"Buzzing door it is!"
"Buzzing door it is!"
I agree, buzzings doors. We mustn't forget the farthest door in the room where we encountered the slime also.
Before we open the "buzzing" doors we should all light torches, incase the buzzing is swarms of insects, so we can put the torch to them if need be. I have no more offensive spells and I doubt my scimitar would help much against a swarm. Who has some torches?
Hee-hee.
“Excellent thinking Terin,” says Eldin, rummaging in his pack. “Ah, here. I have a couple of flasks of Alchemist’s Fire, which could prove somewhat effective if there is a great swarm of insects behind the door … well, perhaps less effective against a flying swarm … at any rate, I have two flasks, if one of you wishes to arm yourself with one? Be careful with it though.
“Alas though, I have no torches – another lantern luckily, after breaking the other, but no torches. Anyone else?”
"I have five torches, so everyone can get one."
Tyndal will light one for himself and once everyone is ready, with work on opening the door.
Great! I'll take a torch. Perhaps those that aren't up to heavy physical abuse would like to hang back with the Alchemist's fire to give some ranged assistance? *lights torch off of Tyndal's torch* Thanks, brother.
The unhinged door is jammed closed with numerous broken objects, including, but not limited to: daggers, rocks, and a boat oar snapped in half. Someone was very desperate to keep this room sealed.
Seann begins to work the door open. Slowly. This could get ugly.
Strength check=4 (rolled a 1).
Damn! Caught my shoulder on a bit of debris. Hey Harven, did I tear my tunic?
*Moves back to the debris pile and starts to carefully tear the barrier away. Taking 10 for 13.*
Tyndal carefully sets his torch aside and pulls out the crowbar that Harven found.
Despite the two men hammering and prying, the door holds fast. As Terin clears away the debris, a droning buzz begins from within the room, growing steadily louder.
As Tyndal forces his prybar into a fissure, a rasping voice emits from within, “Vanthus? Did you come back for me? Don’t leave me Vanthus…”
The portal jerks free with a slight groan, and not having attached hinges to support it, quickly falls to the side.
Before you is a fair sized chamber, roughly triangular, with three large columns in the center supporting the 10-foot high ceiling. Directly in your path, standing on the other side of the threshold, is an unspeakable sight: A manlike figure comprised completely of a writhing, droning host of semi-transparent midges.
Flying, crawling, and undulating, they cycle around and around, but always holding the general shape. The horrific thing turns its non-eyes upon you, and what you can only assume passes for a mouth opens, grating, “You are not Vanthus. Leave now! I cannot go until Vanthus comes for me.”
Vanthus has tricked you. He never intended to come back for you. He is a rapscallion of the worst type. Is there anything we can do to help you, um, friend? *Grips torch a little tighter and readies for a fight*
The midge-man, momentarily wraithlike while Terin speaks, snaps back into focus and croaks, “You can do nothing. Vanthus abandoned me here to the swarm, as he abandoned the others, each to a separate and equally appalling fate. I cannot rest until he returns.”
Then I swear to you that he will be brought back here by me, to give a personal accounting to those he has wronged. I swear this upon the wrath of nature. He shall be held responsible!
Seann leans over toward Tyndal, a detached expression on his face. The strangeness of his first "real" adventure is getting to him.
"Well. That's not something you see every day. He's negotiating with a cloud of bugs. Maybe he should just stick to killing puppies."
Eldin speaks up from his position near the rear of the group. “As my companion truly states, we hunt Vanthus – and have come to realise that he is a person – I apply the term loosely – of the worst possible type. We intend to bring him to justice – or at least see that he gets exactly what he deserves. But what of you … uh, friend? What can we do to help you?”
As he speaks, Eldin attempts to peer past the strange, buzzing form, to see if there are any visible exits on the other side of the chamber, or any other evident dangers.
His mind races as he tries to establish what – if any – type of undead this creature might be.
Tyndal steps back and responds to Seann.
"I need a drink."
Tyndal steps back and responds to Seann.
"I need a drink."
"I do, as well..."
"Well. That's not something you see every day. He's negotiating with a cloud of bugs. Maybe he should just stick to killing puppies."
He shall be held responsible!
What can we do to help you?”
As he speaks, Eldin attempts to peer past the strange, buzzing form, to see if there are any visible exits on the other side of the chamber, or any other evident dangers.
The room itself appears to be mostly empty, scoured clean by the “entity,” however, the walls, floor, and even the ceiling are covered with hundreds of thousands of scratch marks which read “Vanthus,” or “Exit,” or are simply circular maze-like swirls.
There are four recessed alcoves farther in the room, but you cannot make out what might lay within from here.
His mind races as he tries to establish what – if any – type of undead this creature might be.
While you’ve never encountered anything like this in your travels, as you watch the man-midge amalgamation for any length of time, you observe the insects constantly phase in and out of reality insubstantially, almost wraith-like.
The buzzing strengthens, and the creature wails, “Then go! Leave me to my torment. Bring Vanthus here so I may rest eternal.”
It shall be done.
Let's go guys, before our welcome is overstepped. We have more reason now to find Vanthus.
*turns and moves away from the creature*
"Great idea. Stub out those torches while I wedge this door shut again"
After resealing the room and restowing the flammables, the party returns to the overflow chamber , and the only remaining unexplored doorway. From behind the door comes a wet, sloshing noise.
If the party should try the door:
Past the doorway:
Terin pops open the door.
Watery...
"Right is always right"
Tyndal slings his shield and readies his glaive. He will use the butt to probe the water's depth as he leads.
“It appears as good a direction as the other,” replies Eldin, holding his flickering torch high. “I have no doubt that Fharlaghn will provide a way out of this place before too long.”
"I, um... I think I'll go with our mutual friend here, Mr. Maelglum. He can handle a weapon, and he doesn't kill defenseless animals. Usually. I think. Anyway, I'm going that way."
Seann looks furtively from side to side, his spear chenched in his hands.
The torch flame plumes rhythmically upwards and downwards, pumped by powerful underwater currents which must be supplying the air to these chambers. Your best guess is the source is somewhere further west of your current position.
Proceeding along the right fork, salt water sloshing in their wake, the party comes upon a second choice of direction: forward again, or a passageway leading to the left.
Feeling for solid ground, Tyndal’s spear butt drops away on the forward path, and does not reach solid ground even if he crouches. The water of the left-hand corridor is deeper than where you currently stand, but does not appear to descend past waist level (except perhaps, for Harven).
Along the new (left) route, you observe plentiful colonies of red and purple sea urchins.
Your anomalous companion, pockets bulging outward with dead puppies, trails as ever behind the party.
“Thanks for not turning me in back there guys. I can’t wait to show my children the city!”
"Unless someone wants to swim, it looks like we're going left."
Tyndal begins down the path, continuing to probe with his glaive, and if possible, not disturbing the urchins.
Your anomalous companion, pockets bulging outward with dead puppies, trails as ever behind the party.
“Thanks for not turning me in back there guys. I can’t wait to show my children the city!”
"City? You mean Sasserine? I thought you lived there."
*Whispering* I have suspicions that our companion may have never seen the city and that Vanthus has had him down here for a very long time. His mind may be broken or he may have no memories beyond where we found him. He doesn't even know his own name. Perhaps a temple can help to restore his mind to him, if the damage isn't permanent. Another shattered life that owes itself to Vanthus. He will pay.
*Whispers* That's a lot better than my theory...personally I think he's a wererat
*Whispering*
"I don't like the way he says 'city'. Gives the word ...extra meaning."
"City? You mean Sasserine? I thought you lived there."
Oh course, silly. That’s where all us humans live. In the city.
The party sloshes through the deeper water of the left fork, though the going is often treacherous due to the potent undertow.
About 20 feet into the passage, you spy a relatively dry ten-foot square portion of the cave above the water line, before the path again dips below sea level and continues around a bend to the left.
It looks to be a slippery, dangerous climb to the waterless plateau (. Ahead, the body of a man lays face down, unmoving, one hand dangling over the edge of the raised ground.
“Yes, I think we should leave him in the care of a temple,” whispers Eldin.
“Be careful of those urchins folks – sometimes those things can leave a painful sting.”
“Ah, dry land … er, well, a little bit … and another body. More of Vanthus’ handiwork?” Eldin sighs. “I suppose we had better see what is what. I’ll leave the climb up the bank to those more suited to the task than I, I think. Does anyone need me to hold their torch?”
“Ah, dry land … er, well, a little bit … and another body. More of Vanthus’ handiwork?” Eldin sighs. “I suppose we had better see what is what. I’ll leave the climb up the bank to those more suited to the task than I, I think. Does anyone need me to hold their torch?”
"Corpses are never harbingers of good luck. Keep an eye out for nasty things lurking in the shadows. Well, nastier things than those that are in plain sight."
Eldin nods. “I’ll keep an eye – and ear – out.”
Tyndal slings his glaive and scrambles up.
Deftly scurrying up the slippery incline, Tyndal arrives in the dry area no worse for wear, while Eldin keeps a sharp watch for trouble. From his new vantage point, Tyndal observes the prone corpse appears relatively fresh; a few days old at most.
You are unable what may have caused his demise at this time; perhaps flipping him over might yield more clues?
Deja Vu anyone? Take care with that and be at the ready for danger. *shifts into Beast-form*
PURRRRRrrrr....
Deja Vu anyone? Take care with that and be at the ready for danger. *shifts into Beast-form*
PURRRRRrrrr....
"See? Bad idea."