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Elementals!     Golem

Past the tiny stone circle, the earth looks as though it has been torn open - this is surely the result of whatever Beryn was doing here. Mud and vines tumble carelessly into the gap revealed where steep stairs descend quickly into darkness and mosquitos buzz about the unquieted earth. The stairway is blocked just at vision's edge by a sturdy door - to the left of the door, an alcove, as described, holds a two foot high sandstone plinth. Half an inch above this float six haphazardly placed keys, each identical as far as the key part appears but quite different at the head.

The key heads are identified as being triplicate patterns of the letters G, D, A, S, O and K and although the region can be assumed as magical (since the keys are levitating!) the whole door and alcove area seems to be enshrouded by an antimagic shell and detecting magic produces no useful information.

The party are baffled for a while and ruminate upon the name of the place they are about to enter - although the ruins above ground may have been open to any casual adventurer, this place was obviously difficult to find without some prior knowledge; this makes some sense because, although "Grael" seems most likely to be a name, a "Dhûnok" is a large burial chamber for the honoured - usually hidden to keep it safe from grave robbers.

With inspiration almost slipping away, Suva at last spots the clue as the letters can be arranged to make the phrase “Ask God”. Unsure what this cryptic message means, the cleric prays to his god for guidance and recalls that a priest he has spoken to in Galent curiously stressed the letter ‘S’ at one point in his conversation. This seems too odd a coincidence to ignore – sure enough, as Suva begins to augur the value of choosing the "S" key, the sandstone atop the plinth fluctuates slightly, becoming fluid. Five of the keys drop and are gone like sandsnakes swallowed up in dunes, then the last drifts down the slight distance until it sits on the now solid-again sandstone.

It's the "S" key and it is the only key any longer available.

Dalrylshana reaches for and takes the key (after a deadly serious warning from the cleric to the party regarding anybody interrupting him during prayer in future). It fits the door with no problem and a satisfying click indicates an unlocking. The door pops slightly ajar as air rushes out with a hiss for a second, and then is still again. Kin collects the key – just in case.......

For whatever reason, the party are getting tetchy with each other and Morin, of all people, entreats them to be calm. Balin, meanwhile is perhaps rightly keen to establish the relevance of him being the only dwarf in the party in a place that is apparently a dwarven burial area. He steps forward and boldly swings opens the ajar door, stepping across the threshold into this new area.

Beyond it, darkness immediately looms as the surface is further removed and daylight can be swallowed up by the depths. But this lasts only seconds: like a trail of paraffin, sconces pop and bud into life along both walls as the stairs continue downwards, twisting as they go. Dalrylshana is able to put away the Illuminatus for now as you can see quite clearly the hewn rock and smooth granite steps leading thirty feet down to another very sturdy door.

This time, however, there is no alcove and are no keys. There is one intriguing patch on the right hand wall, just in front of the
door about 2 and 3 feet off the ground, there are small areas of the wall that have been damaged as if hammered at, or an iron spike hammered into, perhaps. The door itself is locked – and protected with a lightning trap by Morin’s guess.

After much arguing and guesswork, Dalrylshana, Illuminatus in hand supplies the required breakthrough – there is an invisible key hanging above the door. Sufficiently high up that smaller characters would probably have to climb up – perhaps by using iron spikes hammered into the walls, for instance...Since Kin can use the Illuminatus as well as Dalrylshana, it is expeditious for him to borrow it for a moment - a brief stretch on tiptoes later and the mission is accomplished. As soon as the key is removed from the hook it is hanging from, it pops into visibility.

Taking the now visible key in his hand, Morin takes a breath and waves everybody back a little way - one full turn of the key later, he is still in one piece. He pauses, then turns the key again perhaps through a whim or by sudden inspiration, who can tell? But on the third turn a faint tracery of electricity scatters across the door frame and is gone and the key turns no more. As the key is removed, it disappears but is quickly located with the aid of the Illuminatus - invisible and back on its hook.

The door opens without further incident - or even a rush of air - to reveal the corridor descending and turning further into the depths. Balin is keen as ever to lead the way and steps forward. Sconces once again light up magically along the walls and a few more steps and distance winding down lead to a levelling, it seems - or perhaps just a very long step - and third door at the end of the levelled area.

This one is as sturdy as the others but the door itself has three keyholes, one above another, separated by a couple of inches. Above and below the keyholes are two locking clasps spanning from the door to hard stone frame and held tight by padlocks. A door that unsubtly says ‘no entry’.
After what seems like an age, checking the doors carefully, Morin pauses, brow wrinkled and a sour look on his face. Jarek thinks about suggesting he help out but decides to deflect any further vitriolic comments about "interrupting" and simply exhales, a little dramatically.

Morin ignores the light jibe and continues about his work, moving away from the door and checking the walls.

After another 15 minutes or so, he finally looks up triumphantly.

"I have something but be ready...."

Standing on the last step and leaning down he activates something that would appear to be in the step. There's a dull click and very quickly the level area of floor slides away to the right to reveal the a two foot drop before the stairs continue down and further round. It appears the entire door was a red herring and Morin drops down and heads off to check the route further, torches popping into life as he goes.

His voice can be heard moments later, requesting somebody with the Illuminatus to help out – Kin accompanied by Balin goes along and soon after, the quiet is butchered by the sound of movement from down the stairs and Morin bellowing for aid.

The party charges to assist, hurtling down the steps and around the corner - at the end of the stairs, they see the problem. The floor broadens to around twenty feet but this time there is no door, just an archway. The magically lighting sconces stop 15 feet before it and cast almost no light beyond. The archway is about 15 feet across and leads into a chamber or corridor that is entirely dark. To the right and left of the archway are alcoves that disappear diagonally away into darkness with just a hint of a crackle and a spark appearing from the depths every few seconds.

By now, Kin is getting to his feet, a little groggy, the Illuminatus on the floor a few feet in front of him. Morin is practically stood on top of him, toe to toe with a large creature and allowing teh mage to recover his balance; Balin faces another. The creatures bodies are a ghastly yellow hue. The mockery of a humanoid form is stitched at every joint and one of the hands of the creature that Morin faces is actually a large claw. A smell of rotten flesh and old earth wafts forwards.

These are flesh golems.

Whether it is merely lack of very recent battles and an overly relaxing journey by boat is difficult to say but battle is entered like a maelstrom. Morin and Balin more than hold their own as the initially fearsome-looking flesh golems flail impotently. Their much vaunted ability to ignore damage from warriors is of little consequence arrayed against so much magical weaponry.

Darius glances about him to make sure everybody is involved in attacking these fell beasts only to see Jiriki hurtle past him, gobbets of saliva trailing in his berserk wake. Balin's golem hardly knows what hits it as the barbarian whirlwind crashes into combat, forcing it back towards an alcove.

Darius wastes no time by applauding but dashes to Morin's aid, even as the wily rogue stabs at his combatant with a flaming dagger, ducking around to flank and slashing at its borrowed tendons with a rapier as the biting flames slow its responses, and Kin recovers his footing with a fury in his eyes. There is more than magic to this elven adventurer and he returns the damage he has taken in kind.

Meanwhile Jarek is eager to test his new sword and has already appeared at the flank of the other golem, hacking yellowed flesh as the creature tries to fend of the tidal wave of barbarian and dwarf attacks.

Both golems are forced back and it gives the chance for Dalrylshana to retrieve the Illuminatus (before unwitting chaos destroys it) by darting between the two eddies of melee. Her sword is drawn and ready to attack but her steel carries no magic and the battle goes well; perhaps this is why Suva hangs back from the combat, watching carefully but, from his perspective, sure of victory. Jax and Sybelius are a little behind him and each calm in their own particular ways, sure also.

Victory is not long coming: the golems fight on with mindless drive but against the onslaught that awaited them they are as butterflies in a tornado. Quite soon, much of their joints are raggedly unpicked and the bodies lay untidy and unmoving on the floor.

Jiriki growls and then begins to recover his calm.

The battle is won and remarkably no wound is sustained bar Kin's initial surprised hit. But before time can be taken to cheer, something odd happens: there is a sound like tearing paper. It is quickly noted as being above the arch - a tiny flame traces out silver filigree words in an overly elaborate hand. It's in elven and is a little difficult to read but can be translated as:

"Welcome cleric, welcome wizard, welcome rogue, welcome warrior!"

The nature and order of the doors encountered is suddenly more clear.

"You are congratulated for your efforts and given welcome to Karubiat Elesis, the city behind shadows, the walled city of light, the city of Morriaga Philantiri.

"Enjoy your stay."

There's something a trifle unnerving about the last line.

But more than that is the quite clear fact that this is no dwarven burial ground after all.

Moreover, the name of the city means nothing but the name "Morriaga Philantiri" means at least a little to most of the party. She is a fabled mage of extraordinary power: a sage and aid to her elven kin, so old as to be almost mythic. It was through her powers and wisdom, it is said, that the elves of Karubai were first united into a kingdom centuries ago.

Beyond the arch, a day-bright corridor awaits. In front of it, two small imps, with curiously sharp-edged shadows are pushing the remains of the flesh golems back towards the electrical alcoves from which they sprang.