Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Chapter 7: Bad Dreams and a Ruined Altar

The light of the fire died down around the camp as the newly formed party bedded down for the night. The howling of the wind was their lullaby as they lay under the stars. Thomas couldn't sleep, his journey was going better than expected, he was already learning more about dragons, and atop of that he was going to explore a Dwarven mausoleum, learn tales of old, and have a great adventure. He raised his hand toward the stars and traced the outline of Bahamut. Thomas yawned. "Best sleep" he thought, "who knows what tomorrow brings."

Aurelious stirred and then sat up strait. He thought he heard rustling among the mining grounds. The winds picked up and whistled thought the old overturned, mining carts and steal track left from the excavation. Aurelious looked at the sky. By the moon's position he could tell it was early morning, the others were all asleep. A bump. Aurelious looked, but saw nothing. He reached for his sword and grabbing the hilt...

"Hearing things oh brave paladin?" The thought hissed through his mind. "Or perhaps you prepare for my master's coming. He will kill you and use your corps to do his building. And he will liberate me from this cursed blade!"

Aurelious scowled, he had forgotten that at night the souls grew stronger. Bad dreams, voices in the night, such was the curse of Alexander.

"Is that so, wretch. I tell you now, when your master comes I will do the same to him as I did to you, Sol help me. Now leave me be and stop your haunting. I will use your strength before long." Alexander let go of the Blade. He closed his eyes and prepared himself for what dreams await. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.

And come it did.
"Wake my hearty's I've prepared a breakfast fit for an elf, though we may like it too!" Ipsum laughed long and loudly. Calenon scowled.
Ipsum had prepared eggs, bacon and steaks made from the meat that was left from last night. He had even boiled a pot of coffee, which now sat over the fire bubbling and frothing. "Eat up"

The group ate in relative silence, despite Thomas's attempts at starting conversation. "I guess we have no morning people." his laughter was weak and petered out.

After breakfast they headed into the mine. The dripping of water could be heard as they walked the cart tracks. The walls were comprised of soil and clay, which soon gave way to rough stone which was mostly a grey granite, with veins of black and speckled white. Their descent into the mine was punctuated by the tutting of Lorem who was vocally displeased with the quality of the mine.

The tuting became so frequent that at long last Calenon turned and said, "I understand, Master Dwarf, which your distaste for the workmanship is so vast it rivals the size of the seven seas, but if I have to hear that "tut" sound again I shall send you straight into another plain of existence! One where they have no stone at all! Understand?"

"My apologies, Master Elf, but look they dug right through a dwarven depth marker." Lorem pointed to a round spot of collared stone all of them had missed. "No wonder the mine collapsed, there are dwarven corridors all around us that they have dug too close to. This whole mine is unstable. Any self respecting dwarf would never have built a mine like this." Lorem tuted. Calenon leapt for him, but Richard stopped him, shaking his head. "Come, we waist time." called Aurelious from down the mine. So the matter was dropped and they continued on.

The mine continued down till the entrance was out of sight. Calenon lit a stone on the end of his staff giving off light. Lorem grumbled, as the light hurt his dark vision, and took point. They came to a place where the mine branched and Lorem lead them down the right passage. The sound of rushing and splashing watter could be heard far down the tunnel. The tunnel grew smaller as they travled untill they could only travel one at a time. After a while the passageway opened, seemingly accidentally, into an old spring pool. The remains of old buckets, rope, and water gathering tools showed that the pool had been used as a water source for the miners, but now there was a hole where, apparently, the mine had collapsed, letting the water run into another chamber. Lorem pointed across the spring to the hole.

"there's our goal. The water now runs into a small anti-chamber adjacent to the Mausoleum. I have the key to the door."

One at a time the group waided cross the pool to the hole. A rope, witch Lorem hammered into the wall with a piton, was lowered down the hole. and one by one the party decended. They were now standing in a pool of water that was waist deep. The stone here has different, it was black and polished. the water seemed to be rushing awway through a few small holes in the floor. Then they heard Lorem Swear loudly in the Dwarvin tonge. They were in a small praying chamber, and on the wall was a shrine to Moradin, now water logged. Across from the ruined altar was a stone stair which headed up to a black iron door.

7 comments:

DM said...

Initative. 22
spot. 5
search. 1 CF

Aurelious climbed out of the water, and dried himself off and checked his equipment. "I suggest we chose a marching order as the passage ways here seem only wide enough to allow travel one at a time." He looked at the iron door in which was carved a dwarf, engulfed in flames, sitting upon a pile of melting gold. "I do not like the looks of this place..." He drew Alexander from his sheath which seemed to glow with a holy light. Any suggestions?

JC said...

Init: 15
Spot: 16
Search: Natural 20 (31)

Thomas frowns visibly at the alter. While he doesn't follow Moradin, he had no qualms with the faith so it was a shame to see the chamber in such poor shape.

Taking his attention from the altar to the door Thomas asks, "Is there a problem Lore....Well isn't that interesting."

(Dane, how do you want us to handle these situations? Like this?)

DM said...

(please see "a story begins" post)

Unknown said...

Init: 15
Spot: 12

Aside from the initial curse Lorem does not speak while in this chamber.[i am a little unclear on the layout of the room and water but...] after all members are in the room Lorem attempts to stop the flow of water into the room regardles of how futile his efforts may be.

After that he attends to the alter and with his inept hands and no supplies tries to mend it. As he has the key to the door, he takes all the time he needs.

Finally, he lays one hand on the alter and casts the other twords the group and asks Moradin to bless this group and forgive the non dwaves for their intrusion. Silently he asks for forgiveness for providing them admittances. And with that he approaches the door to unlock it, but does not open. He looks to the party, "I will go last, so that I may lock it behind us."

Eric Knutson said...

Init: 19
Spot: 18
Search: Natural 20 (is it 30 + ranks? If so, it's 36)

Richard complies and goes ahead when Lorem opens the door. That's about it.

JC said...

"That is fine Lorem, I will exit just before you."

Waiting for the others to head through, Thomas thinks to himself. Is it to keep others from following...or something from leaving?

Unknown said...

Init:22
Spot:13
Search:21

"Would someone just go through the door please? I will follow with the light. And whoever is it front of me needs to be ready to stay out of my way if we run into something! I won't be responsible."

Calenon stands by the door, tapping his foot.