On the morning of April 5th, Tabrina teleports you to the entrance to King Snurre's stronghold. Besides the regular members of your party, only Jo-owrn is accompanying you in addition. Leslie, Laurie and the rest have resumed their explorations of the Ruined Realm.
Outside of the dungeon, the temperature is a comparatively balmy 39F, and the sun is shining. There is more snow than ever on the ground, though - over 9 1/2 feet - but it is melting.
Tabrina bids you adieu, and teleports out.
You head inside, and spend the morning checking out the three dungeon levels to make sure that nothing nasty has moved in since you were last here.
Finally, at noontime, you pause in the cave with the lava river for lunch, and regard the passage that leads down into the underworld.
Beth heaves a hugh sigh.
"Well I guess this is it," she says. "Anybody have any ideas how we want to approach this?"
"Forward, march?" suggests Jo-owrn.
Mikodin calmly surveys the area, and announces solemnly, "I haven't the faintest idea of how to proceed from here. As the most recent addition to this party, I was really hoping someone else had a good plan of movement into this lower world."
Brennon stares into the blackness of the learing underworld, remembering all the tales he was told by his parents, about how he would be taken away there, if he were not good. He ponders the current situation. Shuddering, he never realized that the place actually existed until now.
"How vast of any area are we talking about, Jo-owrn? Since you are they only one that's been there before, what is your insight to getting to where we have to go? What do expect us to encounter on the way there?" Brennon asks.
Glancing at the looming darkness once again, he thinks to himself maybe it wasn't so bad gathering dust and cobwebs the last two weeks at the temple, while Kelar trained.
"It's several weeks hike down to the drow city. We have to pass through several strong points along the way. These were held by drow, mind-flayers, demons and the Kuo-toa when we passed through the first time. Who knows what's there, now?" he says. "That's assuming that you want to go straight to the drow city. Didn't Ray Jay say to explore some of the side passages as well? There's lots of them, and we never explored them. Didn't have time. We do now. Might be a good idea to try to get to the drow city by a secondary route...in case they're looking for us on the main road."
"Good idea indeed," says Ayazin. "But immediately -- I'm not sure I trust that bridge not to dump us in the lava. The drow could have sabotaged it. Likewise, they could be waiting in ambush on the other side. I suggest that we send a couple of us over to scout a little, secure an emergency line alongside the bridge, and then cross one at a time. I volunteer."
Jon looks to the group.
"Does anybody have the spell detect traps? Otherwise, I could look for them. But I bow to Ayazin if he wants to go first. Perhaps they won't set off the trap if I'm dressed as a drow and invisible. We really need prisoners for information."
Ayazin replies, "I can't detect traps, but I can levitate, and prevent myself from falling into the lava. If you had a levitate or fly spell cast upon you, perhaps you would be a better choice to go first. In any case, there's no need to spend all day worrying about it - I assume that most of our challenges will be on the other side."
Mikodin, after peering intently at the bridge, offers his services. "Although my skills are not as polished as most in this group, I do have some ability to detect traps, and hide. If the group needs a scout, I will volunteer."
Jon says, "Great. There's safety in numbers."
All who are able check the bridge for traps, but find none. Cautiously, Jon, Ayazin and Mikodin cross over, one at a time. The bridge does not collapse or do anything unexpected, so the rest of you cross over as well.
Beth nods. She says, "And let's all agree now that we're going to try to avoid a frontal assault on any Drow position before we talk about it. If we come across a scountig party, yes, we need to take them out. But if we find a watchpost, or an encampment, we're better off avoiding it for now, until we know a lot more about the lay of the land. Even if we think we can go in and get them fast, we might be wrong. If enough warnings get back, we could find ourselves in hot water later."
She looks meaningfully at Farad. "So let us try to curb our impulsive tentendices for the time being."
Back to the group as a whole, she says, "We're a large group, and not very stealthy. We need to be large, if we do want to have any hope against those scouting parties I mentioned, or any of the other nasties that we might find down here. But we're big enough that we'll probably go blundering into Drow watchpoints without realizing it. Are there two or three of us who could scout ahead, invisible and silent, and agree to only look? The would bring word back to us, and we would move forward."
The sorceress continues, "Farad could do this etherally, but that runs the danger of attracting ethereal creatures. Any opionions as to the best way to proceed? Perhaps old fasioned mundane stealth might be best in this situation."
Jon says, "I offer to scout for the group I can't do much else against the Drow, anyway."
"Is there anybody who can go with Jon?" Beth asks. "Otherwise, Jon alone may be it."
It looks like Mikodin has already volunteered.
Pulling at the corner of the collar of his robe, Brennon says, "Sounds exciting," though it doesn't come across as that. "Well Maybe a secondary route would be more sound, especially since the main routes might have more traffic. If this is supposed to be a more covert mission to the drow homelands, then we should try to avoid as much detection as possible. They only reservation to that is those tunnels might not be explored that well, and who knows what secrets they may hide. I agree with Jo-owrn, let's go and finish the job at hand."
Jon recovers the drow equipment he left behind and while dressing checks it carefully.
It is already becoming pitted and brittle. Only the armour that Farad stashed away seems to be as good as ever.
Kelar watches as Jon dons his gear. "Uhhh, being invisble kind of defeats the purpose of your clothes, don't ya think?"
"Well, I'm willing to go point being dressed as a drow and invisible, unless someone has objections?" Jon says, looking to the group. "Whoever's got the map, which side passage do we go down?"
Jon turns invisble and starts forward, thinking that it's a lovely day for a journey into the depths. Mikodin is with him.
You give them a ten minute head start, and then set off after them into the underdark.
Almost as soon as you step into the 30' wide passage the air seems to change. It becomes cooler...and decidedly damp. All the same, it smells hauntingly...familiar to many of you. You wonder why.
The passageway from the lava cavern runs northwest, rough and twisting, from 12' - 16' in width for some 300'. Then, it suddenly widens to 30' or more in places, obviously hewn, and heads almost perfectly northwest, slowly descending in gentle slopes and natural terraces. As you proceed, you note that there are faults, spurs, splits, rubble, small side caves, sink holes, crevasses, columns, stalactites and stalagmites. The tunnel is damp and dripping. There are occasional pools, rivulets and even streams. The rock is of all colours, though greys, browns and yellowish tan are most common. Parts of the route is worked, but much of it is natural. The tunnel always descends. Fortunately, the darkness is not total, for there are sometimes patches of phosphorescent lichens to light the way with a faint glow - almost like faerie fire. Occasionally you encounter swarms of fire beetles. Bats flutter overhead periodically, huge ugly things which have forsaken the clean air of the upper world for the foul atmosphere of the subterranean. Now and then a current of dank, cold air is felt.
Whenever you pause in silence for a moment, you note many strange sounds - twitterings, squeakings, scrabblings.
After awhile, you get used to it all.
Late in the afternoon you come to the first intersection marked on your map. It is a collection of side caves. Jo-owrn tells you that it was previously a drow strong point. Now, however, it is deserted. Searching the area turns up nothing but a few broken crossbows and mundane items...all so old as to be useless.
Five passages run out of this area, plus the one which you came down from the southeast. Passages runs southwest, west, northwest, northeast and east. All are 30' wide.
Jo-owrn points up the northwest passage.
"That's the direct route to the drow city. If they're expecting us, that's the way they'll be lookin' for us to take."
"Well I guess we don't want to go that way," says Kelar with a grin. "I am all for northeast. It is still going towards the city but not quite directly."
Farad agrees.
Jon says - "Okay."
- and starts walking.
Brennon follows on without a word, glancing around him.
Then, you hear the sound of someone coming down the tunnel behind you, from the direction of Snurre's lair. You pause.
After a moment, a familiar figure trots into sight: Raz.
Raz looks slightly out of breath as he trots up to you. He comes to a stop and bends forward for a moment, leaning on his knees. Straightening himself he looks about and says, "Hello. Did anybody miss me?"
"No, but nobody was shooting at you while you were gone, so it's not surprising that they didn't miss," Beth says.
Aldarin smiles widely. "Raz... What a welcome sight you are. Especially right before we enter the 'Dragons Mouth' as the old proverbial saying goes."
Raz nods to Aldarin. "Thanks...I'm all fired up and ready to go. Anything I should know about before the fireballs start flying?"
Aldarin laughs a little. "Just that if you see a very haughty drow, strutting around by himself or with an invisible companion, hold off on the fireball, cause it most likely is Farad, showing off his new look."
Farad, wearing his drow armor and his face blacked up with soot, frowns.
"Please try to remember that this is a cave, and fireballs are not the best spell to be shooting off in a panic."
Raz frowns momentarily, but then smiles as he turns to Farad. "Ah Farad, I've forgotten how droll you can be at times. Have no fear...I reserve throwing fireballs for special occasions only."
Raz then snickers at Beth's remark. "Okay now...is there anything I can do to help at present? I have a invisibility spell at my fingertips if anyone would like. Of course I prefer to remain visible myself...much safer that way don't ya know...unless I'm hiding of course, then I don't mind so much."
"Ahhh Raz my good friend...glad you caught up with us. Your spells could come in handy...but then again we are going into the underdark. In case you didn't know, drow and most denzins of here are kind of immune to you. But don't let that stop you from trying," says Kelar with a smile.
"Good to see you Kelar. You make a good point. I've given some thought to these issues and think I might have a trick or two up my sleave which may make a difference."
Ayazin says, "Raz, do tell! We should definitely make sure to coordinate our efforts."
"Well...I'm sure it's nothing new to anyone...I'm just thinking that the biggest problem we have is enemy mages...and that the biggest thing we mages can do to aid the fighters in our group is to take the enemy mages out by using spells that effect them indirectly, by blinding or silencing them so that they are unable to cast. Nothing new really." Raz shrugs, slightly embarrassed by his earlier comment now.
"Ahh," interrupts Mikodin, "I am Mikodin, a simple monk. Well met, Raz." The monk bows low as he says these last words. "And if you really need to cast that invisibility spell, perhaps I could benefit from it as part of the scouting group. I am quick of foot, and could then run back to the main group with word of what the scouting group has discovered."
Raz turns to the monk. "Greetings Mikodin. I trust my friends here have made you welcome...or at least needed. As for the spell, you are of course welcome to it."
Raz raises a hand and, in a quick simple gesture, casts invisibility on Mikodin.
Seeing the monk disappear, Raz comments, "There that should help you with your scouting."
A man, with a scar across his face running from above the eye to below the chin, in red and black robes approaches bowing slightly, "Greeting Raz, I am Brennon, an Evoker from Demon's Neck."
He extends his hand as a sign of friendship.
You set off northeast, with Jon and Mikodin leading. This passage remains 30' wide, but after a mile or so it has curved around to the northwest. It continues in that direction for another 1 1/2 miles or so, then curves back to the northeast.
About a half an hour after turning northeast again you come across a small side cave that looks to be as defensable as any, and so you stop for the night. It has been a long day.