckled, calling up, “Why not light your twenty five feet of rope on fire?  It’s not useful for anything else!”

With a long-suffering sigh, Akura tucked his sunrod into his belt, threw his own fifty feet of rope over one shoulder and scaled the wall in the same place the barbarian had managed, providing light on top of the bridge.  With Frelik’s help they threw the Monk’s fifty feet of rough, hempen rope over the side.

Apparently bored, Magpie wandered past the body part-strewn landing, away from the rest of the party.  As Olivine, the last one left on the ground, was scaling up the rope the bird-man bolted back into the main room and started climbing the rope as well, somehow managing to look pale and shaken and mumbling something about the sounds of flesh being torn.

Once everyone was safely on the bridge, they moved to the southern set of bronze doors, pushing them open.  They reveal a long corridor lined with alcoves filled with dust and decaying bodies wrapped in yellowing linen.   At the far end stood two more bronze doors radiating strong sealing magic.

Davros frowned and pushed his way into the room, carefully searching the bodies as they crumbled to dust in his hands.  With a cry he leapt back, clutching his bleeding hand as several of the skulls in the tombs leapt into motion, sprouting legs and advancing towards the group.  “Skull spiders!” Davros shrieked, withdrawing a weapon even as another skull spider leapt up, clamping on to bite him in the forearm.

With a girlish shriek the monk batted one to the floor, kicking it like a soccer ball to explode it against the opposite wall as he punched a second one into jelly with skull bits.

Frelik and Valeria, caught off-guard by the sudden appearance of many tiny foes, both missed wildly with their swings.  The final spider managed to climb up Davros’ leg, making it as far as his junk before the monk managed to punch it into a fine spidery mist as well.

Realizing that they already seen what lay on the other side of the sealed bronze doors, the group turned around and headed back across the bridge to the north.

Opening the door they find a large room decorated with images of priests handing down judgements onto the devout.  There are two stone benches, which are the only furniture.  From the rear of the group Yuri heard a loud groan go up from all those who could see into the room.  Then he heard the sound that had made them groan:  the hideous flapping of leathery bat-like wings which had once been ears on the head that hovered at the top of the room for a moment before descending on the party. 

“Bat-head!” Akura cried, “Undead bat-head actually!”  With an inarticulate yell, the monk charged into the room, swinging his fist at the creature, aiming for its cheekbone.  It attempted to bite him, but could find no purchase.

Spurred by Akura’s battle cry, Frelik’s maniacal laughter dissolved into his own cry as he drew his scimitar and charged the creature as well.  He missed.

Magpie whipped a wand out of his belt and blasted a sticky green mass at the creature, doing enough damage to knock some flesh off of its cheek to expose more of the creature’s hideous teeth.  Never one to mess around, Davros hurled one of his bombs to land just beneath the creature.  It burst in a fiery plume, singeing the creature and finally stilling its infernal flapping.

Without the undead bat-head danger, Magpie examined the images on the walls, noting that they are all scenes of Pharasman priests in antiquated robes.

They move to the door at the far end of the room, listening carefully for the sounds of flesh rending Magpie had heard.  They heard nothing.  Frelik attempted to open it, it was stuck so he threw a shoulder into it.  It opened in a shower of dust and splinters revealing another, smaller chamber with more wall carvings, a pedestal and single bowl.

A tiny man leapt out of the shadows, swinging a dagger at Frelik and only narrowly missing him.  Frelik’s return swing also narrowly missed the half-shadowed creature.

Before anyone else could think to act, Magpie cawed, “It’s a Dark-creeper!  Try talking to it!”

Attempting to take the creature without killing it, Akura darted around and delivered a solid wallop to the back of its head.  The Dark creeper staggered for a moment, but shook off the blow and continued to attack.

Davros attempted to yell at the creature to cease and desist, but it didn’t seem to understand him, while Magpie’s attempt at communication was slightly more successful, getting its attention and convincing it to drop its dagger.

The group relaxed and Yuri could sense a definite air of relief that they hadn’t had to kill the thing.  Magpie advanced as its dagger was confiscated, trying to communicate with it, trying every language he can think of.

Squinting into the light Magpie brought into the room, the creature shook its head, clearly not understanding.  Drinking a potion with the plague doctor handed him with the explanation that it would allow him to better understand the creature, Magpie signed, “What are you doing here?”

The creature shrugged, “Came looting.  In search of treasures for my masters below.”

“How did you get in here?”  Magpie asked.

“Enter.  Enter.  Enter!  From below.... Doorway.” The creature replied, gesturing down the hall behind the party.

Magpie made pickaxe gestures, “How did you get in?” He asked again.

“Doorway!”  The creature replied, indignant, “You no believe me?  You go look!”

Magpie made some gesture Yuri didn’t fully understand, obviously plumbing for more information.

“Falk had to run away from snake man,” the dark creeper replied, pointing to door behind him, then pointing ahead, “Flappy head.  Falk trapped.”

Magpie explained that the flappy head was dead and offered Davros up to bind the creature’s wound.

Once the wound was bound, Magpie asked who Falk’s masters were.  Falk just looked around nervously at the other members of the party. 

“Could you give us a minute, guys?” Magpie asked, sending the rest of them out of the room so he could converse with the creature in privacy.  As soon as the room was empty the creature called forth an unnatural darkness, bolting down the hall and past the rest of the group before anyone thought to stop him.  They let him go and focussed on searching the room, finding two scrolls of delay poison and a magical cloak of resistance plus one with endure elements. 

Frelik pulled on the cloak, stylish as it was with its fur-trimmed collar and pulled himself up, opening the door in an oddly normal way – considering how he normally opened doors.  Then it was time for the door.  Davros grinned as they approached the door, “Time to get me some new snake skin boots.”

Inside this room, the theme of judgement in the afterlife is continued in the wall carvings at the far end stood a single table, draped in a black cloth.  In the southwest corner burned a single candle in an iron candlestick.  Curled around the base of the candlestick was a snakelike creature with the head of a goblin. 

Davros stepped forward, no doubt frowning behind his mask, “Goblin, what are you doing here?”

“My name is Yrix, I am a mystic of the worm-folk.”  Otherwise known as Nagas.

“I don’t mean to question too closely, but you don’t look like any variety of Naga I know.”  Davros replied, muttering to the group that he suspected the creature was in fact a goblin snake.

“Oh?  And how many varieties of Naga have you met?”  The creature asked.

“Some?”  Davros shrugged.

“Several.”  Muttered Magpie.

“Enough to know you’re not one.”  Valeria sneered.

The creature switched languages, eyeing the woman, “We can continue in Taldane if you prefer, I speak your human tongue.”

Put on the spot, Valeria deflated, mumbling, “In.. In my experience Naga are bigger.”

“Yes, but my small size belies my great power of prophecy.”

“I’m sorry, but I’ve met clans of worm-folk and your small size belies your words.”  Magpie snapped, “You are, in fact, a goblin snake.”

The creature didn’t seem to like that.  “You dare to question me?  Me who can draw back the veil of mystery that cloaks the godsmouth ossuary?  And reveal all the secrets of the ancients... for a price.”

“What is your price for these secrets?” Davros demanded.

Next to Yuri, Frelik snorted, clearly trying to contain his laughter at the ridiculous creature before them.

“For the low price of five gold per person, I can let you through this door.”  He gestured across the room.  Without thinking, the barbarian walked over to try the door.  The goblin-snake hissed.

Valeria drew her gun and aimed it at the creature, “Did you see this coming bitch?”

The rest of the party tensed, ready for the snake to pounce at the barbarian.

As Frelik’s hand touched the latch the creature launched at him, attempting to bite.  Valeria fired a shot, striking the creature solidly though she didn’t quite put it down.

It latched onto the barbarian anyway, biting him as he tried to shake it off, muttering “Ballsy little thing, isn’t it?”

“If you would like the antidote for your friend, you will cease hostilities immediately!”  the goblin head hissed as it disengaged.

Magpie snorted, attacking, “You lying little shit!” he yelled.

Akura stepped in next, round-house kicking it into the wall which it hit with a smack before sliding to the floor in a neat little coil.  A quick search of the room revealed a trove of treasures including a golden holy symbol of Pharasma and a phylactery of faithfulness hidden under the cloth-covered table.

Much to no one’s surprise, the door opened easily, revealing a dust-covered spiral staircase with a single, goblin-snake shaped track.  Davros picked up the dead goblin snake, wrapping it around his neck and beaming, “Now I gots me a nice scarf.”

As they walked back down the hall, Magpie turned to Davros, “So, I have to ask, what’s with the beak mask?  Is it an homage to my race?  Or are you making fun of me?  If you’re making fun of me I won’t be very happy.”

“Acutally,” Davros replied, taking on the air of a school teacher, “It’s more of a coincidence than anything.  It’s designed to prevent me from breathing in the miasma of plague.  That’s what I have this sandwich in here for.”

“Fair enough.”  Magpie replied, “It’s just been bothering me since I first saw it but I thought it would be impolite to ask – or touch,” he shot a glance at Valeria.

They turned to the door on their right, easily pushing the door open.  The room is round with curving walls polished to look as sleek and smooth as glass.  Valeria immediately pushed her way past Frelik to admire herself in the glass.  Even though the floor is flat, the optical illusion gives the impression that the room is spherical.  Yuri snorted; pretty, dumb and vain.  A real winner.

Valeria called, “Close the door and reopen it in five seconds.”

Five seconds passed and Frelik reopened the door, only Valeria was no longer in the room.  Soon after, a second door banged open and Valeria stormed out, “Why didn’t you guys open the door?”

Yuri frowned, something wasn’t quite right.  Valeria’s pistol was holstered on the wrong side, her scars seemed to have shifted sides, apparently she had been mirrored.

Frowning, Davros stepped forward, pushed Valeria back into the room and slammed the door in her face.  Five seconds later she re-emerged, once again oriented the right way, yelling a string of very unladylike curses at Davros as she threatened to hit Akura – who had the misfortune to be standing closer.

Leaving the odd, mirrored rooms behind, the group advanced to a junction in the tunnels, Valeria trailing along in the back with Yuri, muttering on and on about stupid monks and various other things.

“Umm.  Don’t you remember being left-handed moments ago?”  Akura asked her, whirling.

“What the fuck are you talking about, I’m right handed you dumb shit.” Valeria snapped, clearly bearing no awareness of what had happened to her.

The next set of double doors opened into a long room lit with glowing orbs of light, its walls covered with a chaotic mess of runes and sigils.  Tablets and statues sit in niches evenly spaced along the walls.

Magpie ventured forth into the room, glowing hand guiding him toward the three magical tablets and one section of magical runes within the room.  The tablets were clearly intended to be the equivalent of scrolls, bearing the distinct markings of certain spells.

Davros gaped, making a squeaking sound and pointing as a glowing stone rune detached itself from the wall and began hovering across towards the party, “Floating rune!” he stammered, “Hurt us!”

As it neared the group, gouts of flame began shooting out of the thing, singeing everyone at the front of the group.  Checking to make sure her powder store wasn’t on fire, Valeria reacted first, firing her pistol at the thing, breaking large chunks of it off.

Magpie studied it curiously, frowning, “That is the ancient Thassilonian rune of wrath.”

With a roll and flip, the monk got himself in behind it, pounding the remaining floating chunks into dust with his fist.  Danger averted, they take a moment to examine the room, noting that virtually surface was coated in old Thassilonian runes which covered topics ranging from everyday life to arcane spells.

Scouting out to double check where all the doors and hallways lead and which ones are viable means of escape the group decides to hunker down in the rune room, which is safe, defensible and has a few good means of escape if they must run screaming.  Finding only one suit of lacquered armour, chained to the hand of a formerly veiled skeleton.  A bastard sword and a pair of curved daggers are all that remain of the weaponry.

Greed overcoming their good sense, they reached for the handsome suit of armour.  Almost immediately hundreds of cockroaches flooded out of the suit from every available opening – and all over Davros. 

Screaming “Aah, cockroaches!” The monk hurled a vial of alchemist’s fire into the centre of the swarm.  It went up with a whoosh, taking a huge swath of the fiends with it.

With a caw Magpie snatched a pair as snacks, tucking them away for later as Valeria scouted down the hall to make sure their escape route was still clear.

With a roar Frelik simply began stomping, taking about a dozen down as Davros threw a bomb into the seething mass, growling, “I fucking hate cockroaches!”  As the bomb engulfed the swarm in flames the screams of a hundred baking cockroaches could be heard.

Satisfied that everything was safe, they bunked down for eight hours to rest, not knowing if it was night or not, given that they were trapped in perpetual darkness.

PS: Yuri would like to congratulate Davros on his well-turned sexual harassment, and would like to remind him that it will also count as his harassment for this day.