The EARTH story - May 10, 1372
On May 10th you press forward, and after an hour the narrow passage ends at an intersection with a 20' wide passage running northeast-southwest. You decide to follow it southwest.
After another hour, the passage turns west, and continues in that direction for the next 3.5 miles. Then, just as you are thinking about stopping for the night, you come to a strange area.
At this point there is a four-way intersection with a 10' wide passage running north-south. Its walls are of neatly cut and dressed stone, and you see many doors along the passage. The 20' wide passage continues west, of rough, mostly natural, stone.
What is immediately obvious to you from the border ethereal, though, is the fact that you can no longer see through the rock in this area. Everything is solid and opaque, here.
Finally, there is a life-sized statue of a richly robed man standing in the middle of the intersection, facing east.
Out of curiousity, you return to the Prime, appearing before the statue.
Once you are fully materialised, the statue suddenly speaks.
"Ah, visitors! Here to take my treasure, no doubt. I am away on business, but I am sure that my little guardians will keep it safe. But try, anyway! Good luck, and beware the doors!"
"Guess we found the mage where all the good stuff is supposed to be," says Kelar with a smile.
He starts looking around the walls for any doors or what not.
There are quite a few doors up both the north and south passages.
Brennon just stares around, amazed at all this which is still new to him. Having never been ethereal and all. Many Earths, evil demigods...there is just so much he still needs to learn.
After hearing the warning, Brennon comments, "Guardians??? I don't like the sound of that."
Beth addresses the statue. "Can you say anything else, or were you just programmed for that little warning?"
Raz supresses a smile at Beth's remark.
The statue is silent.
Beth nods. "I'll take that as a no."
She looks at her companions. "Are we intimidated?"
"Not really," says Raz with a shrug.
Mikodin looks around carefully at the statue, looking for traps or secret compartments.
He sees no traps.
At Beth's question, he turns and smiles slightly, "Intimidated? No, but we should be forewarned. Apparently whoever programmed this statue has left some guardian creatures to defend his treasure. And perhaps some traps, both mechanical and magical."
You look each way.
To the north, the passage runs for 60' and on. In the first 10' section of the west wall is a door. In the 20' - 30' section of the east wall is a door. In the 50' - 60' section of each side are two more doors.
To the south, the passage runs for 60' and on. In the first 10' section of the east wall is a door. In the 20' - 30' section of the west wall is another door. Finally, in the 50' - 60' section of the east wall is door number three.
Both of these passages are unlit.
To the west, the rough, 20' wide passage continues, dimly illuminated by faintly glowing lichens, for 220'. After that, it seems to open up into a cave of some sort. Also, in the 90' - 100' section is another intersection with a 10' wide passage running north - south.
Jon's face brightens into a large smile....the same type of expression as before he was killed last time by the giants club. Speaking to the statue, he says, "Oooo boy. My own training ground for me... you really shouldn't have... So, big boy, what's your masters name?"
The statue makes no reply.
Jon pulls out his short sword. "Geerzo, continual detect magic while we are in this area, please. Sharone do you have detect traps spell? If not it's the old fashioned way..."
"Statue's magic!" exclaims the sword.
Jon adds, "Anybody got a three headed coin to decide which way we go..?"
Jon looks for traps the old fashioned way.
He spots none.
Farad turns to the others. "Can anyone here cast a detect traps spell?"
The elf points toward the first door on the northern passage as a first choice.
Aldarin points to the western passage, "Let's see what resides in the cavern at the end of this passage."
Jon says, "Ummmm, traps first, perhaps? Better to be safe than dead.."
Humphrey agrees with Aldarin. "Sounds good to me."
He then leads the group into the western passage.
Not waiting to be left behind, Brennon follows the others down the western passage.
Mikodin tries to be as silent as possible as he moves along a wall, crossbow in an easy-to-grab manner while remaining as alert as he can.
You move cautiously up the passage, allowing Jon time to look for traps, though he finds none. When you reach the next the next four-way intersection you see that it is not an intersection at all, but rather two 10' deep alcoves, with doors in each end.
You reach the end of the passage and look, seeing that two caves begin here: one to the north and a larger one to the south. To the north, the right wall runs east-northeast for about 20', east for 15', northeast for 10', north for 20', northeast for 15', north for 15', northwest for about 50', west-southwest for 10', south-southwest for 20', southwest for 20', south for 50' and southeast for 20' or so, to meet up with a dressed stone wall some 20' west the end of the passage where you stand, which runs south for 20' before opening up into the south cavern.
After the point where the dressed wall ends to the south, that wall becomes rough and runs south-southeast for some 40' (rough passage running south-southwest in 10' - 20' section) before turning south-southwest. You enter this southern area so that Beth can complete her mapping. The wall continues south-southwest for about 40', then turns south-southeast for 40', east-southeast for 45', north-northeast for 30', north-northwest for about 25', north-northeast for 20', north for about 35', west for 25' and finally northwest to meet close up.
The north cave is interesting because of the lake of dark water which takes up its northeasternmost two-thirds. It appears to be unoccupied, otherwise.
The south cave is interesting because of the enormous chest which sits against the east wall, in a corner, completely unguarded. It is closed, but for all that, appears to be absolutely bulging...perhaps with all sorts of riches, trinkets and toys of the sort which make daring adventurers such as yourselves slobber and drool in anticipation.
Farad waits for Geerzo's summary of the situation.
"Magic?"
Aldarin smirks as he speaks to the others, "You realize that this literally reeks with the smell of a trap."
Mikodin's usually stoic expression is lit up by a huge smile.
"A trap!?" he exclaims. "Do you really think so?"
Unable to control himself any longer, Mikodin breaks down and laughs so hard he can barely stand up. Trying vainly to regain his composure, he asks, "Does it radiate magic? And does anyone think we can get close enough to detect traps on it without setting off traps, alarms, summoning spells, trap doors, sliding walls, delayed fireballs, and the gods know what else?"
Jon says, "Well, Geerzo, magic if you please?"
"No magic within 10'!" says the sword.
"Let's do a 360 search from here. Sharone do you have detect traps? I think it would be good here. otherwise, Mikodin how would you feel of a quick run across the room with a rope attached...not really but something like that."
Jon searches carefully for traps twice.
Mikodin, finally regaining control of himself, answers, "Perhaps if we could refine the rope idea, I would be willing to chance the area."
Mikodin then joins Jon in a search for traps in the area.
Beginning at the entrance to the cave, Jon and Mikodin begin searching for traps, but find none.
Farad, meanwhile, takes out a coin and tosses it at the chest.
He misses, and nothing untoward happens.
He tosses another coin.
He misses again. Nothing happens.
A third coin sails through the air. This one strikes the top of the chest.
"Ow!" the chest says.
Mikodin immediately stops searching for traps, since the trap apparently just talked with the party. Thinking to himself, "I've caught myself talking to a chest or two before, but I never had one talk to me!"
Mikodin asks the chest, "We're sorry, did that hurt? What is your name?", feeling only slightly foolish in talking with an inanimate object. Or at least one that's supposed to be inanimate.
Jon says, "Hey, chest have you ever met a talking sword? Geerzo, this is chest this is Geerzo. That's unless you have a real name. Isn't it lonely in here by yourself? How would you like to come travelling the realms with us....the sunlight has an interesting feeling on metal..are you metal??"
"Why, you #%^$#%^&%%#^*&&^%$$*!!!" curses the chest at you.
Suddenly, it sprouts two trunk-like legs and two thick arms, terminating in a pair of hefty fists.
It stands up and charges at the party.
Jon evades the chest...letting the fighters do their stuff.
"Mimic," Beth nods, as she tries to zap it with her Wand of Paralyzation.
Having his crossbow convenient, Mikodin looses a bolt at the creature, then decides to see just how fast an animated chest is, and begins running in the opposite direction, saying over his shouldr, "Nyah, nyah, nyah! You can't catch me!", and runs just fast enough to stay out of reach of those massive fists. Mikodin is hoping to lead the monster in a game of tag (except, of course, Mikodin hopes to never be 'tagged') around the party in a wide looping circle, so that other party members can use missiles, magic, etc. to stop it. To that end, he will gesture to the party to take this thing out as he runs.
The chest lumbers after the monk. It is very slow, though, and Mikodin has no trouble in evading the apparent monster. He fires his crossbow, and the quarrel buries itself into the side of the chest.
Aldarin speaks a word and send magical missiles sailing at the creature as it charges forward, he then readies his flaming sword for melee action.
The elf's missiles blaze into the monster.
Brennon also says the mystical words and unleashes magic missles against the animated trunk. He then readies a dagger should he need it.
His spell also hurts the mimic.
Humphrey will greet the creature with two blades.
Noticing everyone else start to cast spells Kelar watches to see what happens. "Hope those missiles get there before the wand does."
Farad takes position to meet the creature's attack with his sword should it survive the magic missiles the others have sent.
A ray shoots out of Beth's wand, striking the chest. It freezes in its tracks.
Beth blows on the tip of her wand before replacing it in her pocket.
"Carve it up, boys."
Farad begins slicing up the mimic as best he can while it's still frozen.
You quickly reduce the monster to the mimic equivilent of julien french fries.
Aldarin stores a few pieces away in a small sack.
Jon also collects some small pieces.
Brennon also collect some small pieces of the mimic.
"Search the area for other treasure... perhaps there is a real one about."
Jon does his detect magic with Geerzo, and traps (normal) all over the cave.
"Can someone watch the entry way and pool? I have a bad feeling that this has been too easy. Nice shot, Beth!!!"
Beth shrugs and says, "Lucky shot. I've missed the last several times I've tried to use this wand, so it's good to actually hit for once. The fact that it was moving slowly and Mikoden had it present a nice broadside to us helped."
"Beth, perhaps you should practise on Mikoden...he does lovely circular running."
While searching the area for more threats to the party, Mikodin barely pauses in his scanning for enemies as he replies to Jon, "Perhaps you should try running sometimes, it keeps one fit for more deadly exertions."
Mikodin calmly re-loads his crossbow and then looks toward Jon with just a trace of a smile on his face.
"Geerzo, any magic around?"
Jon walks around the room waiting for the next trap.
"Right there!" says the sword, pointing to the place where the mimic sat previously.
You go over and look, but see nothing. Then Jon, poking about, notices that the slab of stone that the mimic sat on is loose. Inspecting it, he finds no traps, so Jo-owrn, Farad and Humphrey pry the stone up.
Underneath is a 5' deep niche, and within the niche is a pottery urn, sealed.
More traps are detected for but not found, so you pop the lid of the urn.
Inside it you find only one item, a net about 10' square.
"It's the magic!" says Geerzo.
You take the item.
Mikodin and Jon had turned up nothing else in this cave, so you take a look up the tunnel which runs southeast. It curves around to the northwest, its outer wall following a radius of perhaps 30'. You head down there. It opens up to the north into a smaller, odd-shaped cave (about 60' X 40', oriented east-west; it extends about 10' to your left). The place is barren, but for a pile bones to the southeast.
Finding nothing of interest in here, you head back to the north cave to inspect the pool.
The water appears to be dark and quiet.
Jon takes the net and asks Geerzo if he can tell what type of magic it is.
"I can't tell!" says the sword.
Jon finds no command words.
Jon looks it over for words or anything unusual.
He finds none.
Jon ties a rope to the net and throws the lot over the dead body of the mimic to see what happens.
He gets hopelessly entangled in the net.
Jo-owrn snickers.
After disentangling himself, Jon moves carefully into the room with the pool and asks Geerzo to quietly detect magic.
"No magic!" says Geerzo, ignoring Jon's request to do it quietly.
Nothing stirs in the cave.
Farad goes over to the pool and cautiously takes a sip.
Aldarin shakes his head, "I am not sure that is such a good idea my friend. It is no telling what might be in that."
The elf smiles, his blade handy...as are his more potent mental weapons.
Kelar moves up with Farad with weapons ready.
"Heck, that can't taste all that goood...think of the things that could be using it as a restroom," Kelar says with a smile.
When he does so, nothing appears to happen.
Then, the elf sees a movement below the water. Something is moving towards him. A primal, ancestral memory stirs within Farad's mind, and he realises that it is a crayfish moving towards him at attack speed.
Mikodin, wondering if a crayfish could really be big enough for concern, and also wondering what besides maddening thirst would cause anyone to drink from still water, attempts to hit the crayfish with his crossbow before it reaches anyone. Besides, he thinks, steamed and dipped in butter, it might be very tasty.
Jon looks on, bemused...and unties the rope from the net, getting ready to throw it if the thing comes out of the pool.
Aldarin readies his flaming sword and maneuvers into a spot where he might get a shot at the beast.
Farad fears no simple animal, and lets a blast of mental energy finish off the beast.
The giant crayfish stops, rolls over, wiggles its legs and dies.
The fun is not over, though, as suddenly the water seems to erupt over beside Aldarin, and a second giant crayfish lunges out at the surprised elf! A pincer snaps around his leg for 8 hit points, and he falls over. A second pincer misses him, but the crayfish is trying to drag him back into the water.
At the same time, Mikodin sees another shadowy form moving underwater, towards him.
"Ack!" Brennon says, surprised by the beast as it erupts from the water. He unsheathes a dagger an launches it at the creature.
His dagger bounces off of the crayfish's carapace and riccochets into the water.
Aldarin attempts to attack the pincer that currently has his leg.
The elf lands a glancing blow with his flaming sword, as his legs are dragged into the water.
Jon ties a loop in the rope and runs forward to put the loop over either Aldarin or Mikodin which every is in the most trouble.
With Aldarin writhing around as he tries to wrestle himself out of the crayfish's grip, he presents a difficult target for Jon.
Mikodin, not wanting to fight fist-to-claw with the creature, but also not wanting to see a fellow party member dragged under the surface, launches an all-out assault on the crayfish trying to drag his friend underwater. Mikodin hopes to knock it back enough so that he or others can drag all to safety away from the shore.
Unfortunately, the monk's assault fails to daunt the monster.
Farad again psionic blasts the creature that is still underwater... angling the blast so that it covers anything that might be coming up behind it was well.
Two mushroom clouds erupt from the pool. Bits and pieces of giant crayfish fly up into the air, signifying the demise of two more of the creatures.
The remaining crayfish continues to tug at Aldarin in a most annoying manner.
"I've done more than my part...what's holding up the rest of you?" he says as he readies his sword to attack any further beasties. If he is able he'll see if he can squeeze in and help Aldarin.
Aldarin continues to hack at the beast attempting to pull him in.
Humphrey attacks the crayfish that is holding onto Aldarin, "The castle's cook has a really good recipe for crayfish."
The big warrior lands one solid hit on the crayfish, while his second sword bounces off.
At first amazed by the unusal creature, Raz quickly recovers and launches a series of magic missiles into it.
Raz blasts one spell into the monster, blowing it to bits and saving Aldarin from an unpleasant fate.
Quiet returns to the cave. You look about at the recently killed crayfish and realise that it is dinnertime, and you are hungry. Inspecting the lake more closely, you see that it is not overly deep, perhaps 5' at the most. Searching the entire cave, you find nothing else of interest, be it monsters or otherwise.
Jon asks, "Any magic in the water or around Geerzo?"
"No magic!"
"Let's stop and have dinner and a rest..."
Farad looks about. "Lets camp here tonight and see how these crawdads taste."
Mikodin looks long at the crayfish, and searches to see if pieces large enough to be made into armor survived. Although as a monk he shuns armor, Mikodin understands its value to those who believe in such heavy things.
No pieces of exoskeleton remain large enough to fabricate into armour.
Then, getting hungry, he begins to dig a pit and start a fire for crawdad steaming.
"Man I forgot to get that dehydrated butter before we left too." says Kelar, downcast. "Crowdads without butter just ain't the same. We probably want to be sure to post a good watch tonight. I don't really want to wake up being pulled into that lake."
You set up camp and cook dinner. The crayfish are delicious, even without butter, and you eat your fill.
You pass a quiet night, each of you taking a turn keeping watch. No one disturbs you, though on several occasions the people on guard thought they heard distant voices speaking in strange tongues, and the sounds of doors opening and slamming shut. Then again, perhaps they were imagining things.