It is a much smaller party that teleports out of Occa's house on the morning of April 4th, 1372. Present are Orlon, Darian, Occa, Gonzo, Emm, Gilstrock, Lo Wang, Jesse and Robert. Smaller, perhaps, but maybe more lean.
Suddenly you appear in the clearing of the pirate stronghold, south of Casablanca. The tropical heat and humidity hit you like a hammer. The temperature is already well over 90F, even though it is not long after dawn here. The sky overhead is partly cloudy, the air a little misty.
The last time you were here was November 3, 1371.
The camp consists of twelve grass and palm frond huts. Seven of them are large, oblong structures and five of them are smaller. Several of the huts have been destroyed by fire. In addition, there is an empty slave pen.
The huts are arranged around a large fire pit.
The camp is deserted and overgrown. The remaining huts are already beginning to collapse.
Off to your right, about 100' away, is the old temple. It is an ancient step-pyramid, perhaps 100' high, backing into the jungle. A flight of steps leads up to a large doorway about 25' above ground level. The pyramid is overgrown with vines and plants.
Occa says, "Let's find that gate."
He casts wizard's eye and sends it forward. He also casts stoneskin and invisibility.
"Mage Occa, may I ask what we are doing here?" Lo asks, wiping the quick forming sweat from his forehead with a small handkerchief from his left front pocket.
"We are going back to Mestom, I believe."
Emm checks the fire pit, just to ensure that it hasn't been used recently. He also looks for fresh prints, human, animal or other in the area.
The fire pit is cold and overgrown.
He sees a few animal tracks here and there, but nothing that could be considered of a dangerous sort.
When you are convinced that the area is secure, you make for the temple. Ascending the steps, you stop at the top of them, where a passage runs back into the temple and into darkness.
You head down there, and into darkness...
...and suddenly, you are standing at one end of a large chamber (40' X 60': 60' in front of you; archway in middle of far wall). The place is empty, which gives you time to look about.
First off, you see no sign of how you arrived here. There is no visible exit/entrance save the archway at the far end. Perhaps you stepped through a teleportal...
The floor of the first 20' of this end of the chamber is elevated. A flight of steps leads down some 6' to the next level, which runs some 20' north, ending at a 10' wide moat, filled with water. A wooden bridge spans the moat, connecting with a 10' X 20' area of floor on either side of the archway.
Looking through the archway, you see a flight of steps leading up to a landing. Off of the landing, a second flight continues upwards and to the right.
Over the archway, graven in the stone, is the sigil of three gems.
The entire scene is lit by flickering torches, set here and there in wall sconces. The stonework is of fine quality, but old and covered in mosses and lichens. The air in here is damp and musty.
Orlon takes out the maps which Op Code so kindly left with him before he departed north, and shows them to you.
You head down the stairs, across the wooden bridge, and through the archway. The stairs go up for 10' or so, then there is a landing, and the stairs continue up to the east. After another 10' or so they end at the entrance to a chamber (30' X 30': 10' north, 10' south, 30' east; opening in middle of north wall).
This square chamber has walls, floor and ceiling of finely cut and dressed stone. Torches inset in alcoves in the walls provide illumination. An opening in the north wall leads directly into another chamber.
Looking to the north, you see a good-sized chamber (30' X 90': 40' east, 40' west, 30' north; 10' opening in middle of north wall straight ahead; 10' opening in north wall west corner, 20' wide opening in west wall south corner). This chamber is mostly water-filled. The water level is about 10' below you. A bridge leads from the entrance where you now stand across the pool to the opening in the middle of the north wall, 30' away. Through the opening you see a passage running east-west, 20' wide. A glowing panel high up on the wall of the passage facing you again depicts three gems or stones. To your left and right are two pillars (for a total of four), which support the ceiling of the chamber high overhead. Along the east and west walls are two 10' wide, 30' long stone bridges or pathways, also about 10' above the water. The west walkway connects the second opening in the north wall with the exit to the east. Through the latter opening you can see another chamber, extending off to the west, south and north. The east walkway appears to be isolated, and does not connect with anything except for the walls themselves.
You recall a battle with a number of giants, crocodiles and golems in here. Now, apart from some bloodstains on the floor, all signs of that battle are gone.
You do note those doors to the east, which you have never opened.
The moment he realized that they were transported, Lo immediately unsheathed his knife and held it expertly in his right hand.
"This does not bode werr for us, friends," he says, looking concerned.
"Don't worry about it. That's what happened last time we were here."
Gonzo quickly checks the doors and listens for any signs of activity on the other side.
He hears only silence.
He waits for the party's decision before proceeding.
"What do you folks think? Do we have some time for more exploration or should we keep to our original course and finding Razzy?"
"I am quite intrigued by this prace and am wirring to exprore, but whatever Mage Occa wants, I wirr agree with," Lo says, still on guard, despite Darian's words of reassurance.
Occa says, "Let's explore. We may be able to sneak up on Raz."
He casts unseen servant and tries to get it to open the door.
Darian nods and draws his frostbrand quietly. He then turns his psionics to absorb magical energy.
"Sounds rike a pran to me, Mage Occa," Lo says as he stands ready with his blade in hand.
Occa chuckles.
"I think it is going to be as close as we get to a plan!"
The servant opens the doors easily. You find yourselves looking into a 20' square chamber (20' east; opening in north wall east half). There are some greasy marks on the floor, of the type often left by monsters after you have anhillated them. In other words, you think you have been here before.
You look through the opening to the north.
Before you is a larger chamber (30' X 50', 30' north, 40' east; flight of stairs going up from north wall west corner; door in south wall 10' - 20' section as measured from the east). There is a keyhole in the door. You also realise that you have been here before, and that the exit is through the closed door.
You try to open the door but have no luck without the key.
Occa says, "Anyone able to pick it? I could knock it or passwall through it, but no sense if we can pick it."
"Let me try first," Emm answers. "Any traps here Bubba?"
"Nope! Boring!"
Gonzo takes a look at the lock after Emm gets a response from Bubba.
The dwarf and the young man examine the door. They find no traps, so they take out their tools and have a go at picking the lock.
However, they are unable to find the trick that opens it.
"Maybe we should check out the place where we found the key before, and see if it's back there?" suggests Robert.
"That makes sense. Let's go!"
Darian heads to where they last found the key.
You head through the north opening and soon find yourselves in the chamber where you found the key. It is where you found it previously: a chamber (20' X 30': 10' east, 10' west, 20' south). The place is water-filled, the surface of the water being some 10' below the doorway. Looking down, you see that a 5' wide ledge runs the length of the north side just above the water. A 20' long, 10' wide walkway spans the chamber from the doorway where you stand to the south wall. Where it ends is a 5' deep niche in the south wall, and, floating within the niche with no visible means of support, is a large, ornate silver key.
You recall that when Salaam retrieved the key the last time, Vrith was summoned. You wonder what will happen should you try to repeat things this time.
Knife is hand, Lo stays with the shadows, looking around constantly for any movement not of his companions.
"How about an unseen servant this time, Occa?"
"Well Bubba, is this still trapped?" Emm inquires of his favorite sword.
"Don't pick up anything from here!"
"Bubba says either there is no problem or that it is terribly dangerous to try to remove anything from this area," Emm informs the group.
Darian replies dryly, "Um, that's not much help. Can you narrow it down a bit?"
"I meant I don't sense any traps!" the sword replies. "No babes, either. Oh, sorry Jesse!"
Jesse laughs. "Married life does that to a woman, you know."
"Thanks for the clarification, Bubba. Occa?"
"Okay, I'll go get it myself."
Darian retrieves the key.
The blade carrying monk hangs back and keeps his eyes open for an attack or arrival of any creatures.
As Darian takes the key, something drops from the ceiling!
At first you think that it is Vrith again...then you realise that it is merely a life sized inflatable rubber arcanadaemon.
It lands in the water below and floats there.
"Phew," is all Lo exclaims as he has no desire to fight a demon the first day on the job as Occa's bodyguard.
"Someone has a very warped sense of humor."
Darian carries the key back to the door and unlocks the door with it.
The door opens, and you move on.
The rest of the trek through the dungeon is uneventful.
At last you enter the final chamber. It measures 30' square (10' north, 10' south, 20' ahead and 10' behind, from the top of the stairs). Facing you in the east wall is a 20' wide archway. At the peak of the arch is the symbol of the three stones. The area under the arch is black...rather like the entrance to this area was.
This, you recall is the exit.
You walk through it...
Suddenly you are standing in an alley or narrow, winding street. Buildings - whitewashed and stuccoed - line the alley. They are three to four storeys tall. Here and there along the way are doors, and there are windows in the walls as well. To your right, the alley wends its way out of sight. To your left, perhaps 75' away, the alley ends at a large square, filled with people.
Clearly, you are in a city.
The alley itself is deserted, but for a man sitting on the cobblestones across from you, his head down, a broad-brimmed hat pulled over his head, snoring softly. You seem to recall that he was sitting there the last time you came through this portal as well.
It is a hot, overcast morning. You estimate the temperature at around 95F. There is very little humidity here. A gusty breeze blows up the alley, and you taste sandy grit on your lips. You also smell the sea.
Beside the sleeping man is an open doorway. Through the doorway is a dimly lit room. You can see tables and chairs inside, and the shadowy figures of people within.
A sign over the doorway proclaims the establishment to be the Brass Lantern Tavern.
Emm attempts to pick the pocket of the sleeping man.
Darian frowns at Emm and shakes his head.
Emm moves close by the man but never seems to touch him. Instead, he comes back over to where the rest of you stand.
"The ways of the gods are quite mysterious, no?" Lo remarks, looking about.
"Not the gods, Wizards. That was a wizard stronghold we were just in. Or, at least, that's our best guess."
"Does anyone know where we are?"
Lo sheathes his knife and awaits an answer.
"Casablanca. Where we wanted to be."
"What now?" asks Robert. "Go find Billian or have lunch? I'm hungry."
He looks at the Brass Lantern wistfully.
"May I ask what we are doing here?" Lo asks with a smile, happy that his companions know where they are.
"Going after an old nemesis who holds a particular artifact that he shouldn't have and thus holds a soul in the bargain."
"Sounds like fun, Darian-san !" Lo says with a smile.
"You have a strange sense of fun."
"Let's have lunch and discuss what we're going to do. We never did do that before leaving Occa's mansion."
You head in.
The common room of the tavern is - as usual - dimly lit and cool. Chairs and tables are scattered about, with perhaps two thirds of them occupied by patrons. A small fireplace is against the back wall, but it is not lit (it seldom is, except on cool winter evenings). The open door looks out onto White Alley, and two windows - with lace curtains - do so as well.
Most of the people in here this time are nondescript...perhaps local merchants or traders. Two men in military uniforms sit in the back corner, eating large sandwiches and drinking beer.
Through a doorway in the back wall, behind the bar, come the sounds of someone laughing as they do the dishes in the kitchen.
You find a table near one of the windows and seat yourselves. A barmaid comes over, and you order lunch. Soon two platters arrive: one containing cold cuts and the other fresh vegetables, along with a basket of hot baked rolls, several jugs of cold ale and glasses.
You tuck in.
Soon after starting your repast, you notice that the sleeping man outside has awakened. Yawning, he reaches into his pocket, then becomes alert as he realises that whatever he was reaching for is not there. You see him search the rest of his pockets in growing agitation; then, he jumps up and hurries off down the alley.
"Well," says Robert, refocusing his attention on his drink, "I think the plan was to go to Billian and ask him where Razamataz hangs out."
Darian looks over at Emm. "Your doing?"
He turns back to Robert.
"Yes, that was the plan."
"So, now that we've talked about what we're gonna do, shall we do it?"
"Perhaps I have an answer to both questions," Emm replies. "But not where there are so many ears."
"Lead on, then, so we can get to work."
Emm rises without finishing his meal and heads to the door. He leads the party to the Golden Cellar and takes 3 adjacent rooms. He gathers the group in the center room.
"Can anyone prevent us from being spied upon, magically?" Emm inquires.
Darian shakes his head. "Not I."
Once all precautions are taken, Emm begins. "It seemed strange to me that twice we have teleported into this city and twice the same individual was there. I figured perhaps he was employed to watch the comings and goings of those who telport from the lair to the city. And since we now know that the lair was booby-trapped by Raz, perhaps this person was in Raz's employ to do the spying. So I borrowed this from the fellow in the street," Emm continues, holding up the notebook. "I have only quickly scanned the contents, which seem to be in some sort of code. But I was able to read this address - 12 Blood of Necessity Way," he shows the group. "So to answer Darian's questions, yes it was my doing and perhaps we should visit 12 Blood of Necessity Way."
"Very crever, my friend, I rike the way you operate," Lo says with a nod to Emm, "Very tricky! heh, heh" he chuckles, knowing that he is in for a good time.
"I apologize for my nasty thoughts. Quite astute of you, Emm. And very clever."
"If we do visit the address, do you think we should go as one group or as three or four smaller groups?"
"I think one group would be good, if we sprit our forces, that courd reave us vurnerable!" Lo remarks. "Its not like they don't know we are coming."
"Well, if they are waiting for the people who found the notebook, then I counsel gathering more information," Emm answers. "Maybe one or two of us should scout the place out."
"That would be you and Gonzo," comments Robert, "Unless Occa or Darian could do a better job..?"
Darian shrugs. "I can turn invisible, but I don't move so quietly in the chainmail. I think having Emm and Gonzo go make sense. Maybe the rest of should head in that general direction, just in case you run into difficulty though."
Occa says, "We should not split up...we have paid dearly for that in the past."
Darian shrugs. "Our leader has spoken. We go as a group."
"I agree with Master Occa, spritting up wourd not be good for our survivar," Lo says with a nod.
Occa says, "I will turn invisible and can turn a few others invisible as well."
Occa turns himself invisible, but no one else seems to take him up on his offer, so you depart.
Outside, the streets of Casablanca are not so busy as they had been previously. It is now afternoon, the hottest part of the day, and many of the shops and businesses are closed. They will reopen as evening approaches.
You head for 12 Blood of Necessity Way, which, you recall from your previous stay in this city, is in the Mage's Quarter.
After a bit, Emm says to Gonzo, "We should be close now. I think it is on the next block."
Emm is looking for a tavern. Finding a suitable establishment, Emm continues his monologue with Gonzo. "I'll see if they make a Casablanca Karumba. You better take care of your business in the back."
The man herds the rest of you into a tavern called the Leather Book.
In the tavern, Robert immediately orders a beer.
"You sure this is the place, Emm?" he asks, while waiting for his order. "This is Angry Armadillo Street, not Blood of Necessity Way."
Emm smiles at Robert. "Robert, I am sure this is where we need to be right now. I have arranged to meet with a very special guest here, before we continue on our way. Please, I can say no more, so don't ask."
After a few minutes a decrepit hunchbacked lady in a tattered old gown shuffles in. Edging up to the bar, she orders tea, then gives Robert a toothless leer.
Robert edges away.
Orlon watches the two to see if they appear to be friendly or strangers.
Robert is definitely friendly, as he has been a member of this party for quite a few years.
The old lady is a stranger who appears as if she would like to get friendly...
Occa says to Emm, "Why can't you say more?"
"Well if I told you why I can't say more, then I would have said more. I know this is hard, but I am asking you to trust me," Emm replies.
Jesse smiles, holding onto her husbands arm, her eyes darting around the room as they wait.
"Let us see what Emm has found, he has shown his ingenuity already today," the bard says.
Occa says, "I guess. By the way, let me see that book. I may be able to decipher it."
"You may want to wait to do that until we are somewhere a little more private," suggests Robert uncomfortably, as the old woman continues to regard him with a lecherous eye.
From outside, you hear someone yelling.
Lo is in the corner, watching and listening, ready to move if something happens.
Emm perks up at the sound. "That's probably Gonzo. Robert, Occa and Lo, why don't you pop outside and see if he needs help?"
Before they can respond, though, the door to the tavern opens, and two people enter.
Gonzo - looking even uglier than ever, if that is possible - enters the tavern where the others are waiting. With him is a nondescript, mousy looking little man in a grubby gray robe with a bloody face.
"Chevy Slyme, at your service!" the newcomer announces before anyone can speak, with a toothless grin.
Gonzo notes that there is also a bartender and an old lady in here, the latter sipping a cup of tea.
"Accordin' ta me new 'friend' heres, we'z seems ta have attracted the attentions o' da local government types... What else kin ya tell 'em Slyme?" says Gonzo.
"That's it!" he says, then swallows, and promptly dies.
His last glance was at the woman.
Occa says, "Already?"
He doesn't wait for an answer.
He then walks up to the old woman at the bar and says, "What brings a nice lady to a place like this for tea, if I may be so bold as to ask?"
She speaks a word of magic and is gone.
"Damn!" Occa looks around. "Ok, we can be sure they are probably going to be hostile at this point. Everyone saddle up and get ready in case there is a fight coming."
He makes sure his stoneskin is active. He then casts wizard eye and sends it outside of the tavern to look around.
"Grab his body and toss it into a portable hole or something. We can speak with dead later. Anyone have a crystal ball?"
Emm heads for the back exit of the tavern, explaining, "Now that Gonzo has captured the fellow who was tailing us, I am going to see if there are any more."
"DANG-NABBIT... Karumbas... What goes on heres now..." says Gonzo looking at the now dead Slyme. "Me was jez tryin' ta save his sorry hide fer some information... seems da BOP don' want ta have infomation floating sos freely arounds dez parts. Occa... what makes youse o' deez doin's?"
Occa says, "I think whoever we are against are bad people. If this guy would rather be dead than give us some info, then they are serious about punishment."
He shakes his head.
"When we wuz havin our discussion out back, he tried ta stick me wid o' knife with somethin on it... I'm not so sure dey want's us alive either. He said he had failed and the BOP didna tollerate failure... punishment fer failure was death. Me tried ta save him, what does ya dink kilt him? Dat woman or himself?" says Gonzo.
"Probably himself because of what he said."
Occa adds, "Oh, can someone stand lookout? We need to check out anyone who comes in. I will also watch."
"Occa-san, it wirr be my preasure to serve," the Eastern monk says with a nod. "Inside or out?" he asks.
"Thanks Lo. Inside...just look out a window."
"Aye, occa-san," he says with a nod and finds a table near the window facing the street. He looks out the window to see if anyone or anything out of the ordinary is coming. He also makes sure that something is blocking his body, such as a table or he just pokes his head out slightly so if someone attacks through the window, he will be at less risk of being struck.
Occa turns to the barkeep and hands him ten gold coins. "What is the BOP?"
"Never heard of it," says the bartender uncomfortably. He then goes into the back room.
"Why you leaving?" Occa asks.
He does not answer Occa.
Gilstrock, suddenly looking alert for the first time in quite a long while, says, "Is there a back entrance to this place? I'll go watch that just in case."
Gilstrock draws Thawbreaker and heads back to look for a back entrance. Emm goes with him.
They make for the back room after the bartender, who turns and says, "Hey. You're not allowed back here."
"Humor me," Gilstrock says, grabbing the bartenders upper arm so that he can't leave without Gilstrock's leave. "I might be one of your best customers."
"Let go of me," he says in a tone of warning.
Occa casts sleep on him.
Gilstrock lets go of the man as he crumples to the floor.
He says, "Oops," quietly, and then proceeds to the back room, Thawbreaker drawn, with Emm beside him.
"And watch him if he doesn't..." Occa says, guessing what Gilstrock is thinking.
Darian moves over to the man to tie him up.
Suddenly there is a flutter at the window where Lo watches, and a sparrow flies in past him.
Before your eyes the sparrow transforms into a woman, of rather plain features and average height, with brown hair, clad in a dusty brown robe.
She faces Occa.
"I am Ruth," she says. "I work for Billian. We must move quickly to a secret place that I know. The secret police will be here in force soon. We have at most ten minutes."
"What is BOP?"
"BOPS," she corrects, "The Bureau of Police Security. If you stay here much longer you will meet them personally."
Darian looks at Occa and shrugs. "Things can't get too much stranger. Maybe we should accept her invitation."
"Darian-san has a good point, Mage Occa-san!" Lo says.
Occa nods. "Lead the way, Ruth. Someone grab the body for a speak with dead later."
Darian helps Gil with the body.
Gilstrock sheathes Thawbreaker, tosses a couple of silvers on to the sleeping form of the bartender as a tip "for his trouble," and helps Darian lift the body to haul along.
With a last look through the window out at the now ominously deserted street, Ruth goes into the back room and to the door. After carefully listening at it, she opens it a crack and looks out. Her glance strays skyward before she darts out, signalling you to follow her.
You do so, and find yourselves in the alley where Gonzo had his little talk with Mr Slyme. She turns right and hurries off up the alley, keeping to the shadows where possible, and glancing frequently upwards.
For the next ten minutes she leads you through a bewildering maze of narrow, winding alleys and lanes. All are deserted. You hope that is because it is the hottest part of day, when the population of Casablanca stays indoors.
At last, she stops before a closed door in the side of a good sized, windowless, three storey building. She listens at it, and then, satisfied, she opens it, and motions for you to enter.
Going inside, you find yourselves in an unlit warehouse. With the light which floods in through the doorway you see that it is a very large room, piled high with crates and barrels; then, once you are inside she closes the door and locks it, and you are in darkness.
Only for a moment. Ruth produces a small gem, which sheds a faint glow, and holds it cupped in her hand. Using it for illumination, she guides you back into the warehouse, wending her way through the labyrinth of boxes and barrels.
Finally, she stops before a particularly large wooden crate. She pushes one corner of it, and it pivots aside, to reveal a previously concealed hole in the floor beneath it. The hole is about five feet across, and you cannot see the bottom of it. A set of iron rungs run down one side of it. The smell of sewage rises out of the hole and caresses your nostrils.
Suddenly you hear a noise, from back the way you just came. it is the sound of a door being flung open. Faint illumination comes from that direction.
"Down!" Ruth whispers urgently. "Hurry!"
Occa sends his wizard eye down the hole to check it out and then back upstairs. He will go down second to last.
Some 50' below he sees a sewer.
Since he is Occa's protector as well as servant for the next year, Lo is the first one down to make sure there are no enemies below to harm his master.
A warrior blocks the monk's way.
Gilstrock goes down first. He dumps the body at Occa's feet.
"Here's your stiff. Not Stiff, I mean, but a dead guy. Oh, never mind."
Robert looks at Gilstrock as the latter disappears downwards, then picks up Mr Slyme and slings the body over his shoulder. He goes next.
"And Alice goes down the rabbit hole," Jesse says, heading down the hole.
"Shh," Emm hisses, then heads down the hole.
Darian helps people get down into the hole, making sure he's one of the last.
The last to go is Ruth, pausing only to press a concealed stud at the top of the shaft, which causes the crate to pivot back over the opening.
Down you go for some 50'. At the bottom, as Occa's eye noted, is a sewer.
It is a broad, arched tunnel, stretching off in either direction for as far as you can see, which is not far given the lack of illumination. It is perhaps 50' wide, with a 10' wide stone walkway on this side. The rest of the tunnel is taken up by a noisome river of stinking sewage. There is very little current.
Reaching the bottom, Ruth hurriedly takes the lead.
"If they have bloodhounds then they will soon find the shaft. Aaaa!"
She suddenly jumps back, as with a sickening gurgle an enormous creature surfaces in the river!
"Dragon turtle!" cries Robert, recognising it as the same creature that you battled in the pirate caves far to the north.
"In here? Geez!!! Gil, no frostbrands..."
Darian draws his broadsword and fires a round of magic missiles into the dragon turtle.
"Gotya," Gilstrock says, and draws Hangnail, his Sword of Sharpness, from the scabbard across his back. If he can get close enough to the dragon turtle without fully submerging himself, he will rush to the attack.
Gonzo looks for loose stones and using those as projectiles.
"This is not good, Occa-san," Lo says as he unsheathes his blade. He looks for somewhere to run, either to the right or left.
"Spread out...it has a breath weapon. Run back, Lo!"
"Yes, master!" Lo says as he heeds Occa's advice and runs.
Emm retreats, and stands as rear guard, until the party is able to move forward.
Occa opens up with as many magic missile spells as he can fire.
Jesse adds a volley of magic missiles from her wand.
As the dragon turtle inhales, Darian, Occa and Jesse blast it with missiles while Lo, Emm and Ruth retreat up the tunnel. Gonzo throws rocks at it and Gilstrock and Robert rush to the edge of the ledge to attack.
Darian uses his psionic abilities to run across the river to the other side after launching his first series of magic missiles. He tries to run behind the turtle.
And then, he changes his course to run up the turtle's back, towards the head, looking to embed a sword into the back of its neck. He continues to use his psionic abilities to tread very lightly on its back.
Occa gets off three magic missile spells before the monster can breathe...killing it.
Darian, standing atop the now drifting body of the dead turtle, sees a shallow opening under the ledge where the rest of the party stands.
Walking over to it, he sees a number of leather bags within an alcove there.
He grabs them, and starts tossing them up to the others.
"Let's go!" says Ruth, as she rushes back up with Lo and Emm.
Taking the bags, she leads you off to the right and down the tunnel. After a few moments of hurried flight you hear a dull roar behind you, and a ruddy glow fills the sewer. Looking back, you see flames some distance behind you...back where the shaft from above opens into the sewer.
"Fireball?" wonders Robert.
"Yes. They must've found the entrance," says Ruth.
You hurry on.
After another few hundred feet the sewer curves sharply. Just around the bend you come to a stop by a bollard, where a boat would be moored. However, there is no sign of a boat here.
Ruth takes out a rope and speaks a command. The rope stands up on end and knots form in it every few feet. It extends to the ceiling.
With lithe dexterity she climbs up the rope and pushes on the slab which forms a part of the curving ceiling at this point. It sinks upwards and slides aside, revealing a dark opening.
She climbs through the opening and signals you urgently to follow.
Using whatever methods you can, you get up and through the opening, finding yourselves in a narrow, low tunnel running at right angles to the sewer. Ruth grabs the top of the rope, speaks the command word, and it unties and goes limp in her hand.
She hurriedly pulls the rope up, then pushes the slab, and it slides back over the opening.
Pausing only long enough to coil the rope, she leads you down this passage. It is very low-ceilinged, and the humans have to crawl. You do not go too far, though, before it ends at a second shaft leading down. Once again there are rungs down one side. No unpleasant odours come out of this shaft.
Down you go, perhaps 150'.
At the bottom is a second sewer, mostly dry, and clearly of much more ancient construction than the one above. Again, it runs off to the left and right.
Ruth seems to be relaxing a bit as she again turns right and takes you down the tunnel. After a few hundred yards you come to a large chamber where four similar sewers meet. The ceiling arches high overhead. She leads you to a section of wall between two of the tunnels, presses a slab, and it swings open, revealing a room.
You follow her inside, and she closes the secret door behind you.
You find yourselves in a medium sized room. There are many boxes, crates and barrels in here, as well as some chairs and a table.
Ruth lights a candle while you inspect the leather bags. In them you find 4000cp, 8000gp, 22 gems (1000gp ea.), 12 various items of jewelry (1700gp ea.), 7 potions, 4 scrolls, 2 rings, 2 wands, a robe, a horn, a suit of gleaming plate mail (human sized), a shield, a gleaming broadsword, a gleaming shortsword, 9 sling bullets and 6 arrows.
Then, Ruth turns to you.
"What business do you have with Razamataz?" she asks.
Occa says, "Nice haul."
Darian smiles. "Glad I noticed it."
Darian looks at Ruth with some confusion. "Razamataz? I thought you said Lord Billian sent you."
"I work for Billian," she answers. "Why were you heading to Razamataz's residence?"
Darian continues to look confused. "I didn't know we were. How did you reach that conclusion?"
"Do you always answer questions with questions?" she says sharply. "What business do you have with Razamataz?" she repeats.
"When I don't understand where you stand, yes. Frankly, we were trying to find the place that was written in the beggar's notebook. He watched the passage that we came through. We didn't know that it was Razamataz's residence."
She turns back to Darian.
"That I have just led out out of certain peril if not death - and at no small risk to myself, I might add - should tell you where I stand," she replies. "Razamataz's man was not the only one watching the portal. It has become known to the Minister's people since you last stepped through it."
Darian shrugs. "Well, that's only if you're not part of the BOPS. Lull us into a false sense of security. Get us to spill facts you might not get with torture. And then imprison us."
"That is not their way," she says coldly. "They kill first and ask questions later. Tell me, are you always this paranoid? How do you get anything done?"
Darian shrugs. "We're good."
"I'm curious how you knew where we were going, though."
She nods to Robert.
"He advertised it to all and sundry back in the Brass Lantern."
"Sorry about that," mutters the warrior.
"I guess I missed that."
Occa says, "We have private business with Razamataz. Is he home?"
Darian looks at Occa. "We do?"
Gonzo fades into the shadows, listening and watching.
Ruth turns away from Darian with an almost thankful look on her face.
"If it was private then you did not do a very good job of keeping it so," she says to Occa. She spears Robert with a glance. "Half the city knows that you seek him, now, including the government, which is not a good thing."
She pauses.
"How? Who said anything to anyone?"
"As for Razamataz himself, he is not home...at least not in the home that he maintains in Casablanca. He has not been around for several months, which distresses my master. Specifically what was your 'private business' with him? Does it concern the Sword?"
"In part. Razamataz has something of ours that we want back."
Jesse turns to her husband. "Dear, do you remember what that poem was that Kadlian told us?" she says, "I seem to have forgotten it."
"I don't off the top of my head, but I think it's a different Sword."
"Yes, it does concern the sword. How is it that you know about it?"
"That was to be your original errand for Billian, was it not? To retrieve the Sword of Nilonem."
Ruth sighs.
"I am not surprised to hear that. He has his own agenda, and Lord Billian - who had viewed Razamataz as his tool - has belatedly learned that just the opposite was actually the case. Could this item be in Razamataz's apartment here in Casablanca? I can lead you there by a secret way if you wish."
Darian shrugs. "We've no way of knowing. I'd expect he'd keep it on himself, but who knows? It might be fun to tear his place apart, regardless. We were hoping to talk to him, though. He owes us a bunch of explanations."
"Hey, yeah, let's go do his place," Gilstrock says. "That sounds good to me!"
Gilstrock then suddenly turns and gives a suspicious look at Ruth. "Who do you work for again?"
"Lord Billian," Ruth answers.
"Sounds like a plan. Perhaps we and Billian can also discuss how to rectify this situation."
"Billian would like that," Ruth says, obviously preferring to talk to Occa rather than that insecure Darian fellow. "Which first? Razamataz's apartment or Billian? I would suggest Razamataz's. That arch mage is bound to have spies in my lord's household...if they found out your plan to raid his home then they may have some surprises waiting for you."
"I agree. Lead on."
Ruth nods, and opens the secret door a crack. Convinced that it is safe, she leads you out into the large chamber again. Choosing the one to the right, she sets off. You follow.
Occa sends his wizard eye forward in the tunnels to make sure there isn't anyone/anything ahead.
Lo approaches Occa, "Good job, Mage Occa-san, I am sorry that I was not more herp against the four creature. Prease accept my aporogies!" he says, nodding low to Occa.
"Thanks and don't worry about it."
"Casablanca is an ancient city," Ruth says in a low voice as you move forward. The bedrock upon it rests is riddled with tunnels, old sewers and passages. Fortunately, they are known to only a few,"
"BBBBLLLLAAAAA!" comes a garbled bellow out of side passage as you are about to pass it!
Stepping out before you is a hydra of 13 heads! It's intentions do not appear to be pacific.
Jesse steels herself.
"It is an atlantic hydra!" she states, and then launches magic missiles (3 spells worth) at the critter, shooting at the body.
Darian draws his frostbrand, fires a round of magic missiles into the body and then attacks a head with his sword.
Their magic missiles blast into the body, blowing out great bloody chunks of flesh and making the monster mad.
"What's does an atlantic hydra do, my love? Any special attacks we should know of?"
Jesse frowns. "Hurricanes? Spawning? Wait, the spawning attack is the Atlantic salmon."
Emm attempts to move out of range of any breath attacks.
"Your sewers and passages are also filled with annoying monsters. Someone should do some house-cleaning down here!"
"Is that an offer?" asks Ruth as she jumps back.
"Not exactly. I'd like to save some of our strength for our destination!"
"Lemme at it!" yells Robert, intent to get in at least one hit this time before the mages do it in, as he charges forward.
Gonzo follows suit, yelling, "KAAARUMBA!"
He pulls his firebrand.
Occa says, "You fighter types should be able to knock this thing out quickly enough."
He sends his wizard eye behind the hydra to do some recon and then forward down the tunnel in order to see if there is anything else coming.
The tunnel that the hydra stepped out of ends after perhaps 50'. He spots a pile of treasure down there.
Meanwhile, a good old fashioned hack'n'slash melee has erupted, as Darian, Robert and Gilstrock do battle with the hydra while the rest of you back up.
Darian immediately sends a head sailing.
Robert sidesteps a blow and chops off another head.
Gilstrock is bitten for 12 hit points before he sends head number three to oblivion.
Gonzo easily makes it four for four.
Darian gets chomped for 10 hit points by another head as he misses with his frost brand. His second swing connects, though, and does in the offending head.
Robert dodges another diving maw and beheads another head.
Gilstrock makes short work of the next head, and Gonzo follows suit.
And so it goes for another minute or so, before the monster is declared dead.
You check out its treasure: 6500sp.
When you are ready, you continue on your way.
You have not gone too far before you see a creature moving rapidly towards you from dead ahead. Apparently it was attracted by the sounds of the fight with the hydra. You have never seen the likes of it before: it appears to be a cross between a dragon and a lion...with a reptillian body, a lion's head and a pair of small wings.
Suddenly it jumps into the air and takes flight at you!
Darian has healed himself and Gilstrock.
The monk stays to the shadows until he has a clear shot and will cut into the creature with his knife, when he is in range of it.
Occa says, "Is it evil?"
"Rooks evil to me, Occa-san!" Lo replies, waiting for an open shot to slice it with his knife.
Occa will hit it with a lightning bolt and then up to 3 magic missles.
Darian fires off his last magic missile at it and then prepares for the attack from above.
As the elf launches his spell and the arch mage begins his bolt the creature roars. It is the most deafening sound you have ever heard...leaving you all indeed deafened and somewhat disoriented by the blast. In addition, Emm, Robert, Gonzo, Lo, Occa and Orlon feel their strength drained by the sonic assault.
Darian's missiles blast into the monster as it lands on Robert, clawing and biting. Occa decides against a lightning bolt and instead unloads his missiles as the warrior swings his sword and fans. The warrior is clawed for 7 hit points as the first missile blasts into the monster and 8 hit points from another claw swipe as the second spell blasts it. Robert hides behind his shield and avoids a bite as the last missile hits the dragonne, killing it.
After about ten minutes your hearing returns, as does your strength.
Moving forward again, Ruth takes the lead. At long last she stops before a section of wall. Darian notices a secret door there.
"The entrance to Razamataz's apartment is here," the woman informs you. "Shall we enter? Or have you expended too much magic up to now?"
It is late afternoon.
Although upset that he has not had an opportunity to strike yet against any of the enemies that have attacked them, nevertheless Lo is eager to be out of the sewer.
"Entering is good," he says with a weak smile.
"I've used up quite a bit of my own."
"Does anyone have one of those paradise things?"
"Wasn't it Niko who had it?"
"It was," nods Robert. "That traitorous dog."
Darian looks confused. "Why? Because he went with Kadlian's group?"
"Yeah."
"He didn't want to go back to Hell. Can't say I blame him. I didn't like it down there either, but I knew that I couldn't leave you guys."
"That's my bud!" Gilstrock says loudly, giving Darian a hearty clap on the back.
"That's right. At least you're loyal, even if you're a more boring drinking buddy."
"Robert, no need to be insulting my husband," Jesse says, "Besides, I'll out drink you anyway," she says with a smile.
"I'm not insulting Darian; that's Occa's job," replies Robert. "But I'll go drinking with you and we'll see who can out drink who."
Occa says, "Ok, Ok. So we don't have a paradise place to stay at that is alright. I will create a place for us to rest at and tonight I will learn the mansion spell."
Occa turns to the opposite wall and casts a passwall spell at it in order to remove 10 feet of the stone. He then casts disintegrate at the next 10 feet of stone removing 100 sq feet of the stone. He follows up with another disintegrate back toward the original wall at an angle so that it gets within one or so feet of the outer wall.
__________
| | 1st disintegrate of 10 by 10 area
/ |
/ -- --
2nd / / | |
disintegrate ---- | | Passwall area
----------------------|---|------------
----------SS-------------------------
This is the
secret door
to Raz's place
Occa says, "This is an old war technique we used on Delith years ago when we wanted a safe place to stay. The second disintegrate is to get the area closer to the outer wall in the event I get killed during the night. You guys should be able to get out through a foot of stone. Of course, as soon as I cancel the passwall spell, we will be enclosed and protected by a nice thick layer of stone."
He gets out a continual light rod.
He goes in and the rest of you follow.
Once everyone is inside, he cancels the passwall spell.
"Yeah, I have a thought," Emm replies. "I am thinking that we will run out of air."
"Damn you're sneaky," Gilstrock says. "Pharian and I coulda used some tricks like that back on the Runelands.... 'Course, just being happy go lucky seemed to work pretty well, because we ended up here, and if we hadn't've done that, we'd've never met you lot."
Occa smiles. "When fighting armies of trolls, you learn a few tricks."
"We aren't going to run out of air or anything, are we?" asks the tall blond warrior, echoing Emm.
"I haven't before, but I haven't tried this on this world. The gases may be different. If anyone starts feeling funny, then speak up and we can exit quickly enough."
"Then we should have a rotating watch so that someone will always be awake."
"Of course. We will have the same watches as normal."
Occa goes into arch mage speak mode.
"Eventually, but I don't think it will be a problem in the time we are talking about. However, it isn't only running out of air that can cause problems, but it is also what we breath out that has to be considered."
He says, "Ok, we have about 2000 cubic feet of air. That is about 56.66 cubic meters of air."
"Generally, people use about 1 cubic meter of air per hour under activity. If trying to conserve, it is about 1/2 that amount. Some say 1/4, but I would prefer to be conservative. So, if there are ten of us, we are using 5 cubic meters per hour. Which means that we will run out of air in about 11 hours. If you just look at oxygen. The funny thing is that we aren't very efficient at using the air we breath in. In fact, we only use a very small amount of it.
"However, it is what we breath out that we have to worry about. High volumes of that gas can cause problems. (CO2, of course. Which people put out at the rate of 200 cc's/min or about 0.012 m3/hr...under light activity.) So, CO2 would essentially raise ~1% per m3/hr. So, the ten of us would raise C02 10% per hour per meter. Of course, this gets diluted throughout the entire room. Or another way to look at it is 200 cc * 60 minutes * 10 people * 8 hours is 960000 cubic centimeters of C02 over the eight hours. This room is about 56.66 million cubic centimeters. Which means that we will raise the content by about 1.6 percent. Which means that it will be higher than normal but our lungs have probably adapted to elevated levels due to all the caving and dungeon exploring we have. Besides, CO2 is more dangerous at higher levels. I think this group can probably tolerate up to about 6%. Most people pass out around 10%.
"In short, I think we will be ok. Some who aren't used to it may have light head aches in the morning. However, I plan on using my second passwall midway through the night to ventilate the room with fresher air."
"Sure..." mutters Robert, clearly not having understood a word of Occa's explanation.
"Maybe we should figure out what some of this stuff is. Thoughts everyone?"
Darian helps Occa with the identifying and heals any other injured member of the party.
Gilstrock leaks a little bit of blood onto the ground next to Darian and looks hopeful.
Darian looks over to Gil with some concern. "How did you get injured, Gil?"
"Hydra bit me," Gilstrock responds. "Just a flesh wound, really."
"Gil, I healed that after we killed the hydra. Did you get hurt after that?"
Gilstrock looks down at his wound, and realizes it's not there. Looking around frantically for the source of the blood, his eye alights upon his forefinger.
"Ah!" he says. "Hangnail!"
Gilstrock sticks his finger in his mouth and sucks on it.
Darian chuckles. "I can heal hangnails as well."
He touches Gil on the arm and heals him.
"Occa-san," Lo says, approaching his master, "seems during this time, I have gained plenty experience and wish to train. Wourd you have any idea who can train me as well as the cost to do so?"
"I'll train yeh!" Gilstrock says enthusiastically. "First, you gotta start wearing lots of heavy armor, and then you gotta get used to beating people and things up with swords. Oh, and you can skip all that praying and meditating and stuff, not really necessary, but you should run and do lots of calisthenics, best in your armor."
The monk looks to Occa for some kind of guidance as he does not think that Gilstrock is the one to train him.
Occa says, "Maybe there will be someone in the city who can train you. Otherwise, you will have to train yourself."
"Wirr we be going back into the city?" he asks, unsure if he can train himself.
"Maybe. We will see."
Occa pulls Darian aside for a moment. They converse quietly and quickly.
Then, Occa motions Orlon over to them.
Ruth looks up from her meditations and regards the three of them curiously.
Suddenly Orlon gets a blank look on his face and extends his arms out in front of him. From previous experience you know that he has just become a DM controlled zombie NPC.
He speaks the words of a spell, then says to Occa and Darian, "She is neutral."
"I could have told you that," Ruth replies, "I am a druid, after all."
"Can we play with the toys, now?" whines Robert, eyeing the recently acquired goodies and trinkets.
Occa says, "Sorry...didn't mean to offend, if we did. You can never be too safe these days."
"I am sorry. I must stop daydreaming about renovating my church in Sandas and pay attention to more pressing needs, like our situation." Orlon shrugs.
You settle down for the night, which passes without incident.