Entry 16
The rest period is over and we find ourselves anxious to move on and finish this mission.
We gather our things and begin moving through the corridors once again. Around a corner we hear a loud thump, like something hitting the floor. Our thief moves up to investigate and reports that three humans are waiting around the corner. We move up cautiously.
After several tense minutes, we find that two are traveling companions, A Paladin with an intelligence that reminds me of Dum-Dum, whatever his real name was, and a monk. Unlike our last monk, this person is very poised with a professional attitude about him. The third person is a barbarian, who seems more intelligent that the Paladin. We briefly tell them about the mission we are on and they agree to join us. The Mock positions the Paladin with Tristan and tells him to defend. The Barbarian also assumes a guard position alongside Tristan.
As we move down a long hallway, we come to two doors. Our thief checks the door to the first and is reasonable sure it isn’t trapped. The new Paladin moves and immediately grabs the door and opens it, it explodes into a fire trap. Poor Hermione, she curses herself and the skill of the wizard who laid the trap. We check the room and find nothing of value and move toward the next door.
As we approach the second door, an alarm sounds. We open the door and immediately surrounded by an area of darkness as well as a stinking cloud. The party separates trying to get away from the nauseating gas. As we hack and cough, a slight smell of brimstone comes to my nose as well as a whirling sound in the air.
Once the air begins clearing, we begin moving toward the door through the darkness. At the opening, we are assaulted by creatures that we cannot see. However, our party has worked together in the dark several times and we are able to fight together without hitting each other.
As one of the creatures falls before me, I hear the Monk yell from somewhere in front of me that a trench has been placed in the room.
I begin making my way cautiously forward, felling with my foot for the trench. Once there, it is at the very edge of the darkness spell, I see a creature standing there. It moves it’s hands in a apparent spell then vanishes. The whirling sound comes again and we realize there is an imp in the room with us. Tristan is still outside and we immediately close the doors to trapped the creature with us and keep it away from Tristan.
Further back from the edge of the trench stands Mykl, the Duvall son who was to be disinherited and caused this evil to be called forth. One by one, as the party manages to defeat the unseen creatures, we make our way to the trench and attempt to cross it’s 10 foot width. Most of us don’t make the jump and have to climb out the other side. Before Sabin and I can join the others, the wizard casts a fear spell and I find myself climbing out of the pit and returning to the doors we had just shut. I find myself cowering there, fighting the effects of the spell, but still unable to act. I have never cowered before a foe or even my father who could have terrified most creatures and did at one time or another. The door is locked and we are unable to open it. From down the hallway, I hear something moving toward the door. It is large and growling. This can’t be a good sign.
The door moves and I hear Boris tell us to get out of the way. We move back and suddenly the door splinters as a large creature charges through it. By this time, I have managed to fight off the effects of the fear spell and turn to see what appears to be a large Dire Werewolf moving toward one of the rooms support pillars. The others have finished the wizard and have headed back toward the door. Boris looks at me and growls, “Get Out. I can’t control it.”
I take a step toward the Were, my weapons glowing in the darkness. As Crystal passes me, she grabs my collar and pulls me with her.
Out in the hallway is the pirate we let go a few days earlier and he motions for us to follow him as we hear the stone grinding and cracking behind us. Boris apparently has destroyed the chamber, pulling it down on the fallen wizard and himself.
Our mission accomplished we return to the upper levels of the manor house. There, we find the gathered spirits of the Duvall and Trerissian families waiting for us. We also find Ferdinand waiting as well. Crystal gives the Paladin sword to Tristan, telling him it is a relic of his family and he should keep it. Ferdinand then offers to repair her bane sword that was shattered by the golem. The sword is made whole with all it’s enchantments still in place. He then takes the dwarfs maul and one of his axes and blends them into a Maul of Mighty Cleaving as he calls it.
We thank him for his gifts and he vanishes again.
The members of the families move forward and each one presents us with a final reward for helping them.
Riker, the Spirit of the Paladin’s horse approaches Crystal and she is told that he is hers. As all Paladin’s need a faithful mount.
Stephanie Trerissian approaches our Sorceror and presents him with Bracers of Armor
Gregory Trerissian approaches Sabin and gives him a Ring of Mind Shielding
Melissa Duvall approaches me, tears in her eyes as she thanks me for helping her. One of those tears falls on my short sword and it also begins weeping. The weapon has been transformed into a +1 magic Holy sword that will do additional damage to creature affected by Holy Water.
Larissa Duvall approaches Hermione and grants her an +1 increase in her Charisma
Nissa Duvall approaches Tristan and grants him a +2 increase in his Charisma
The Cleric approaches our Cleric and grants him a +1 increase in his wisdom.
Their spirits laid to rest, the family fades away. Tristan pays us the promised gold and we return to town. With night falling, we make camp at the edge of town. I can sense the evil fading from this place as I lay on the ground listening to the sounds of the creatures of the forest.
