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Meeting     Into the Crypt     Umber Hulks    Stone Heart    Vampire    Beryn     Keep     Sand Giant
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Escape!     Calrhuvianne     Souls     Hawker Bag     Kin's Tale     Mayor & Shopping     Dhunok Grael
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Farigon     Calrhuvianne2     Wraithking     Columns     Last Column     Galent     Zeres-kai     Eyrie
Elementals!     Golem

Like a walking panacea, Suva moves about the room, healing Balin and restoring Kin's eyesight without a word other than to call upon his god.

The three spellweavers then head over to the doors, at Morin's behest as Morin keeps a lookout for any unexpected movement in the room with the columns. He indicates the edge of the doorway and Dalrylshana brings the light of the Illuminatus up for a closer inspection.

After a few moments conferring, it is agreed: these are powerful wards, powerful indeed - the mages are sure of that. And Suva recognises some of the symbols specifically. It seems that this is either some sort of hybridised magic or it is an interweaving of arcane and divine spells but whatever it is, the outcome is certain - only the undead may cross this boundary safely. The wards seem severe, promising energy drain, curses, flames and destruction of magical items.

The boundary is checked quickly by hurling an enchanted coin through it; the coin lands, less it’s enchantment and momentarily alight but the wards remain in place.

The doorway would seem impossible to pass but another option presents itself as Morin discovers a secret trapdoor leading beneath the floor to a narrow, red-glowing passage. The passage leads to a short lava pit across which the area opens out into a chamber. Sat in here is a large red dragon and the party move back to consider their options.

Morin, confident that he will be the most able to avoid a breath attack, volunteers to speak to the dragon and returns shortly after, unharmed but unhappy.

"It looks as though the beast is tied to this place until tomorrow. It agreed to leave at dawn, but that is too late to prevent the dreadnought from being created out there. Short of that would be us going in and trying to destroy it or force it out, but the layout down there would not allow free combat for all."

Dalrylshana, feeling that she may have more luck with the creature, heads down to talk to it herself as the party decide which of their seemingly impossible choices to pursue.

Morin and Darius set off to retrieve the trapdoor from the secret entrance to the stronghold; they return with it some half hour later, as noon approaches, unharmed and without extraneous adventures to tell. They have been careful not to open it of course, and this is why it has taken a while. Meanwhile, attempts to dispel the magic on the wards has failed and then the party suddenly realise – underscored by the wailing of Sybelius – that Dalrylshana has not returned.

She is found sleeping by Jiriki and Morin, a small dart stuck in her neck. The dragon is nowhere to be seen )nor is the gold it was atop) but there are two unconscious olog-hai (swiftly and mercilessly dispatched by Jiriki), also later found to have darts stuck in them. Morin in particular is concerned as to why a red dragon would be using darts and whether some of what they have seen has been an illusion – Jiriki is confused as to why Dalrylshana’s assailant didn’t just kill her.

Worse still, the Illuminatus us missing from her belongings.

When Dalrylshana finally comes to, she can unfortunately, recall very little - she stepped around the corridor and was preparing to speak to the dragon; she remembers it moving...oddly...and then consciousness simply faded away. She doesn’t recall taking out the Illuminatus upon approaching it, which is odd as it suggests that whoever took it somehow knew she had it – or was very opportunistic. She is very upset about its loss!

“The red dragon probably wasn't a dragon at all... That's probably why it knocked me out - it knew that I'd be able to tell... The question is, why did whatever it was tell you, Morin, that it couldn't move until tomorrow??? Was it just trying to buy time - or..." [looks instantly sullen] "...did it just want the illuminatus?? And if so, then why?? - could it be that there are more illusions here than we have thought??"

Meanwhile, Calrhuvianne is getting a bit antsy - he's been underground a bit longer than he would like and requires sunlight to heal himself well. And he also wishes to get going to Galent to take the information he has. He leaves with the blessing of the party.

Wishing to try all options, and having made the effort to retrieve the trapdoor, it is rigged to be opened across the warded threshold from a few feet away by means of some cunningly fixed ropes. The remainder of the party edge further out of the way, ready to aid if need be, and then Morin lets the trapdoor unfold across the threshold...

There is a flash of light as the frame is engulfed in flames and the wooden parts begin to burn; there is also a crackle of light filling the entire doorway and a burst of dark energy pulses out from the trapdoor and then snaps back; for a moment, there is a dark, bat-winged shape framed in the doorway but then it is gone. The doorway remains intact and the trapdoor burns, its own magics exhausted.

The wards along the threshold still appear to be in place. With tuts of disappointment, the party head down the trapdoor and into the erstwhile dragon's lair.

Two olog-hai lay motionless and dead, despatched mercilessly by Jiriki; he grins at Balin and marks a "one to me" in the air at him.

Moving into two groups, the party prepare to search out their quarry but it becomes quickly evident that the two routes initially noted, whilst open and accessible, are probably no the route required. Directly past where the dragon had been stood (the party having no problem navigating the jump over the short lava pit) there is another, narrow passage which ends abruptly with a trapdoor in the roof.

It doesn't take Balin's underground directional sense to tell you that the trapdoor comes out to one side of the columns in the room; it is locked but is not warded.

Carefully, and half expecting a fire trap to explode in his face at any moment, Jarek moves the trapdoor and sets a hand through. Nothing.

Next a shoulder, his head. Still nothing.

Pretty soon, he is in the room and all still remains calm. The dead olog-hai do not stir, nor does anything else below ground and the room is not filled with new enemies to face. The columns await, and victory awaits, too, it seems.

As Suva prays, the rest of the party wait anxiously for light to stream through the Hawker Bag that Jarek patiently holds open; as long as it seems to take, there is only a short while to wait and then daylight does indeed gleam through into the hellish dark of the room. For perhaps the first time. Under the light alone, limited as it is, the twisted shapes that make up the columns seem to turn and move quickly in the stone - but the movement is as tortuous as it has always looked.

Mesmerising as the stone bodies' flow might be, this is no time for voyeurs. Jarek holds the bag steady, leaking light onto the column and continually adjusting the position of his hand as they tingle uncomfortably on the destabilised Hawker Bag. Balin and Jiriki grin at each other as Dalrylshana watches with intrigue, stroking Sybelius, and then the barbarian's hammer strikes pulls a full swing and then hurtles in hard on the spot of light. Splinters of stone fly through the room and a low moan resonates.

Balin follows with a second strike and Jiriki is already swinging again when he stops and notices the column - already a series of cracks have spread about it and the moving forms have receded like wet clay, leaving the columns smooth but for the breaks. The moaning is rising in pitch and the part react instinctively, feeling the omens in the air: Suva releases himself from prayer, still speaking quietly to his god as he blesses the changing column. Dalrylshana checks the trapdoor to make sure nothing has blocked the route out as Jarek moves the light source to the second column.

Balin body checks Jiriki to slow him down and make sure he gets first strike this time and then the second column soon follows the fate of the first; the first column is shaking now and the moaning is rising to a deafening pitch. Instinct drives the party the trapdoor and just in the nick of time – the first column factures at its middle and begins to collapse, exploding fragments whizzing through the air. Dust and shrapnel inhibit the view but sounds indicate the second column is following suite as the party get below the floor to safety. In the cacophonous roar of shattering masonry, the moaning, escalated now to screaming pierces the ear-drums more and then is gone.

Only the sound of tumbling stone is left now as the shaking subsides and then a whisper rides onto the air beneath the booms. Back and forth the sound darts, dizzying the senses with its pace and gathering to a crescendo. With a swooping rush, pale ghostly forms suddenly appear from the trapdoor, moving down then up and in all directions. Many glide effortlessly through the party but no harm befalls: there is only a feeling of release, of enormous relief. Patterns of thought dance across the party's minds - impressions of people long dead, not all good, nor bad but all with their souls incarcerated for a long, long time.

They leave a lingering feeling of thanks and an aura of magic before at last searching out final rest and then silence and dust begin to settle again - the trapped souls are free....only a low, slow, distant booming can be heard moving above ground. Morin’s voice, shouted through the Hawker Bag, soon explains what it is:

“It did not destroy the thing - it just stopped any further undead from being added. Suva, you need to get word to Beryn to warn them. It may not be complete, but the dreadnought is heading towards Galent with immense speed."