The next day the heat wave finally breaks, as the sky clears and the temperature returns to something more normal for these parts at this time of year (87F).
After a good sleep you have breakfast with Akitrom. The princess is not present, preferring to sleep in. Despite his continued appeals that you clean out his dungeon first, you pack up your gear and head out for the Ruins.
All of you go, just to learn the way.
As you are walking to the Ruins, malbar tells you a bit of the history of the place...
The Greyhawk Ruins are the remains of the original Castle Greyhawk built by Zagyg Yragerne (the Mad Archmage) around the year 320. Zagyg was already a powerful mage when Greyhawk was just a burgeoning riverbank trading post. His adventurous exploits had taken him the length and breadth of Oerth and beyond - his command of magic had grown to heroic proportions. Zagyg built for himself an enormous castle complex north of young Greyhawk. He used it to conduct his experiments, to build his personal guard of soldiers and to store the treasure accumulated throughout his career.
However, after just a century of occupation, the castle was mysteriously abandoned.
Since then, the upper towers have crumbled and fallen, and the grounds have succumbed to erosion. What remains are the extensive underground mazes, overrun by monsterous evil creatures carefully guarding the legacy of Zagyg.
In its prime, Castle Greyhawk consisted of three main towers. They have mostly fallen into rubble, but the corresponding dungeon levels beneath them still exist. Though below ground, they are still referred to as the Tower of War, the Tower of Power and the Tower of Zagyg.
As you approach, you see that the ruins rest upon three rock pinnacles, which once supported the towers. The pinnacles have sheer slopes and ledges rising some 75' to 100' above the floor of a small valley. The Tower of Zagyg was the largest. The pinnacles are connected via natural stone archways, and a third stone bridge spans the chasm to connect with the road upon which you stand.
Just as you are approaching the stone bridge you notice a stone carving of a large falcon. It is nearly 7' tall and is leaning precariously against a tree. The grass and weeds growing up and around it suggest that it has been here for quite some time.
"There you go," Malbar says to the young ones, "We'll be back at Castle Greyhawk. Have a good time!"
With that, Malbar, Occa, Orlon, Darian, Emm, Robert and Gilstrock depart. Gonzo fades away.
Stump, Nason, Drandar, Lo, Zanax, Badd, Kairos, Lornard and Tragon regard the stone archway. It is very narrow, and a strange sense of foreboding grips you.
"Mmm, I don't like this," Lo says as he looks at the arch. He picks up a stone and tosses it through, to see if anything happens.
It is actually a bridge in the shape of an arch, spanning a 100' deep gully.
Nason regards the falcon.
"Perhaps we should right it, so the tree can grow normally."
Zanax makes sure the falcon is not evil and that nothing happened to the stone Lo threw at the arch.
There is no evil and the stone did not cause anything traumatic to happen.
Tragon, being a paladin and all, immediately starts trying to organise things.
He looks around at the rest of you. "Well, then... Seems it's up to us. Let's see, we've got two paladins, Zanax and myself, one ranger, Lornard, one monk, Lo and then I'm not really sure. Stump, you used to be a fighter and Drandar has that look as well. What about the rest of you? Any clerics or mages in this group? It'd probably be a good idea to know what roles we're going to play in exploring this place. Oh, and does anyone have an idea of what we're supposed to be doing here?"
"This is too organized for me," the dwarf says, "Let's go."
He charges forward.
"We are here to destroy evil. The evil that leads to the slaughter entire villages," Kairos exclaims excitedly. "All I need is hammer and shield. No stupid spells."
Drandar turns to Zanax and frowns, then pulls a red shirt out of his pouch. On the left side is a strange, triangle shaped symbol where the heart is.
"Here Kairos, put this on," he says, handing the tunic to Kairos. "And remember a spell can be worth a thousand hammers."
Zanax shrugs. "He's young and naive. What do you expect?"
Tragon turns to Zanax. "You must know something about what we're doing here and what your dwarf friend can do, right?"
Zanax replies, "I am a paladin...I am a fair fighter, but I move stealthily and I have some other useful abilities and items..."
"Hmm... Well, I'm just starting out, so it sounds like you're more experienced than me."
"That is probably true, as I have seen and experienced enough in the last year or so to last me a lifetime."
Tragon, taken aback by the tone says, "I'm sorry to hear that."
"Drandar is a solid fighter...I am not sure if he possesses clerical abilities, though."
"So, we'll have to avoid getting hurt then, if only you and I can heal people."
"One should always avoid getting hurt...however, based on the composition of our party, I would say that we will be doing a lot of hand-to-hand combat. I'll probably scout ahead and check for evil as we move along."
"Maybe I should follow at the back and do the same, then. Kind of as book-ends."
"Drandar, would you allow me to touch your mind so that I may contact you while I am scouting?"
"Touch his mind? What manner of paladin are you?"
"One blessed by Votishal. I have the ability to contact another from great distances, read minds, see far away places, rise in the air and go without rest or nourishment for days."
"Of course, old friend," Drandar replies.
Zanax touches Drandar's head and makes brief telepathic contact with him before disengaging.
"Tragon, you should also check for evil, to prevent the party from being surprised, while I'm scouting. I can feel the evil lurking within these ruins. However, before we enter these ruins, I think Drandar should explain to the others our quest here."
Tragon extends his senses to see if he can feel the evil. "I think that is an excellent idea."
"Me, I am not a bard, nor good with words. From what I understand there is some sword that has importance in our world, and will help us prevent a crushing defeat of several good kingdoms," Drandar replies, "Is that it?"
"Sounds good to me. Let us be off and may Votishal bless us all!"
"Gesundheit," Drandar replies.
Badd reaches into his pack. "Raisins anyone?" he asks, popping a juicy one into his mouth and chewing on it. "I don't really fight much. I can do a few tricks, though."
Tragon frowns in thought. "Tricks? Like magic or juggling?"
Badd tosses five raisins into the air, catching them deftly one by one in his left hand. When he opens his hand, they're all gone.
Tragon smiles. "How good are you with locks?"
Badd shoves another raisin in his mouth. "I've examined a couple in detail."
Tragon laughs. "Great, we've got our procurer, then."
Nason says, "I also have examined a few locks in my time. I have also studied the magical arts."
"Ah, glad to hear that we have one magic-user in our group."
"Good then, let's go," Drandar says, "Perhaps Tragon and/or Nason should go first, and I'll follow them, so that you tall folks have some flexibility in spells and weapons over my head."
"I think Zanax volunteered to be the scout and I'll follow at the back. Nason should probably keep to the middle. Maybe Badd can walk in front with you, Drandar."
Zanax draws his frost brand, turns invisible and scans the area for evil.
"Zanax, I don't sense any evil. Where do you feel it coming from?"
Zanax shakes his head. "It is nothing specific I can detect, yet. It is more of a sense of foreboding...
"Let us be on our way." Zanax heads across the bridge invisibly, wary of the bridge collapsing.
Badd steps forward.
"I'll stay up front with you," he says. "I have a good sense for deadfalls and snares."
And he moves ahead, more slowly than the striding Zanax, scanning for traps.
Tragon nods and lets everyone move ahead of him before bringing up the rear.
Crossbow in hand, Lo follows the rogue over the bridge.
Stump holds his sword hilt as he goes over the bridge.
As you move out onto the bridge your sense of foreboding increases...as does the feeling of vertigo. The bottom of the chasm seems to be a long way below you.
Badd makes it just over half way when he closes his eyes and drops to his hands and knees, gripping the stone of the arch in terror. Stump also moans and does likewise. You hear a whimper from the rear, and turning around, you see that Tragon has been overcome as well.
The rest of you pause, fighting back the bile that wells up in your throats. After a few moments and a few helpful words, the fallen ones recover a bit and begin to crawl slowly forward.
At last you reach the far side of the bridge. Before you is the largest of te three towers: the Tower of Zagyg. To the right is the Tower of War, and to the left is the Tower of Power.
The feelings of dread and fear seem to be even stronger here, close by the Tower of Zagyg.
Then, from the direction of the Tower of War, you hear voices.
Trying to listen, you hear a number of throaty male voices...perhaps dwarven...then a solitary female voice. Though you are too far away to make out the words, it sounds as if there is an argument going on between the males and the female.
Badd shivers and looks back at the bridge.
"I want to go home," he says plaintively. Then even more sorrowfully he shakes his head. "What am I saying? I don't have a home."
He looks up at the others. "Perhaps we should go and talk to those people."
"Courage, everyone! This place seeks to instill fear into you. Have faith and we will prevail."
Tragon moans from the back. "Easy to say. My faith in St. Cuthbert hasn't wavered and I'm still terrified. Almost as if there was some magical spell placed here."
"Let me check it out. I'll contact you when I get there, Drandar."
"Right... We'll stay here."
Tragon looks around, clearly ashamed of his behavior, but not able to do anything about it.
With a shaky voice Stump pipes up, "Maybe they are the reason for our terror. I don't think we should make ourselves known. Please be careful, Zanax."
Zanax heads over toward the voices silently and invisibly.
Nason watches with interest. "I have never heard a Paladin that could/would sneak about invisible. Very interesting."
The monk fades into the shadows and moves closer to hear what he can. His crossbow in hand, he moves and listens carefully.
After perhaps fifteen minutes, Drandar gets a funny look on his face.
The dwarf then turns to the rest of the group, "Zanax has said there are 10 dwarves and one female, none radiating evil that he can detect. Let's move up slowly.
"I'll go in front, followed by, about 5 feet behind and to the left Tragon. Next ranks should be 10 feet back, and I think our ranger friend, Lornard should bring up the rear. Be ready for anything."
You move forward towards the Tower of War. It lies to the northeast of Zagyg's Tower, and is separated from it by another chasm spanned by another stone bridge.
As you come around the periphery of the Tower of Zagyg you have a clearer view of the War Tower. It is some 200' or so in diameter. The first floor appears to be intact, though there is nothing but ruins above it. A small fort of stone has been constructed just to the south-southwest of the Tower, between it and the bridge. The fort appears to be of more recent construction than the Tower.
There is no sign of Zanax or Lo, but the arguing voices are louder here.
Carefully, realising that you are in full view of anyone who cared to look, you move across the bridge. As you move away from the Tower of Zagyg your fears and discomfort ease.
Reaching the far side, you creep forward to the corner of the fort. Drandar feels a hand on his arm and realises that the invisible Zanax is there. You also notice Lo, carefully looking around the corner of the building.
The rest of you take a cautious peek as well.
The fort is some 30' X 55', oriented north-northeast - south-southwest. There are two small wings on the southeast side. Looking at the northwest side, you see a door just over half way along.
On this side of the Tower you see a broad (30' wide) flight of stairs leading up to an entrance foyer before to pair of 20' wide doors. However, your attention is drawn to the scene being played out at the base of the stairs, some 50' away from you.
You see a band of ten dwarves surrounding a small, plump woman in a cloak with the hood pulled up. Their weapons are drawn and pointing at her.
"I'm a nice lady!" the woman is saying in a pleading voice. "I'm a cleric of Corellon Larethian! Anyone need any healing?"
"Corellon??!!" says one dwarf, evidently the leader. "An elven deity? Ugh! I"m a dwarf, confound it! I don't particularly like elves. Pull back that hood, woman! Let's have a look at you!"
Drandar whispers to the others, "Wait here. Let's see how this plays out."
Then, to Zanax, he adds, "Follow me oh invisible one. If you detect anything, like evil, let me know, okay?"
With that, Drandar makes sure that his sword is ready for action and then heads down to the group of dwarves.
Zanax walks invisibly and silently on the right side of Drandar while continuing to scan for evil.
In Dwarven, Drandar calls out, "Hello there. What's all this, then?"
The dwarves jump in surprise, then turn around, weapons at the ready.
Seeing a fellow dwarf, though, they relax a bit.
"A little jumpy I see," he says, "Has there been trouble here?"
"Nothing yet," he replies, sounding wary again.
"That is good," Drandar answers.
The leader says in a gruff voice, "I am Stillguar. And you are..?"
He wears gleaming field plate and carries a shield.
"I am Drandar, the wandering dwarf. Have I come at a bad time?"
"Not at all," Stillguar answers, "Are you here to explore the tower?"
"I was planning on it," the dwarf replies.
"Good. We can talk, then."
Drandar nods. "We can."
"Yes it is a bad time!" interrupts the woman. "Tell these nasty dwarves to stop bothering me and let me go!"
"Shut up, you," growls another dwarf.
"Now, in my clan, women were treated with some respect," Drandar says, "Even those who were rude."
"We haven't done any harm to her. We just don't like people popping out of thin air in our midst, though."
"A mage, perhaps," Drandar says. "They do not understand the clear thinking of a warrior."
"May I ask why you are here?" he says to the woman, "Alone, a cleric of an elven god?"
"I don't know!" she says, "I was with another party and we were about to attack a band of ogres and then the passage of time seemed to get very slow...and suddenly...I was here! It was as if that world suddenly ended!"
She sniffs the air.
"This is Oerth, right?"
"I believe that is the name."
She suddenly pauses.
"Someone just tried to invade my mental privacy! I don't like that!"
Drandar shrugs.
"It was not I," he says. Looking at the other dwarves, "Any of you?"
The dwarves shake their heads as one.
"Don't know what she's talking about," says the leader.
"What is your name, lass?" he asks.
"Kelene," she answers, "And you?"
"Drandar, the wandering dwarf," he replies. "Now, how did you appear in the midst of this group of stout, worthy dwarves, and are there others you know around?"
"Like I said, I don't know how I got here, Drandar! And I don't know what became of my companions."
"And what is it with the cloak, will you share your face with us?"
"Yes, if you can persuade your fellow dwarves to stop encircling me!"
"We won't need much persuading," Stillguar says, and orders his dwarves to step aside.
As soon as the way is clear, Kelene runs over to Drandar, and jumps into his unsuspecting arms. She is heavier than she looks. Kissing him hard on the lips, her hood slides back.
You see a mature looking woman. Definitely an elf, however, her skin is as black as the night. Her hair is silver and spiked, her face covered in heavy, greasy makeup, which fails to disguise her less than beautiful features. Her eyes are red-rimmed and bloodshot.
"Good grief!" says Stillguar, apparently underwhelmed by the sight. "Put your hood back on, drow!"
Drandar, his lips and beard smeared with ruby red lipstick, looks at Kelene.
"Well Kelene, it seems that you are a long way from home," he says, "And above ground, too. What proof might you have that you walk in the light?"
"This!" she replies, pulling out a holy symbol on a fine chain, from where it rested between her pendulous breasts. It depicts a quarter moon. "And you don't know how far from home I have come! Toyoview was my home...and then to Sinnar...and then to Oerth...and then to...I don't know where...and then to Delith...and then to here! I wish I were back with my original adventuring party: Leslie, Laurie, Vardui and all the others! I expect I'll never see them again!"
"Vardui?" repeats Robert, stepping forward. "We know him. Saw him just a few months ago."
"You did?" Kelene says, then plants another kiss another kiss on Drandar's lips. He tastes her tongue. "Do you know where he is? Can I come with you?"
"Done," says Stillguar, growing impatient. "You want to explore the Tower? Fine. We claim taxation rights: either 1/3 of all the gold you find in the dungeon, or...The Great Risk. Agreed?"
"Whoops. Made a wrong turn somewhere," admits Robert, and hurriedly slinks off into oblivion again.
Nason grimaces. "That is the symbol of Corellon Larethian. He is a good elvish god, however, how do we know you, a drow, didn't steal it from a victim? While these paladins didn't detect evil, how can we be sure you are a true worshipper?"
"Got any wounds?" Kelene counters, "I can heal them!"
Nason turns to Stillguar.
"How do you suppose that is fair? Do you own the tower?"
"It's very fair, to us," replies Stillguar. "We do not own the tower. We maintain it."
Now that the rest of their cover is blown since Nason said something, Tragon enters plain view.
"Interesting. Does anyone in the area know of this arrangement, other than you, good dwarf? After all, if we're going to accept all the risk, it hardly seems fair for you to take 1/3 of the share just on your say so."
The dwarves seem to be unsurprised by this latest appearance.
"Suit yourself," says Stillguar with a shrug. He bows and motions to the steps leading up to the door into the tower.
Tragon returns the bow.
Out of the shadows comes Lo the monk, since it seems the time for hiding is past. He looks at the drow elf with wonderment as he has never seen a dark elf before. He smiles as he appreciates her beauty and seemingly good nature.
"Well met, I am Lo," he says as he steps forward.
"And I'm horny," says Kelene, returning his appreciative gaze.
"Well, perhaps you can tell me more about your race in private, as I have never seen a black elf before and I must say you are quite beautiful!" he says with a warm smile and a low nod.
"Well, thank you," Kelene replies, batting her eyes in an attempt to look demure.
Nason says, "Kelene, did you charm him?"
He looks over at Lo with interest.
"Only in the way any woman can charm a man!" she replies with a lewd wink.
Badd takes a long, hard, look at Kelene.
"I've never heard of you," he says, "But I've heard a lot about your kind. None of it good."
"I know," Kelene admits. "My brethren tend to be a nasty lot, as I have learned first hand. That is why I follow the Light, as opposed to the paths of Darkness."
He looks up at Nason. "I thought you people usually killed them on sight?"
"That was my first impulse, but I didn't know if it would cause a melee to erupt and endanger everyone. If she isn't good, I will kill her."
Then he shrugs and begins to wander around, examining Kelene's robe and rubbing its material between his fingers, peering at the dwarves' shoes, and looking closely at other random things around the base of the tower which catch his eye.
Her robe is of wool, of average quality. There is nothing distinguished about it.
"It's a good thing you're not evil," says a second gnome that looks something like the first. "I would have had to kill you. My name is Kairos and in case you didn't get the point, I have sworn to destroy evil on Oerth."
"Hi, Kairos!" Kelene says, blowing him a kiss. "Are you a gnomish paladin or something?"
"What's 'The Great Risk'?" Zanax asks, as he turns back visible.
"It is game of chance," explains Stillguar, "Two hammers are tossed into the air, and the results are determined by the directions in which they land. If the hammers fall pointing in the same direction, you lose all your gold (found in the Tower or otherwise); if they fall in opposite directions you gain the Great Ingot; if they fall head-to-head but at a 90 degree angle then you lose all the gold you found in the Tower; if they fall handle to handle but at a 90 degree angle then you keep all your gold; if they fall in a line then you lose only 1/10 of the gold you find in the Tower. For all other outcomes you lose 1/2 of the gold you find in the Tower."
"Who throws the hammer?"
"Whoever."
"And what's the Great Ingot?" Zanax inquires.
"That is our treasure," the dwarf replies with some emphasis.
"Where does this door go, good dwarf?" asks Tragon.
"Into the Tower," he replies.
Tragon chuckles. "I see. Is it safe inside this tower or is it, too, filled with monsters?"
"It's filled with monsters! Isn't that the whole idea?"
"Ah... I thought you were going to offer us proof that you had the rights to 1/3 share of whatever we found. My mistake."
Lornard steps forward next to Tragon.
"Indeed," he says to Stillguar, "Pardon me if I interject. On whose authority do you maintain these grounds? On what basis do you demand anything of those who would venture into the risks inside?"
"We keep the monsters inside, so they cannot terrorize the country," replies the head dwarf. "If you don't like it, then there are two other towers you can go explore."
"If you maintain the tower, what can you tell us about it? What monsters, traps and treasures lie within?"
Stillguar shudders.
"We maintain the grounds and the entrance. Nothing more."
Badd wanders over to the steps, reaching over into his backpack as he does so.
"Would you like a raisin?" he asks, proferring a handful to the dwarf. "You can have one each if you like. Kelene can have two unless she's evil."
He looks up at the dark elf. "You sure you're not evil? How did you come to follow Corellon Latherian?"
Kelene hesitates for a moment, then draws a breath and tells you her story.
Born Snowytime 26, -165. Kelene has lived a long life, most of that under Toyoview, a world threatened by creatures from the elemental planes. The drow as a rule have no problem with such creatures, but Kelene was no ordinary drow. She tended towards good instead of evil, and as the centuries of her life went by, she became more and more uncomfortable with the activities of her brethren. The final straw came when her only child, her daughter, was sacrificed to Lolth. This is considered a great honour for the family of the victim, but Kelene did not see it as such. She saw it as an unspeakable evil, and, blind with grief, fled the caverns that the drow called home.
Kelene wandered alone through the dark passages of Toyoview's underworld for years. Then, one night, she found an exit to the surface world and beheld Toyoview's moon for the first time. A change came over her, and she prayed to Corellon Larethian, patron of the surface elves, for guidance. He / she heard her plea and answered it, and soon after that she became a cleric in his service.
Soon after coming to the surface Kelene fell in with a group of adventurers, and eventually accompanied back to their homeworld of Sinnar, and then on to other worlds.
"And that is me," she concludes with a slight sniff.
She kisses Drandar again and that seems to make her feel better.
Badd grins and bounds over to Kelene.
"OK, you can have two." he says, holding out his hand. "But if you turn out to be evil, I'm taking them back by force."
"Deal!" says Kelene, taking the raisins.
He pops one into his mouth, then distributes them to the dwarves. After that, he checks the stairway into the tower for traps.
The monk smiles at the proceedings.
"Well, lady Kelene, it seems I have much to learn about your race," he says with a smile. He approaches her. "Perhaps we can walk together and you can tell me more about yourself."
"Better yet, I can show you tonight," Kelene replies, crossing and uncrossing her legs.
Badd, meanwhile, inspects the steps, and sees no signs of any traps.
"Fine with me," Lo says with a smile as he extends his arm for Kelene to take. "I am recently of this place as well. I am from Earth, then found myself with this group, was killed, regained my memory, and now here on Oerth," he says with a smile. "Tell me what your life has been about?"
Badd mimes sticking finger down his throat and vomiting.
"Badd, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and let me tell you, beholders are really ugly."
"Are we going in here then, or one of the other towers?" he asks.
"Yes," Drandar replies.
Zanax sighs and checks the tower for evil.
"I'm still not convinced we owe these dwarves a single gold piece...even if they take care of the grounds and tower..."
"Good dwarf," Drandar says, "Are there guardians at the other towers protecting the grounds as you do? Your demands are excessive and I do not think we have a deal. For a 10 percent stake of what we find, I would expect some assistance, in the form of food and ale," Drandar says, "But over that, and I would expect you to come with us to earn your keep."
The dwarves show no sign of taking Drandar's hint.
"Nothing guards Zagyg's Tower," replies Stillguar.
"No one would dare," mutters another dwarf.
"Bunch of stupid elves in the Tower of Power," adds Stillguar.
"I'll tell you about myself later, Lo!" says Kelene, jumping down out of Drandar's sagging arms and taking the monk's hand. "Right now, let's go exploring...the Tower that is!"
She leads Lo around the dwarves, up the steps, past Badd, and over to the double doors that lead into the Tower. The dwarves mutter to themselves, then go back to their lawn chairs and coolers full of beer and seat themselves as they apparently were before Kelene appeared.
"Get on with it, then," says Stillguar.
Kelene tries to open the doors but they do not budge.
"Hey, I need some big muscular men over here to help me!" she calls, "Not you, Lo!" she adds with a giggle. "You save your strength for tonight!"
The monk smiles widely and places his right hand on her left arm, facing her. "Let us wait for the leader of my group to finish the negotiations before charging in."
"Do you know what's inside?" he inquires.
Kelene rolls her eyes.
"Have you heard anything I've said up to this point?" she asks.
"Err, yes, that I should keep my strength ready for tonight!" he says with a smile.
Drandar looks around and speaks to himself, "For the glory," he says, frowning at Lo. "What would those friends of yours at the NDYP think?"
"First, its NYPD and second, they wouldn't believe this shit!" he grins.
Badd sniggers, and says something in gnomish.
Kelene replies in the same tongue, and a brief conversation ensues.
Drandar looks at the cooler. "I sure hope you got more than that for 10%."
"Let's go."
Tragon looks at Drandar.
"Does this mean they agreed to your proposal of a 10% cut in exchange for food and beverages? Or do they still think we're giving them 1/3 of the treasure? It would seem unwise to enter this tower until that is agreed upon to avoid complications later on down the line."
"I agree with Tragon in that we should explore the Tower of Zagyg instead. I think what we seek lies within there."
Drandar nods. "As I see it, we're all set, Stillguar is going to get 10%, and we get food and drink."
"And I can drink a lot."
"Bullshit," says Stillguar. "You go into that tower, then. We can discuss this further if you come out."
"I expect that will involve a full and frank exchange" says Badd. "I'll be sure to save a few choice raisins for the occasion."
"Whatever, I made a fair offer. Let's go see what the elves will offer us," Drandar says.
You turn and leave the dwarves to their beer and the Tower of War, Kelene and Lo bringing up the rear.
As you cross back over the bridge and approach the Tower of Zagyg your feelings of fear and discomfort grow. However, you manage to keep control of your bowels and as you move away from the central tower and over towards the Tower of Power your unease eases.
You cross the stone bridge which links the bluff upon which rests the last Tower to that of Zagyg's, and face the Tower of Power.
The base of the ruined tower is close to 200' in diameter. Two four-sided pyramids lie to the south and south-southwest of the Tower, respectively. In the side of the Tower, a large double door faces east-southeast; you see a second, smaller entrance in a wing off of the north-northeast side.
You approach the main doors to the Tower.
Built over the doors is a two level wooden platform. A pair of elves man each of two ballistae, and you see nine other elven archers up there on the parapet as well.
They watch you approach, weapons ready but not aimed directly at you.
"Good morning," says one elf, evidently the Captain, "Here to explore the Tower?"
The monk stands close to Kelene, in case the other elves start any trouble.
Kelene, seeing the elves, has pulled her hood back over her head.
"Morning, yes, good has yet to be determined," Drandar replies. "We were considering it, but wonder what fee you claim the right to, as the dwarves over yonder claim."
The elf tends to ignore the dwarf.
Drandar mutters, "Typical elven snobbery."
"Yes!" says Badd emphatically to the elf captain. "What's inside?"
"Much riches and treasure," replies the elf, "Go to the side door."
He motions you to the wing off to the north-northeast.
"Riches and Treasure?" Badd mulls that over for a moment, then gives a tiny, almost imperceptible shake of his head. "Hmm, what's through the front door?"
"These doors cannot be opened," replies the captain. "They are sealed by magic...so you have to use the side door."
"So, uh..." Badd scratches his head, then walks up to the captain and holds out his tiny hand. "Have a raisin. I'm Baddenkohrlmspf Herr'Dei, pleased to meet you."
The elf is atop the battlement and so unable to take the proffered raisin. He smiles, though.
Badd picks out a fat juicy raisin for himself, and chomps on it awhile, while he takes in the archers and the artillery. "Quite a welcoming committee you have out for us this morning. Can you do one of those elven archer salutes where everyone shoots their arrow to hit the same mark one after the other? I saw one at the accession of an elf-lord, oh, must be about seventeen years ago now, and I must say it was most impressive."
"We only do that on special occasions," replies another elf.
He looks around. "Oh, I'm sorry... maybe you're waiting for someone else?"
"No...just being careful."
Lornard raises his eyebrows. "If you don't mind my asking, good sir, what is your interest in the place, and why are you guarding it?"
"We keep the monsters in and the riff-raff out," the elf replies.
Lornard nods sagely. "Since you have invited us in, I thank you for your judgement of us as other than riff-raff. If you don't mind the question: are there any 'strings' attached to our entering this dungeon? Do you or will you demand any tribute? We think it best to know before we proceed."
"There are fees associated with exploring the dungeon," replies the captain. "Go to the side door."
You take the hint and go over to the side door.
The wing jutting off of the north-northwest side of the Tower is made of finely crafted wood, obviously elven workmanship. A double door faces east-southeast. Overlooking it is a 15' high tower with parapets and another ballista. A catwalk connects it to the fortress. Five elves watch you approach from atop the tower.
As you reach the fortress the double doors open and four elf-warriors step out. They wear chain mail and carry longswords, as well as bows and arrows.
"Here to explore?" says one of them, "Welcome! To enter the Tower you must first agree to give up one third of all magical items you find...or agree to play the 'game'. The 'game', by the way, consists of throwing a pair of crystalline dice, with the results determining the outcome:
2 - lose all magic found
3 - lose all but one magical item found
4-8 - lose 1/2
9 - lose 1/4
10 - lose one item
11 - keep all or trade of our 'bonus'
12 - keep all and get our 'bonus'
"The 'bonus', by the way, is a staff of power.
"What do you want to do?" he asks.
"I like chance, I say give the dice a roll," Lo advises. Turning to the elves, he asks, "Do we roll before or after and is it each individual or a designated roller for the group?"
However, Lornard heaves a heavy sigh. To his companions, he says, "Let me state for the record that I am opposed to the game of chance."
To the elf, the ranger turns and says, "Your conditions are dear. While we recognize the service you have done in guarding the tower, the true risk will be taken by those who enter the dungeons and explore themselves. Unless you come with us, we must insist that you take away
a tax of less than 1/3 the magic found."
"Have a nice day," the elf says, and slams the door in the ranger's face.
"Let's go to the other tower," Drandar says, "I ain't going to pay no elf nothing for me risking my neck and them getting the rewards. If anything, I'd rather pay the gold to the dwarves, as gold is easier to get while magic items are, in the long run move valuable."
Lornard shrugs and looks at the others. "I guess Drandar is right. To the third tower we go."
"Well, we should go and look at it" says Badd, with a slight shudder, "although there's definitely something not right there."
You set out back to the Tower of Zagyg.
Tragon shakes his head in disgust. "By what right do these elves and dwarves demand a cut when they risk nothing?"
Stump nods to Tragon, "Those elves and dwarves would make great politicians someday."
Tragon snorts in amusement. "Very true."
Lornard shrugs. "They are bullies, who believe that they've got a hold on something others need. It is very typical behavior. Although I would be loath to kill them, somebody should teach them a lesson they'll remember. However, I do not have confidence that our group could do so without undue risk to ourselves."
After a moment, Lornard adds, "And, we should give them the benefit of the doubt. They may well indeed be performing a service by standing guard and keeping some monsters from ravaging the countryside. That they leave one tower unguarded belies this, but we should still consider the possibility that these elves and dwarves may be due some small reward."
Tragon shakes his head. "But, one third? And both groups' games of chance are heavily stacked in their favor."
"Yes," Lornard says, "You are right, they ask far too much. Hopefully their wiser selves will see that they reach too far. I merely wish to caution us to remember that we don't really know that these folk are owed nothing."
Tragon smiles. "You are, of course, correct. That's why I asked the dwarves for proof that they had the right to collect such a tithe. And, Stillgaur provided no such proof other than to show me the door to the tower. Did you also notice the elves seemed to be more prepared to prevent entry to the tower than egress from it? And the dwarves, while they seemed prepared to take Kelene apart, also had very little in the way of preparations to prevent things from leaving the tower. If both groups really deserve some tithe, I would've expected barricades and the like facing towards the towers they were guarding."
Stump inquires, "I don't recall, but did either group say that we had to play the game before or after we explored the dungeon? If we can play it before, then if we get a favourable result, we can then explore. If we get an unfavourable result, then let's just walk away."
"Good point. We never asked and there's no harm in doing so."
Lornard cautions, "There may be harm in playing their game; it will add a sense that we consider what they are doing is legitimate. If we wish to maintain that it is not, we should not concede to their rules, even if we plan to ignore them following an unfavorable result."
"That, too, is a good point. I do not wish to convey to either group that I approve of their extortion. But, I am just one member of this group."
Kairos pipes up. "In order to kill evil, we are going to need the help of magic. I notice we don't have any healers other than the paladins - "
"Hey, how about me?" interrupts Kelene.
"So I think we should enter the Elves' tower. And what difference if they ask a tithe? Something is better than nothing. The orcs that invaded my village took without mercy or justice. The elves and the dwarves have a prior claim on the entrance to the towers, so we either take it by force - like orcs. Or we agree to abide by their rules."
With that, Kairos heads back to the tower guarded by the elves.
"Kairos" says Badd, shaking his head "we're not like the orcs. We're not intending to kill these elves or dwarves, or even fight with them unless they start something. But just because they were here first, doesn't mean they get to decide the terms."
He smiles. "I think we might cheat, though. I wonder, if they allow us to roll in advance, whether they'd allow us to roll individually..."
Zanax shakes his head and heads toward the Tower of Zagyg. He checks for evil and looks for the doorway.
Watching various members of the team head towards different towers, Lornard speaks in a clam and level tone, but with an undercurrent of frustration. "It is clear that the worst decision we can make is to each go our own way and divide our forces. Let us decide and agree as a group which direction we will go. So as to avoid the extortion of the guarding groups, I am in favor of heading for the Tower of Zagyg. It sounds like Zanax and Tragon are in agreement with me. Badd wants to head to the tower guarded by the elves. Does anybody else agree with Badd? Whatever we do, let us do it together."
"Actually, Kairos said that, Lornard. I think Badd agrees with you, Zanax and me."
Lornard turns to Badd. "I apologize for misrepresenting you. Having just met everybody except for Tragon, I am still trying to remember exactly who is who."
"Dwarf, Drandar the dwarf," the armoured tank says, "double oh-zero."
"While that was stirring," Loranard says in a deadpan tone, "I'm now shakin'."
"Y'know I'm Badd, I'm Badd, C'mon, y'know" sings Badd in a high-pitched voice, moonwalking backwards and grabbing his groin with an "ooh" sound.
"That should help you remember," he says.
Tragon grimaces at the sight. "Oh, yeah, we'll remember that." He shudders. "In our nightmares."
"Not me," says Kelene, eyeing the gnome thoughtfully.
"Just what we need, an undersexed cleric," Drandar replies. "Are you, by any chance British?"
"I'm anything but undersexed!" huffs Kelene, "Wanna try me?"
"Relax, Drandar, I believe she is selective about whom she wants to be with," Lo says with a smile to Kelene.
"It does not look that way to me," he says with a frown.
"If telling yourself that gets through the day, Lo, go ahead and keep believing."
"I am not saying I am the one, or even one, but to say that she is undersexed is incorrect," he counters. "Unless the dwarf was being sarcastic, if so, it failed to come across that way!"
Drandar replies to the gnome, "Badd, you must possess the white glove of power to sing that song, for you tempt the gods of the music industry, and they are very, very fickle. Billy Jean may not be your lover, but you better beat it before the Thriller comes."
"Yeah, she's just a girl that claims...well, never mind. I don't wanna be starting something."
"Gossip is a bad thing," Drandar says, "Loose lips sink ships and all that."
"Kairos," Drandar says calmly. "The fact that the elves wish Magic, and the dwarves Gold does not indicate what we will find below in these towers. It is more what each race favors. Dwarves favor gold, as we can work it and create with it. In general, we have little use for magic, and often it does not work in our hands anyway. Elves, on the other hand, favor the delicate delight in working with magic and all that it entails. As for the fighting either group, that was never in the cards, we are just choosing to try another path before we negotiate further on what is an appropriate toll to pay the guardians of the towers."
"Let us go to the the third tower, as yet unguarded, and see what we can find there."
You approach the central tower, Kairos hesitating at the rear.
Even from a distance it is clear that the castle is now nothing but ruins. The menacing, thick stone walls have been worn down by the wind and the elements, or perhaps by magical forces unleashed by its creator. No one knows - it has been so long ago that even elder elves cannot recall precisely how the castle came to such an unceremonious end.
Through the open, smashed doors you can see even more of the destruction. The once mighty pillars of a magnificent courtyard lie crumbled and broken, strewn about the stone walkways where weeds and brush have grown up through ancient cracks. The overwhelming feeling of dread and foreboding that first touched your insides on the stone bridge intensifies here, threatening to choke off your very breath and life if you do not turn back. The shadows here are long and deep, the hiding places many, and the mystical aura wrestles with your consciousness, warning you that these stones should remain undisturbed.
But your footsteps are not the first to fall upon these paths, as the trails you follow testify. Nor are yours the first bones to pass through the gates, as other bones, aged, white hideous bones litter the boulders and walkways.
You hear whimpers from within your own party, as Badd and Nason drop to their knees, overcome by the feelings of dread which flow over you all.
At this moment the air erupts with a series of blood curdling cries and whoops, as suddenly a half a dozen ogres who had been hiding in the dark shadows, jump out and charge at you!
The tithe they demand from you is your blood, and they will play no games.
Tragon draws his longsword and roars a challenge back at the ogres. "To me, my companions, to me!"
He meets the charge of one of the ogres, shield raised to accept the hit of its weapon.
Drandar, sword in hand, charges to meet them. "Zanax, Lornard, with me. Tragon, Lo, watch our backs."
As he meets the ogres he cries, "Thor!"
Zanax grins and turns invisible. He attacks with his frost brand.
"No, Freeze!" yells Badd, trying to force himself up off his knees.
Nason tries to move to the side of the battle.
Ogres move towards Badd and Nason, intent on a couple of easy kills.
Lo moves in to defend the two helpless companions.
The monk waits for an ogre to get into range and then explodes into action.
Lornard also draws his sword and moves to engage the ogres heading towards the two paralyzed companions.
Kairos attacks, hammer at the ready.
Drandar, realizing that there are two down, calls out, "Lo, Kairos, Stump and Tragon, protect the others."
Tragon laughs as he's engaging an ogre. "That's what I'm trying to do, sir Dwarf!"
"Indeed," says Lornard who is moving to assist Tragon in defending those who are down.
The battle is joined.
The paladin Tragon pairs off with the largest ogre and draws first blood and a loud howl from the monster. The ogre swings and bounces his club off of Tragon's gleaming breast plate.
Close by, Drandar also skewers an ogre with his glowing longsword. The ogre's return swing is high. The dwarf's next swing also connects with a glancing blow.
Zanax reappears and attacks a third ogre, taking him off guard. The monster recovers, though, and conks Zanax over the head for 5 hit points. Zanax shakes his head then skewers the ogre a second time, raising a great shower blood as he does so.
Kairos attacks, and misses badly, dropping his hammer in the process. As he lunges to retrieve it the ogre nails him for 9 hit points. Beside him, Stump attacks, but misses with his longsword.
An ogre heads after Badd but Lo blocks his way.
"Waaaaah," he cries as he passes one hand over the other and then snaps them into fists. He slams a fist at the ogre, who blocks it with a large palm. One handed, the monster then brings his club down on Lo, for 4 hit points.
The last ogre reaches Nason with and conks him for 2 hit points, as Lornard attacks. The ranger, however, does little more than snags his longsword in the filthy, flea ridden hide that he wears.
More howls and war-whoops herald the arrival of six more ogres, all spoiling for a fight!
You start to wonder if this tower might be a little bit beyond your capabilities at this point...if this is the sort of battle you can expect...given the fact that you have not even entered the dungeon as yet.
"Ouch," he mutters as Lo gets scratched by the ogre's club. He kicks out with his left foot and then when he pivots, he draws his knife of sharpness, slicing at the ogre's leg. "We could use some air support here!"
"All our big guns went back to the castle? Either we make a quick retreat or we battle to the last ogre."
"I say fight," Lo grins as he attacks again.
"We'll do our best. Remember, quite a few of us can be taken out of the fight with just one hit. So, don't get hit!"
"I am well aware!" Lo replies as he dodges and avoids the ogre strikes as best as he can.
"Great advice" mutters the terrified Badd to himself in gnomish. "Wonderful advice. Wonderful..."
Tragon swings at his ogre again.
Zanax finishes off his ogre, then turns invisible before facing another one.
Zanax lights up a few of the ogres with Faerie Fire just before attacking, becoming visible in the process.
Drandar continues his attack, but then the fear which seems to radiate from the very rocks of the place overcomes him, and he drops to his knees with a moan.
Kairos also drops to the ground with a whimper, followed by Stump.
A new ogre swings at Stump, but, terrified though he his, he still manages to avoid the incoming club.
Kairos is not so lucky, though, as his ogre smashes him in the head, fracturing his skull. Blood pours out.
Drandar is also clobbered by an ogre for 9 hit points. A second ogre misses him.
Badd gets hit for 3 hit points. Lo, who is trying to defend the gnome, kicks the attacker between the legs.
The ogre drops, clutching his treasures and howling loudly.
Closing in with his knife, Lo slashes the throat of the ogre open, and he has his first kill.
All is not won, though, as another ogre hits the monk from behind for 3 hit points.
The ogre attacking Nason ignores that pesky ranger and concentrates on the more helpless elf. Nason is nailed for 10 hit points and falls.
Kelene rushes over to help Kairos.
Tragon attacks as he avoids a swinging club, but misses badly with his blade. A second ogre moves up behind him but misses as well. Tragon's second attack also misses.
Zanax polishes off the ogre attacking him, then lights up the ogre on Tragon and another which is swinging at him.
Lornard grimly attacks the ogre which just felled Nason, missing on the first attack but connecting with the second.
Just as things seem to be getting interesting, you spot a cloaked, dark figure stepping out of the shadows. It jumps at the last ogre, taking him from behind with a flaming blade, and cutting the unsuspecting fellow down with a single sweeping swing.
Three ogres are down. Nason and Kairos are also down for the count, while Badd, Drandar and Stump can do little more than maintain a feeble, half-hearted defense. All the while, the horrible feelings of dread and fear gnaw away at you, threatening to overcome you and drawing your focus away from the fight.
"Let's get Nason and Kairos out of here and recuperate before anything else comes along," Stump whimpers.
He barely avoids an ogre's club.
"Who the hell are you?" Lo asks, as he watches the cloaked figure take his kill. "By the way, thanks!"
The cloaked figure clanks quickly towards another ogre, the second one on Stump. Clearly he is wearing heavy armour under that cloak. The ogre hears him coming and turns about, just in time to take a flame tongue in the thigh. He swings his club and smashes the figure in the shield arm, numbing him for 8 hit points.
The blow from the second ogre apparently addled the head atop Lo's shoulders, so the one between his legs now takes control.
"Kelene, my dear, I could use your warm touch on my body!" he says as he approaches her, hoping she will heal him.
"Go 'way!" says Kelene, as she tends to Kairos, "I'm trying to save this guy's life! Corellon, heal him!" she says, as she places her hands inside his thighs, even though he has a head wound. Miraculously, the wound closes.
Tragon continues to battle the ogre on him. "Can't that wait until the rest of the ogres are done?"
"Yeah!" says the ogre who is attacking Lo, mashing him over the head again for 3 hit points.
"Certainly!" Lo says as he leaps in, slicing at the ogre.
Kelene jumps up and rushes over to Nason.
Tragon dodges an attack as he in turn misses. The second ogre attacking him also swings wide.
Lornard and his ogre trade misses.
"Back," the dwarf calls hoarsely, "Grab the wounded and over the bridge."
"Ha!" says an ogre, crowning him for 3 hit points.
"Me too!" says a second ogre, also conking him, for 10 hit points.
Zanax sighs and covers the others as they make their retreat. Another ogre attacking the paladin misses.
Zanax then follows them invisibly.
You begin a slow retreat, trying to help the wounded and the dreadfully overcome. The ogres, however, do not get the message and continue to attack. Two ogres are battling Tragon, two more are beating up Drandar, while Stump, Lornard, Lo and Zanax each have one ogre apiece to deal with. The cloaked figure continues to battle an ogre as well.
Lornard does a fighting retreat, battling the ogre and fully defending himself while slowly moving backwards.
He calls to the others, "Continue our retreat; they may leave off once we pull back far enough!"
He dodges a club as he covers the retreat of the others.
Tragon continues to attack the more wounded of his two ogres, hoping to even the fight a bit. "Too bad we didn't make friends with the elves and dwarves. We could use their help just about now."
The wounded ogre misses the paladin. Tragon drives his blade home, though, opening a massive wound which sends the monster reeling. From behind, the second ogre creams Tragon for 4 hit points. The paladin, undistracted, then finishes off the ogre in front of him.
Zanax tries to keep within 10' of as many allies as possible during the retreat.
"Tragon! Try and keep within 10' of another party member!"
Tragon laughs. "I'll try, but it would be easier if they tried to keep within 10' of me!"
Zanax twice misses his ogre, who makes an ugly face at him.
"Holy shit, these guys just don't know when to leave well enough alone," Stump remarks, as the ogre attacking him kabongs him over the head for 9 hit points.
"Let's bring the smack down on them!" Lo says with a savage grin as he slices at the ogre he is fighting with his enchanted knife, stirring up a nice breeze but little else. The ogre then plows him for 10 hit points.
Drandar, trying to crawl away and defend himself at the same time, while still overcome with fear and dread, is hit for a total of 11 hit points by the two ogres who are gleefully beating up on him.
The robed figure, who is staying back near the gate, kills another ogre.
By this time you are back by the bridge. Kelene has stabilised both Kairos and Nason, and is struggling to get their prone bodies across. Badd is helping her as best he can.
Suddenly Lornard and Lo both drop to their knees, finally being overcome by the magical dread which pervades this place. The ogres laugh and press their attacks.
Lornard is hit for 8 hit points, the impact of the club sending him staggering back onto the stone bridge.
Tragon faces the last ogre on him. His blade flashes but misses, but the ogre fares no better.
Nearby, the ogre battling Zanax swings wildly and mashes his own toe. He howls and hops around on one foot. The paladin seizes the opportunity, and with two quick stabs cuts him down.
Stump is hit for another 6 hit points as he crawls out onto the bridge.
Lo, reduced to a quivering, crawling lump, is clobbered for 4 hit points.
Drandar, surprisingly enough, is missed by both ogres.
The cloaked figure retreats into a shadow and is not seen again.
By now you are well out onto the bridge. The ogres pursue you no further, instead electing to hurl rocks and throw insults at you instead.
Lo Wang is called a scaredy cat.
Stump is hit over the head by a rock for 7 hit points.
Zanax is referred to by a laughing ogre as a knucklehead.
"Wimp!" shouts an ogre at Lornard, who winces at this abuse.
A rock strikes Nason for 3 hit points. Kelene pauses to patch him up again.
"Come back here!" shouts an ogre at Badd, "I want to make a souffle out of you!"
At last you reach the comparative safety of the far side of the ravine, by the falcon statue. Kairos and Nason start to come around.
Kairos and Nason regain consciousness to discover that they are still alive. Kairos is at -3 hit points and Nason is at -9.
The party is back across the ravine at the end of the bridge, close by the falcon statue.
At the other end of the bridge, near the entrance to the Tower of Zagyg, stand six ogres, laughing and hurling insults at you. A number of other ogres lie dead around them.
Everyone in the party but Kelene is hurt to a greater or lesser extent.
Nason rubs his head and says, "That was a bad idea. I need to rest for about a week."
"It wasn't such a good plan," agrees Badd, rubbing his left arm, which is now just one huge bruise. He winces. "I'm sure we'd all appreciate some of Kelene's attention, but perhaps we should all go back to the keep and rest up?"
"Sons of bitches, that hurt!" Lo says with a frown as he sheathes his knife. Blood runs freely from multiple cuts and bruises over and in his body.
Zanax heals Nason with his lay on hands ability and casts Cure Light Wounds on Kairos for 2 hit points.
"Thank you, Zanax."
"Do we have any mages in this party?" he asks.
Nason says, "I am a mage, but I am also just out of my apprenticeship with very little experience."
"Um..." says Badd "I've cast a few small spells in my time. But I don't think I'll be able to cast them when I'm over that side of the bridge."
Tragon also lays hands on the worst of the wounded.
Kairos is healed for 2 more hit points.
"Folks, save your ammunition. It's not worth the effort. I say we get the wounded stabilized and head back to Greyhawk Castle. We should be able to get healed up there by our employers. At least one of them was a cleric."
"Perhaps we can bring some of them back to help us get rid of the ogres."
Lornard says, "Perhaps. But as much as I hate to admit it, I am sometimes guided by pride. We just had our pride wounded by those ogres; running back to our employers and asking them to come take care of them for us - I would rather we didn't do that. Let us seek healing and shelter from our employers, yes, that is appropriate. But as for the ogres, we shall come back and deal with them another time ourselves, when we are more prepared.
"Besides," Lornard adds grimly, "we will require some of our pride left to squander as we go and deal with either the extorting dwarves, or the extorting elves."
"Magic, bad magic. How do we combat the dread magic that caused us to falter?" Drandar says. "Ogres are usually no match for a dwarf, but when overcome, there is little to protect."
"Hey, Kelene, you got anything for that?" asks Badd.
"I am just a priestess," she replies, straightening up, "Though if I could get trained I could be a Perfect!"
"A perfect what? Ten?" asks Badd. "What I meant was, do you have anything which helps combat fear?"
"Yes to both!" she replies, "I can cast a remove fear...but one spell is only good for one person."
Tragon laughs and claps Lornard on the back. "We did very well against the ogres considering the experience of our group. Most of us are just starting out. Zanax, Drandar, Lo, and Kelene seem more capable, but even they can't deal with a dozen ogres by themselves. Plus, the pervasive hopelessness that radiates from that tower affected all of us while fighting. Had that not been a factor, I'm sure we would've prevailed.
"I've no problem with asking for help when I'm outmatched. If you'd rather, we could bring a few of our employers as backup. They can watch and only help when we're in real trouble. After all, if it hadn't been for that cloaked being, we'd likely all be dead. And I'm not at all ashamed to admit that."
"The worry I have," Lornard says, "is what will be lurking in the tower underneath. If the demands that the guardians place upon those who would enter is any indication, the tower guarded by the ogres may well be the most dangerous of all. Perhaps also the one with the greatest treasure. But if we are to do the job our employers asked, we may need to start somewhere more tractable - even if we do manage to get through the ogres."
Tragon nods thoughtfully. "Very true. I don't like the deals the elves and dwarves have offered us, though. If they were orcs trying to pull the same stunt, we'd just kill them. And neither group has ever answered the question, by what right do they collect these fees? Maybe we need our employers to come and deal with them, instead of the ogres. I doubt the dwarves or elves would try to shake them down like they've done with us."
Lornard nods. "That would be satisfying, if the elves and dwarves were not killed, but went scampering off with their tails between their legs. It is always good for a bully to learn that there are bigger fish out there.
"Of course," Lornard continues, "it would be more satisfying if we were to teach them that lesson ourselves. I suspect we are not at the moment equipped to do so. We do not know how competent these elves and dwarves are, but we must assume that it is more than we could easily and readily handle."
Badd helps Kairos bind his wounds for the journey back. "I didn't promise your mother I'd look after you," he says sadly, "but you know she would have made me if she'd known where we'd be going. If you need to smite evil, perhaps you could start with kobolds and work your way up from there?"
He glances over to where Tragon and Lornard are standing. "I think we should deal with them on our own. They're only ogres, even if we can't outfight them we should be able to outsmart them."
A thought strikes him.
"Hey, Nason" he says "you're a spellcaster too, right? Think it's a coincidence we were the ones paralysed?"
"Yes, I am. It is an odd coincidence, I must say."
He ponders it and says, "I think this tower is too strong for us. We should go to one of the others. Probably the one guarded by the dwarves. Perhaps we should agree to their wager and give it a try. Is anyone here very lucky? Or is there anyway for us to influence the contest?"
Stump chips in, "If we could get ahold of an Augury spell, perhaps that would improve our odds and tell us which group to approach."
"That would be up to Kelene, then, if she's powerful enough to cast one."
"Or maybe we should just agree to the terms. Sadly, we do not know how powerful they are, but if they are guarding the tower, I doubt any of these groups are weak. At least the elves and dwarves would let us pass. Besides, we could always hide most of our treasure in the towers till we are strong enough to take it out unhindered. We just need more experience...at least, that is what I need."
"If we could make the treasure invisible, we could sneak it out under their very noses," Stump grins.
Tragon frowns. "I'm sorry, but as stupid as it sounds, I couldn't be a party to that type of behavior. If we do make an agreement with the dwarves or elves, then we have to uphold our end. No cheating. It's the paladin in me..."
Nason says, "I am confused. You won't do that, but you guys will go invisible to attack a living creature. We should talk philosophy...very interesting. I would love to understand how things are justified. If you don't mind, of course."
Tragon looks confused. "I've not yet had the pleasure of being invisible, so I can't attempt to justify that action. Zanax is a paladin, true, but of a different god. A lot of these rules you hear about paladins seem to be god dependent. Some Gods are stricter than others. I've already found out some of the boundaries with my god, having stepped over one of them in trying to save our group on our last adventure." He looks over at Lornard. "It was very humiliating to be stripped of my powers. I spent more than a few days praying and trying to atone for my mistake."
"Great," mutters Badd. "If they were orcs doing this, you'd kill them. But since they're elves and dwarves you have sanctimonious scruples about even cheating them."
"It's the good/evil thing again. Orcs are evil, the dwarves and elves aren't. I didn't say that it was rational, but that's the way of things. I'd remove the evil, but I can't be party to deception."
"Guess you're not wiggling out of your armour for Kelene then?"
Tragon looks confused. "Why would I? Has she asked me to and I missed it?"
Badd shakes his head.
"Well, no, at least not beyond giving every male within view her best 'come and get it, big boy' look."
He grins.
"Ah. Well, I seem to be immune to her charms."
"I could ask you right now," she offers.
Tragon shrugs. "There's no real need. Seems like you've got enough interest in you."
"It's just that given she's a drow, and they're FAR more evil than orcs...and apparently," he mimics Tragon "That's just the way it is... I'm surprised you're not thrusting your sword into her right now."
"Well, I checked her for evil and found none. If she was evil, she would be dead, likely by the hands of those dwarves. As far the orc example went, Drandar was right. Too much of a generalization. I'm sure there are orcs out there who aren't evil. I've never met any of them, but if there can be non-evil drow, I'm sure the same can be said for orcs."
"Now that is an over generalization," Drandar replies. "There can be good and evil in all creatures. That is why you are trained to tell the difference. The elves and dwarves have set themselves up as merchants and must be dealt with in that way."
"True, but most orcs are evil and when I'm sure when I said orcs most everyone automatically thought that way. Probably not very fair to those orcs that aren't evil, though."
"What does your god think of gambling?"
"I'm not allowed to gamble for personal gain. Of course, that's only with money. In a lot of ways, our adventuring is one big gamble..."
Badd raises his eyes to heaven. "May the gods save us from religion."
Tragon snorts. "I think you get one with the other."
"Fascinating! You were punished for trying to save your group? What did you do? If you don't mind saying...I can see that it was not a pleasant experience for you, but I am curious."
Tragon sighs. "I used deception. We were looking for a few of our friends who'd gone into the local temple, investigating some rumors, and looking for some healing. Lornard and another of our party were badly wounded. We met with the head priestess of the temple and I discovered she wasn't who she should be. She was pure evil. Trying not to give that knowledge away, we played the game of paying for her healing services, but she turned the tables on us."
"We found ourselves surrounded by eight goblins, with all the doors to the temple closed. She called for us to surrender. I laid down my sword knowing that we were completely surrounded and outmatched, stalling for time and trying to keep the priestess' focus on me, giving my companions time to react. My plan was to draw her closer to me and throw my boot knives at her, preventing her from casting any spells. Lornard, also followed suit, dropping his weapons. Another of our party, cast a sleep spell, catching all the goblins."
"For surrendering, even as a deception, St. Cuthbert stripped my paladinhood. It took quite a bit of praying to regain it. I thought that I was being clever. No one would ever expect a paladin to surrender. And I expected my behavior to make it easier for my companions to take action against the priestess, especially if I managed to bury my two knives into her."
Tragon sighs again, trying to rid his unhappy thoughts. "I'm not going to make that mistake again."
Nason says, "Ah, so really surrendering was the issue or just the ruse itself?"
"Well, we're not supposed to surrender, but since I wasn't planning on it, I always assumed it was the deception. Which is why I don't want to cheat the dwarves or the elves if we do agree to their terms. Of course, I don't think what either of them is doing is right, so I don't even want to enter into an agreement with either of them."
Zanax frowns. "Actually, you might have been punished because you agreed to surrender, but broke your word by not surrendering?"
"Isn't that the same thing as deception?"
Zanax shakes his head. "Not quite. There are ways to deceive without having to break your word."
Tragon shrugs. "I never said I was surrendering, I just put my sword down. So, I never broke my word, although my actions led her to believe I was surrendering. Which is why I said I deceived her. Of course, as I tried to explain to St. Cuthbert, my actions led her to believe something that wasn't true. I didn't tell her that I was surrendering and reneging. That may be why I'm still a paladin. It's hard to truly know since I'm not powerful enough to actually get answers back from him. I know he watches over me and hears my prayers, but we don't get to carry on conversations with each other."
"I have a friend, who has a cat, who plays poker with the gods, and wins," Drandar says, "And I once met one. Didn't impress me too much, more of an awe thing. That and it was the strong drink," he adds. "However, I'll stick to Thor, who has yet to ask me to do anything. Have you heard of Thor?"
Tragon shakes his head. "No, I've never heard of Thor. The god you met, was it Thor? It might be different if you met the god you worship."
"No, I have not met Thor," Drandar replies, "But you have never heard of Thor? Son of Odin? He needs to get a better press agent, then."
"How does your god feel about retreat? Is surrendering yourself and surrendering the field two different things?"
"I would think so, since the retreat across the bridge hasn't cost me my paladinhood."
He pauses and says, "Sounds like we are in a catch-22. The ogres are too tough and you don't want to enter into a deal with the dwarves or elves. Or trick them either. What do you suggest?"
"There is another option," says Badd. "Seems we need to do a bit more adventuring before we come back and tackle those ogres. Didn't we get an offer from the Lord back at the keep to go and delve in his dungeons?"
"Ah, that would work. Sounds like it may be our only answer. Then we can come back and beat up the ogres or dwarves or elves."
Badd grins smugly but lopsidedly. "I'm not just a pretty face."
Nason chuckles. "Clearly!"
"I've noticed that," Tragon quips with a smile of his own.
"I suggest we bring back our employers and let them talk to the dwarves and elves. I would imagine that the dwarves wouldn't likely try that tithing approach on people like Occa, Robert or Gilstrock."
Nason says, "I have no issue with that route either, although we are sort of cheating on entry. Do you think they will do it?"
"I've no idea if they'll do it, but they did ask us to go retrieve that sword for them, so it might be in their best interest. We aren't cheating on entry. We're being bullied by the dwarves and the elves because we don't have the might to negotiate a better deal. So, we bring back people who can negotiate a better deal. Who will be treated as equals. Honestly, if Gilstrock decided to come out of that tower with a pack full of treasure, would you try to demand that you get a third of it?"
"We could try it, but didn't someone else say that they didn't want to go that route?"
"Actually, Lornard objected to asking them to help us with the ogres."
"There's something you're not considering" says Badd. "Occa isn't going to come out of that tower, because he's got better things to do than go in. So even if he comes down here and browbeats the dwarves into a deal, he's not going to be around to enforce it when the time comes. It also gives the dwarves maximum incentive to mess us up any way they can, leaving the treasure to be got by the next bunch of idiots they can intimidate."
He shrugs. "If we're going to involve our employers, we should get them to show up at the point where we're coming out of the tower, not when we go in. And if we're going to do that, there's no point in warning the dwarves in advance - after all, they were happy to let us in without agreeing to their terms, assuming they can negotiate with us when we're tired and battle-scarred. That's something we can fairly take advantage of."
"You are correct, Badd, I hadn't considered any of that. I keep falling into that trap of believing that the elves or dwarves would uphold any bargain that was made before we entered. If they are willing to take from others what they've not earned, then why should I believe they would uphold any bargain?"
"We should talk to our employers about this situation and do as you suggest. There must be some magical means of communicating with them when we're ready to leave so that they can negotiate then. But, I do want the dwarves or elves to know that we don't agree to their terms when we enter. That we'll negotiate them when it comes time to leave the tower."
"Very well thought out, Badd."
"Yeah, well if you're a big paladin with a sword, maybe you can afford to warn people before you screw them. If you're a gnome, you make sure they never find out."
Tragon grins. "It's part of that code, don't you know."
He shrugs. "In any case, sounds like we're agreed we need to get back to the castle, recover from..." he waves aimlessly in the direction of the bridge "that, talk to our employers, and maybe take a look in their dungeons. Shall we get moving?"
"Sounds like a good idea. Does anyone need help walking?"
Nason says, "I can walk. Just don't go too fast."
You set off, walking, limping and hobbling back to Castle Greyhawk. You have not gone too far before both Nason and Kairos need help.
It is mid afternoon before you pass through the gates. The old guard gives you the fishy eye but lets you pass unmolested this time.
Your alleged 'employers' are not to be found in the Herzog's Sanctum when you arrive, but they show up for dinner a few hours later, along with Akitrom and Risotta.
"You poor baby!" the beautiful princess says, clucking over Nason.
Tragon clears his throat. "As you can tell from our appearance, we met up with something we couldn't handle. We tried all three towers. The first one, is guarded by dwarves and they demand 1/3 of all gold recovered from within, or you can play some rigged game where you can lose all of your gold. There seem to be very few chances in their game, where you can lose less than the third they demand. That's where we met Kelene, a drow cleric, who turns out not to be evil.
"So, we tried another tower and found elves who demanded 1/3 of all magical items recovered. Or some other game that was just as rigged as the dwarves. Neither group could explain by what right they could demand just treasure when all the risk was ours, so we went for the middle tower, the one that scared us all nearly to death. And there, we were set upon by a dozen ogres. We fought badly, some of us so frightened that they couldn't move. Some stranger took down two of the ogres enough so that we could retreat back across the bridge."
"We were hoping that you could heal us, Orlon, and that maybe we could figure out a way to 'negotiate' a better deal with the dwarves or elves. We're obviously not tough enough to take on the ogres just yet."
"Do you pay taxes where you come from, Tragon?" asks the Herzog, as he tucks into his salad.
"I did, but with my salary, it was only about 20%, one third is robbery, at least it was for people who made boo koo bucks, not a civil servant like me!" Lo replies.
"No, sir, for I don't own any land. I do tithe ten percent of my earnings to the temple of St. Cuthbert, though. What is your point, Lord Herzog? Do the dwarves and elves pay taxes to someone and that is why they insist on their cut?"
"Their entrance fee is like a tax," explains the Herzog, "And yes, they do pay me a tax in turn."
"Sir, if it was an entrance fee, I could understand. But, it isn't. They claim a third of whatever gold is recovered each time. That is hardly fair for they don't take any risk in recovering that treasure."
"Sounds like a tax to me," Akitrom replies. "So what is your point? It sounds to me like you are protesting it just on principle alone. What you need to do is decide if the benefits to you of entering the dungeon, killing whatever monsters are in there and collecting their treasure - including this sword you seek - are worth the costs, namely the risks to your life and the tax the dwarves or elves seek to collect."
"Yes, sir, I am protesting this on principle. First, they take no risk in demanding this tax. Second, they provided no proof that the owner of the tower gave them any right to collect such fees. Now, that we know you've approved of their methods and that you're the owner, that issue is moot. Third, they claim that they are preventing creatures from inside the towers from escaping, but I noticed that most of their fortifications appear to be in the opposite direction, which is quite curious."
"How far in did you go?" Akitrom asks.
"Paladins always like to debate things on principles," Robert adds, nudging Orlon. "Besides, if it's like just about every dungeon I've ever been in, there's more than one exit to it."
"You have a point there, Sir Robert, but if I agree to their terms, then I'd feel honor-bound to carry them out. Some members of the party have suggested ways to circumvent this tax, but I would have to give up my paladinhood to go along with them."
"Where I come from," pipes up Badd, in between stuffing a mountain of food into his little mouth, "We paid taxes to the local rulers who tried," he chokes a little, "to provide us with defenses, laws, and good governance. People who took up residence somewhere and charged passers-by for the privilege of just passing by, we called bandits."
He selects a piece of beef from the table, and somehow manages to steer it onto his plate without dripping fat all everywhere.
"I suppose if they were agents of yours you would have told us?"
"They are not really agents of mine," says Akitrom, "But they do benefit the area."
"If they aren't agents of yours," Gilstrock says, "Would you mind if we..."
The tall blond warrior pauses to crack his knuckles.
"...convince them to give our new friends here a better deal?"
Darian grins. "It might be fun, Gil, but it might not be the wisest course of action. Sure, we can get them a better deal now, but what about when they leave? What's to prevent the dwarves or elves from reneging when these guys go to leave?"
"Of course... Zanax could contact us telepathically... We could teleport in and meet them at the door."
"Or," Gilstrock says, "We just give 'em a whuppin' they won't forget."
Akitrom shrugs.
"That's lowering yourself to their level, you hot stud!" says Kelene.
"Lord Akitrom, now that you've explained the situation, it amazes me that anyone goes down into those towers to clear them out. Do these dwarves and elves do anything that they earn their keep?"
"Beats me," he admits, then adds slyly, "I won't charge you any fees or taxes to clean out my dungeon..."
He chews his flatbread expectantly.
"Can I see the maps again?" asks Badd, wondering if perhaps the underground caves might connect to the towers.
Stump has the maps.
"The dungeons do not connect," says the Herzog.
Lornard says, "That is a point that should be taken home, however. Would it not be a service to you were we to clean out the dungeons under those towers? In that event, it seems odd that we should be charged extortionate fees for the privilege of so doing. Some might even say we are due a fee, though naturally I would agree that it is certainly fair that we keep anything we find save that one object we are looking for."
"You should deal with the dwarves, then," replies Akitrom. "I guess extortion is a relative term. Me, I don't think a one-third tax is excessive."
"Besides," adds Malbar, speaking up for the first time. "What are we here for? It's to get this Sword of Dancing for Ray Jay. Any treasure that the party finds is strictly a bonus."
"As for your dungeon here," Lornard continues, "We have just come back after being overmatched by a group of ogres supported by some sort of despair enchantment. Do we stand a chance in your dungeon?"
Tragon listens with rapt interest, always amazed at his friend's wisdom.
"Hmmm...maybe not," admits the Herzog.
Darian gets up from his seat and approaches Tragon. "I can heal you all, but I need to touch you to do it. If you've no objection?" Getting none from Tragon, he puts a hand on the paladin's shoulder, closes his eyes and heals him.
"Anyone else?"
"Yes please," chirps Badd.
"This may tingle..." Darian puts a hand on Badd's shoulder and heals him.
"Ooh," says Badd, rotating his shoulder joint to make sure it works now. "Yes, it did just a bit. But probably not as much as if Kelene had done it."
"Please do, I am feeling quite pained at the moment," Lo replies.
Lornard says, "I too was wounded, though not too severely. I would be most grateful if you could heal me."
Darian heals everyone who wants it.
You finish your dinner and retire for the night.