"What do we need to do to undo this? We are no friends of the drow, so perhaps at the least the enemy of my enemy is my friend? I have a bit of magical skill so perhaps we can release you." Jametor says.
There is a release clause on this prison but it might be difficult to fulfill. 'If the light of the sun shines upon the crystal, Haiten may go free', was the words she spoke.
Prickles squeaks enthusiastically and scampers over to the crystal. With a grunt of effort, he wraps his strong hedgehog arms around it and attempts to lift it free of the floor.
Jametor leans over to Ash and whispers a bit too loudly. "One of these days we need to have a spell prepared to help the little one out. Just saying.."
Asht'el chuckles at the knuckle-headed hedgepeeg, then says, "All we need to do is move the crystal into the sun? We should be able to figure that out, right?" He glances at Jametor's mighty muscles and Njord's powerful cranium and adds, "I think."
"I hate to bring this up, but we are underground, by a lot. Sun..I guess if we had a way to get the crystal I could teleport us back up. Then..we would have to get back." Jametor says.
Jametor thinks about the spell and options for a bit.
"Do we have a spell that emulates sunlight? That might work."
"Don't you remember, Jametor?" Asht'el asks. "The false shaitan we killed upstairs, it had the spell 'daylight' in its spellbook. You should try it."
"Well, High-ten Bock, um, sir, ma'am, um... why would drow want to trap you down here?"
"Jametor's going to want to read that old book of hers, isn't he? Sir Shaitan, would you allow us to camp here?"
I don't know why the dark elves betrayed me and bound me here. When they first arrived weeks ago their leader sent an envoy to negotiate a peace. I agreed to stay out of the way of their machinations as long as they respected the sanctity of this shrine. A few days ago they attacked in force. I was able to fend them off until their leader, a priestess of some demonlord no doubt, struck me down and dragged me down here to be bound inside this crystal.
Jametor nods and pulls the spellbook from his haversack.
"Randall is right, I will need to camp and rest and then study the spell in the morning."
"Is this a secured location to rest?" Xiddik asks the shaitan. "Do you know?"
"Whatever passes for mornin' down here I suppose", Njord adds. "Don't worry Miss Haiten, we'll get you out of there in no time."
It's hard to say. The dark elves will send more when they learn that you defeated the ones above but they do not rotate the guards more than once a day. You should be safe to rest until 'morning'.
"Rotate the guards, you say. Hmm... Perhaps we should prepare a surprise in case they are early. At the least, we should have two on watch during the rest."
The party hunkers down to pass the time. After several hours everyone feels rested and Jametor begins studying the drow mage's spellbook.
Jametor prepares Daylight as one of his spells.
Asht'el watches Jametor studying the spell book, still puzzled how the elf learns magic that way.
When the intense light from Jametor's wand touches the crystal, thick cracks instantly spiderweb across its surface. A second later it shatters releasing the stony woman trapped inside. Rapidly she grows to her normal size where she towers over even Njord.
"Thank you outsiders", she says weakly. "I worried I would never escape that prison. Tell me, what bring you to this sacred place?"
"The end of our world and the death of all," Xiddik says flatly.
With a twirl of his hair around a finger, Asht'el nods at Xiddik's reply, saying, "That's more or less it." With a thoughtful nod, he adds, ”To be a bit more specific, we’re looking for things called earthfall glyphs, so we can stop earthfall, so the world won’t end. Do you think you can help us with that?”
"That... certainly sounds like a problem. I could always return home but I would miss this place. And you believe the dark elves are capable of such a thing? Their leader's magic is strong but certainly not enough to unmake a whole world", Haiten says as she heads for the stairs and gestures for the party to follow. "I don't even imagine her demonic masters would want the Material destroyed. They rely on your plane for souls afterall."
"Earthfall glyphs? That name does sound familiar. Let's see what the earth can share with us above."
"I don't think they believe the starfall will cause the complete destruction of the material plane. I believe they think they can just kill the surface of the earth, the part we live in, then they would rule the entire plane, not just this underworld part. Their hatred for the surface elves and the others is pretty much consuming them I believe. Although, I don't think it's all of them, but a strong faction, but that assumes one believes what they say." Jametor explains.
Xiddik follows Haiten the Shaitan upstairs.
Randall watches in amazement as the stony form emerges and grows and grows. He keeps quiet, but when they head for the stairs, he hustles up to take the lead, as normal, just in case they are headed into a trap. Again.
Randall finds no signs of traps or additional drow in hiding.
Making their way upstairs, the party joins Haiten as she centers herself in the temple's main hall. She closes her eyes in concentration for several seconds and the whole structure begins to hum with power.
"I see them, your Earthfall glyphs. They are beacons of great power, drawing something terrible from far away", she says though her voice sounds far away. "The creatures of this land know to stay away but some are being compelled to guard them - the work of the dark elves no doubt. The magic at work here is thorough, not like the prison I was trapped in. The glyphs empower and support each other. Worse, they were built in very easily defended locations. Here, let me show you."
She gestures and one of the large stone tiles on the floor instantly becomes loose gravel. It begins to rise and dip in places until the sand displays a topographical map. Xiddik quickly recognizes the display as the layout of a large chunk of the Land of Black Blood.
Haiten opens her eyes and kneels by the sand art. "Here are your glyphs", she explains while pointing to five spots in the sand which seem to glitter like diamonds. "The Weeping Cliffs, the Crystal Plaza, Rotstone Hollows, the Fetid Place, and the Blood Basilica. All five locations were treacherous before the dark elves arrived. The Basilica is their seat of power but whatever magic the dark elves are working won't be stopped unless you unmake all five glyphs."
"So nearly impossible odds, well defended centers of power, where the drow's magic is exceptionally strong. Sounds like a good few days of work." Jametor smirks. "Haiten, do you have any wisdom for us on this? You've been kind enough to show us our goals, but with the fate of the material plane resting on our plan, it would seem wise to gather as much knowledge as possible? Jametor asks
"Can you see what sort of defenders they have?"
Haiten closes her eyes and concentrates again. "No, the earth doesn't see things like we do. I can only tell that there are living things there now."
"I can tell you what little I know about them but you will have to explore these sites and learn who or what defends them on your own."
Randall nods, "I understand. It was worth asking."
"If only we had a couple of really sneaky folks to see what they can learn about our foes..." Asht'el says, looking around absently.
Turning to his companions, he asks, "So, shall we start with the closest one?"
"What do you know about them?" asks Fíriel, wondering why everyone's ready to leave without hearing what the shaitan knows.
Haiten points out sections of the sand-map as she explains.
"Against the southern edge of the Land of Black Blood rise the Weeping Cliffs, a swath of vertical drops coated in the moisture, guano, and slippery fungal residue of the great cavern. Here, the black blood oozes raw and thick from a number of fissures among the cliffs."
"Located only a few hundred yards east of the stretch of beach known as the Aboleth Landing, the Crystal Plaza is all that remains of an outcast wizard’s attempt to create a thin spot between the Material Plane and the Abyss to facilitate his conjuration experiments. He raised the eerie crystals here in a henge to focus his magic, but he succeeded far earlier in the process than he’d planned. His crystals drew the attention of something terrible and he was devoured. Many believe whatever the wizard summoned still resides within the plaza and avoid the site as a result."
"Deep in the mud flats stands a trio of structures rising out of the sucking ooze known as the Rotstone Hollows. Long ago, a lake of black blood filled this area of the cavern, and the site of these towers once marked a small island on which a tribe of particularly religious chardas dwelt. At some point this lake drained away and transformed into a sea of mud, and the buildings that once comprised Rotstone Towers sank below. Today, only a few towers protrude from the mud, but below, the buildings still exist in the crumbling bedrock of the ancient island, creating a muddy, damp dungeon well suited to what remains of the charda tribe that once ruled the area."
"In the western reaches of the Land of Black Blood grows a hideous and unnerving mass of fungus — a realm where ropes of thick, foul-smelling fungus hang from floor to ceiling. Mushrooms grow on the cavern’s floor and roof alike, many of them the size of trees. An eerie world exists between the caps of these mirrored mushroom forests, where down and up look the same. An ancient neothelid known as the Moldering Emperor calls this Fetid Palace its domain. It's believed that it has mastered the power of the black blood making it stronger, more fierce, and more intelligent than any of its kin. I had hoped to study the creature at some point but the Moldering Emperor is known to prefer his solitude."
"Would you like to go with us? At least you can study what you see on our journeys. Or would you prefer to stay here? I suspect the drow will be back." Jametor asks.
"No, I don't think so. I have this shrine to maintain after all. I'll guard you here if you need to rest and recover your strength but I have no interest in confronting the dark elves."
Chastened by Firiel's look, Randall returns to study the map. "Where are we on this map? How far is it from here to here?"
"The earth says there are living things here? How many? Different, or more, things than the earth normally sees there?"
"The earth is often vague on such matters. It communicates in measures of nutrients taken from the soil and returned, not in headcounts or boot prints. I am sorry I cannot be more help."
"Well, distance isn't an issue with my new teleport spell. I mean if I have a pretty good description of the place, we could probably jump over there. Or we can jump back here, if needed. Kinda use this as a base of operations, if we think that would be good." Jametor says thoughtfully.
"That sounds like a good plan Jametor, as long as Haiten doesn't mind hostin' us. How many of those teleportation spells can you cast today?"
"Is there a way Haiten can let us know if she's attacked? So we can come back to help? It only seems fair, if she's willing to let us base here..."
"Two a day, unless I sacrifice some pretty powerful fireball spells". Jametor says.
"If we're aimin' to take out one of these glyphs a day, two should be enough", the big ulfen says. "Everyone ready to get started?"
Jametor spends more time studying his spellbook, preparing the day's allotment of spells.
Once done, he gives the signal to the rest of his group to come together and holds one hand while the rest form a chain around him.
"It's hard to choose from among all these lovely spots, but those Weeping Cliffs sure sound nice," Asht'el remarks drily. "Let's start there."
"Might as well take the cliffs," Xiddik agrees. "I've always wanted to see them. View is supposed to be spectacular."
Jametor recalls what he was told about the cliffs and then begins casting the greater teleport spell.
Haiten concentrates, bringing the Cliffs into focus briefly and sharpening the details before Jametor tries his spell.