Sidrea05 - Dark Passages

  
When she heard that the companions are heading to the city of Averdale, Kaydi the Herbalist asked the party to carry a package for her to her fiancé Banfor.  Banfor is in the Baronial Guards and is said to be very knowledgeable of the local area.  Most of the party concurred.

The fourth night after the party returns to the village with the news of the defeat of the shadowy planar creature, the celebration in the Kemend to honor the heroes begins.  At the celebration, Berek looks distinctively haggard from too many days of drinking.  Haeythir emerged from his room after several days of isolation, wearing a beautifully crafted circlet that greatly enhances his stature as an elven nobleman.

The ale and the food flows freely as the feast began.  The innkeeper (who serves as the village spokeman), praise the prowess of the hero, relates the tale of their struggle with the vampire (much embellished), and ends his speech by serving each member of the party the Heroes’ Portions from a roasted pig amidst a great round of applause.

After the feast, a few musically inclined villagers broke out their instruments and starting playing music as people moved aside the tables to dance.  The music was just plain awful, as the villagers don’t seem to have rehearsed and each musician was doing his own thing.  Unable to stand the cacophony, Amathyya went over and direct the village band.  Near the middle of the evening, Amathyya sang a song in memory of her foster-father who had died a few months ago.

At the end of the night, the black smith (whose father had been killed by the Dark Spithra while the party was away and who wasn’t too happy with the party) – challenged those in the party with guts to a drinking contest.  Despite her misgivings, Kaydi the Herbalist was asked to bring out her best brew – Assassinberry Wine.  Two party members accepted the challenge.  Unfortunately no one (including the blacksmith) was able to withstand the potency of the drink, and they all slumped under the table.

The next morning the party of heroes set out for the underground passage that is said to lead to Averdale with Hoenir the dwarven caver (underground ranger) as their guide, and Tadira in tow.

On the way to the entrance of the passage, the party encountered goblin tracks.  The party tracked down the goblins, persuaded by Dalrick (who has quite a hatred for the goblins) and the suspicion that the goblins had human slaves.

The party found the goblins camped and arguing.  After some discussion, the party made a clever plan to lure the goblins toward the party instead of the party rushing in.  Dalrick was nominated as the bait.

The plan succeeded quite well, and although the goblins were tougher than expected, the party still managed to kill all of them without hurting the human slaves.  The only down point was that Dalrick had stayed in front a bit too long and was badly hurt.

Nevertheless, the goblins were defeated.  On the body of the goblin leader, the party discovered two letters; the first is from a subordinate of Count Ben-Edara, attempting to hire the goblin band against the elves of Tir-Tairel.  The second is from a goblin chieftain in the Shattered Lands, who wishes the goblin band to join him against (possibly) the Kingdom of Aytheon.

As the party traveled toward the entrance of the underground passage, they thought about the letters and their implications…  It seems that a horde of savage creatures are gathering in the Shattered Lands against Aytheon – could this have anything to do with the priests of Nerull that is said to be plotting something in the south?  Also, could it be that despite the rumors, Count Ben-Edara is having trouble with the elven rebellion in the north?  Would that be why he is now hiring goblin mercenaries?

That night the party camped at the mouth of the underground passage, and So’yoko had a dream.  It was an animal fable, yet So’yoko realized that it hints at something that few suspected before – based on Amathyya’s background, could she be the child of the mad Emperor Thimmon IV?

After all, Amathyya is about thirty years old, and her age would fit the fact that it was around that time when the mad emperor had assaulted Princess Jassiya of the Isle of the Rose.  Also, Haeythir had long suspected of a connection between Jassiya and the Isle of the Rose, yet Amathyya has said that she has never been to the island.  Finally, Amathyya is unaware of much about her parents, save that her mother is a beautiful elf, and that her father was a human (although she has never met her father).

If Amathyya is indeed the child of Emperor Thimmon IV and Princess Jassiya, then she is the heir to two thrones – the Jasper Throne of Rondor and the Petal Throne of the Isle.

In the morning, the party entered the dark underground passages.  As the party traveled, they could hear small rocks falling.  Berek noticed that the area was shaped both through water erosion and tectonic instability.  The party moved cautiously and the first day passed without much trouble.

It was in the middle of the second day, while the party was traveling on a narrow passage way next to a deep chasm that disaster struck.  There was a minor quake that resulted in the entire passage collapsing.  Most party members were saved by Amathyya’s feather fall, and a few others managed to avoid serious injuries from the fall.  However, Hoenir, Haeythir and Soyoko were knocked unconscious by the fall and were lost.

In complete darkness, the conscious party members fought against the raging currents of the underground river and some were further hurt as the current hurled them against sharp rocks.  Finally, they saw some light.  With great difficulty, they swam toward the light, and found strange luminescent fungi on a narrow rock ledge.  Exploring the ledge, they found it leads to another cave.  The majority of the party managed to make it to the cave.

After some discussion, Dalrick volunteered to swim further downstream to see if he could find the missing party members.  After sometime, Dalrick found that the cavern broadens out and the current slowed considerably.  On a pebble beach, Dalrick found the bodies of So’yoko and Haeythir.  They have been knocked unconscious by the fall, but look otherwise unhurt.  Dalrick then used some healing potions to heal the two arcane casters.  With their magical aid, Dalrick went further ahead to search for Hoenir, only to find that the currents of the river quickened again to end in a waterfall.  At the bottom of the fall was found the body of Hoenir, their guide.  Hoenir’s body is broken – having apparently being carried over the fall to hit some sharp rocks, and the dwarf is quite dead.

The party then managed to reunite, but with the death of Hoenir, they are lost underground.  The party tries to explore underground and encountered a horrid amorphous creature.  The creature emerged from a muddy pool and seems to be of naught but eyes and mouths.  Its gibbering magically confused the party and sent Dalrick running in fear.  Amathyya managed to counter its gibbering sounds, but it raise out of the pool to engulf So’yoko.  A spittle of acid then temporarily blinded Berek, and it was about to engulf Tadira as well when the party managed to destroy it.  So’yoko was badly hurt and it took most of the snow ilem potions that the party had to restore his health.

The party continued to explore but did not find much – it was only with Berek’s stone-cunning and Dalrick’s ranger ability that the party managed to not move around in circles.

Finally, on the second day, Dalrick managed to discover some humanoid tracks.  Following the tracks, the party came upon a group of troglodytes discussing whether they can eat some myconids (mushroom-men) that they’ve captured.

Unfortunately, Dalrick was not very stealthy in his approach and was heard by the giant fire beetle that the troglodytes had set out as a guard.  The sharp mandibles of the fire beetle nearly cut the ranger in half, and he beats a hasty retreat.

The party rushes up the narrow cave passage to meet the threat, only to be greeted by a jet of flames from the beetle.  Boosted by magic, Berek rushes up to meet the beetle, only to be paralyzed by a spell cast by the troglodytes.  To everyone’s horror, the beetle then cut down the stalwart fighter as it tries to advance further down the passage.

Haeythir released a fireball that badly damaged the troglodytes but actually healed the fire beetle.  Zerkestor summoned a hippogriff that managed to pin down two troglodytes and So’koyo and Haeythir lobbed barrages of magical bolts at the beetle.  For a while, things look uncertain, but the party was able to overcome the odds and the troglodytes surrendered after two of their fellows and the fire beetle was dead.

Interrogating the troglodytes, the party found that the troglodytes were attempting to reach Shattered Lands.  There a grand alliance has formed.  The Coil, the Skull and the Eye has joined forces to sweep all others before them, and it is said that there will be much killing, much loot, and great eating to boot.  Unfortunately, the troglodytes are unaware of a way to the surface.  Disgusted by the troglodytes, the party turned to the myconids.

At first the party wasn’t able to communicate with the myconids, but then one of them sprayed a cloud of spores on the party.  Haeythir inhaled some spores and was suddenly able to communicate with them via telepathy.  The myconids explained that they are explorers from their homeland – somewhere much deeper beneath the ground.  They are grateful for the rescue and offer each party member a magic mushroom from their stock.  They are also willing to trade some of their magic mushrooms for things that the party might have (the myconids apparently didn’t know much of metal craft and greatly values the metal possessions of the party).

When inquired of a way to the surface, the myconids replied that they, being from deep underground, are also unaware of a way to the surface.  However, they believe that they know of someone – the serpent seeress, who might help the party.

Given their past encounters with serpentine creatures, the party was reluctant to meet the serpent seeress, but as this is their only lead, they pushed on ahead.

The myconids guided the party to carved passage that leads to a pair of iron doors that depicts two facing, winged serpents.  Pushing open the door, the party finds a young woman standing besides a clear pool.  The young woman smiled at the party, and though she seems young, her eyes are ancient beyond the ages.  She greeted the party but asked the myconids and Tadira to stay outside.  Then, the doors were shut and sealed with a multi-hued wall of magical force.

The young woman introduced herself as Anshien of Sima – the last of her kind in Sidrea, and the last priestess of Taizon the Dragon-maker.  She healed the party, and then offered the party a chance to ask her some questions.

Much of the questions results in cryptic answers or a reply that shows that although she knows of the answer, she is forbidden to speak of it to the party.  She did mention that Tadira carries a danger beyond the amulet that Tadira herself is not aware of.  Anshien also confirms that Amathyya is indeed the daughter of Emperor Thimmon IV and Princess Jassiya.  Perhaps most important of all, Anshien confirms to the party that there is now an alliance between the Coil (whom she names as the traitor), Nerull and Gruumsh.  Strangely enough Anshien also address the party as “Scions” and seems to indicate that each member’s heritage is of great importance.

When asked of the way to the surface, Anshien indicated at the pool in the room.

At the last, Anshien gifted each party member with a kiss.  As she kissed them, divine fire seems to sear through their body and their ability was boosted.  Anshien then performed the final act that she has waited millenniums to do.  She summoned forth the Tear of Taizon, a purple tear-shaped gem.  This, she placed upon Amathyya’s forehead, where the gem sank beneath the skin.

Anshien then imbued the party with water breakthing for 24 hours.

Bidding the party farewell, Anshien then transformed into a beautiful winged serpent – a cuatl that flew upon and disappeared from view – leaving the world of mortals forever.