Randal lets out a gut reaching scream. He shoots another guiding bolt at the worm and then runs for his life.
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With a final scream to the heavens, Randal channels the wrath of his God into a pulverizing flash of blinding, radiant light. The Purple Worm has enough sense to somehow look puzzled before it explodes.
Wet, steaming globs of viscera rain down upon the cleric. He stands there breathless, and shivering.
And the rest is silence.
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Randal rushes over to the sloppy mess heaving pieces around looking for any ally he can stabilise.
...!
Randal eventually locates the beast's stomach. He cuts it open only to find four acid melted, crushed bodies. He barely recognizes them, but these are indeed his friends.
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Randal Pulls each corpse away from the Purple Worm guts and lines them all up in the tunnel. He spends some time in prayer for his fallen comrades then he'll take the diamond pick and (if he can find it) the mining deed. Then looks for the next room.
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Randal finds the deed all covered in worm. But he remembers that the diamond pick is still being used by the Grinning Golem.
The door leading into the next room is made of stone and held shut by a multitude of embedded locks. Randal isn't sure if Vasayo could have picked them, but he's definitely sure that it's beyond his own skill.
Set into the north face of the door are six rows of bronze plates engraved with Dwarvish letters. It takes Randal some time, but eventually he's able to decipher that the letters read the following:
B R A U M O R D O
D E Z Z Y R Y N
D O L M A R K
V A L N O R N
T O R C H A
K R I M H O L D
He identifies a couple of the words as the names of tunnels in the mine. Therefore the others must have been places in the mine that they hadn't explored. Each letter seems to be a button that can be pressed. He thinks only one letter per row can be pressed down. So this is a password then.
Randal stares at the names for the longest time. He sits down while he stares. I have to work this out. I swear I'll get this stone and use it to somehow make this right! Finally he exclaims " Unlock! Ha! " he stands up and presses the letters in order from top to bottom.
The door slides open. Beyond lies a dusty, 30-foot-square room. Standing a few feet from the west wall, facing east, is a stone throne encrusted with red crystal, and seated in the throne is a skeletal figure clad in dusty robes. It tightens it's bony claws on the armrests of the throne and turns its deathly visage toward you.
"I am the great wizard Abracadamus. Why have you come?"
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Randal looks quite worried. " Ah, hey Abracadamus... Ah, I've just come here to check out this Ah, mine that I ah, inherited. Yeah. " He pulls out the deed and wipes off a bit more Worm guts.
The undead wizard studies his claws, seeming suddenly disinterested.
"Oh," he says disappointed. "I thought you were here for the Forever Stone."
He sighs, then says, "In accordance to Pax Jaggershield's Last Will and Testament, the ownership of these mines was to pass onto one William B. Abracadamus - myself - upon his death and destruction. So I thank you for bringing this back to me."
Abracadamus snaps his fingers and the deed appears in his hands.
"If, however, you would like to invoke the Finders Keepers clause, then I suggest you speak to my legal representation, one Halaster Blackcloak from Undermountain."
Abracadamus makes a shooing gesture with his bony hands.
"Off with you now. The sign at the front of the mine clearly said no solicitors. Or at least it did a hundred years ago."
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"Wait, wait. I am here for the forever stone! "
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The skeleton suddenly sits up, excited.
"You are?! That's wonderful!"
He clears his throat, and his voice suddenly takes on a grave tone. "I'm not sure you're worthy of such a prize."
He gestures grandly at one of the doors. "But first, are you sure you wouldn't prefer what's behind door number 1?"
The door swings open and reveals a pile of treasure consisting of three chests. One is overflowing with coins, one has a collection of silver cat statues, and the last contains a sealed crystalline scroll tube.
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Randal looks longingly at the treasure for the longest time but with the resent demise of his companions he is able to control his greed.
" No no. I, I'll take the forever stone. "
"Are you sure? Alright, your funeral."
Abracadamus looks pensive and says, "You know, I've been thinking about this for a long time. I'd always thought that it would be a party of adventurers who would get this far. I never counted on only one guy."
"Originally I was going to ask, 'Are you prepared to sacrifice for the Forever Stone?' And then I was going to disintegrate one of you. As a sacrifice, get it? But it doesn't seem sporting to just disintegrate you alone. It just loses something in the drama. So I guess we'll just give that one a pass then."
Abracadamus looks excited, and says, "Unless of course you want me to disintegrate you. What do you say?"
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Randal looks a little incredulous " Uh, no, I'm ok without being disintegrated... To be honest I only got here due to the help of my companions. Vasayo already was sacrificed to get through one room, and then everyone else died fighting a huge worm... Vasayo actually died twice. So I kind of already have sacrificed to get here, I'd just like to get this stone so that their deaths mean something... "
Abracadamus sighs. "Fine, fine. I was just asking."
He then clears his throat and says dramatically, "And now for the final question, adventurer."
"Which is faster, a griffon heading to a rodeo or a hippogriff with its tail on fire?”
" Uh, what? Rodeo? Um the, the Griffon? " Randal looks perplexed.
"Is that your final answer?"
" Um... Uh... Yes. " Randal cringes expecting to be disintegrated.
Abracadamus shakes his head and says, "Ah, you failed to consider the likely third option -- a dragon that hasn't eaten in a hundred years! Behold what's behind door number two!"
At that point Abracadamus points to the middle of the south wall, causing a secret door to open and releasing a young green dragon from stasis.
The dragon roars shaking the Mines to its very pillars. It focuses on Randal and advances.
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" What the f cgh, Cgh, cagh " Randal chokes on the noxious fumes collapsing unconscious.
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The dragon feasts on the bloated, purple black corpse of Randal. Once he's done he turns his head toward Abracadamus, eager for revenge.
The undead wizard absently waves his hand and teleports the dragon into the stasis room again.
Abracadamus, the powerful wizard of legend, is alone once again. He suddenly looks thoughtful and says to himself, "You know what? He might have had a point about the griffin."
He shrugs his shoulders and stares off into space for the next hundred years.
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