Episodes 31-32: "Shadow Puppets"

Quest Information

 * "Mages of the Quarry"
 * 17 Araḫ Šabaṭu early February. High 64F, low 48F. 35% chance for wind, 20% chance for clouds, 5% for rain
 * Perskebeth, hex 1102 (Quarry Mages' Tower)
 * Level 7

Primary Cast

 * Daric, camel merchant
 * Ebo Darwishi, former member of the Perskebethi royal guard
 * Gimble, gnome evoker
 * Samman, pit fighter

Secondary Cast

 * Bas no-Korfan the Minotaur
 * Calcarius the Kenku
 * Selestak the Lizardfolk
 * Thuli the Thri-Kreen

Summary
“Why … didn’t … you … SAY SOMETHING!!” The minotaur, Bas no-Korfan, stared down his snout at the former pit fighter.

“Because I didn’t think of it!” Samman showed no signs of backing down. “Why didn’t YOU think of it! We were all there when the old man warned us of the illusion level!”

“Our people don’t use such pathetic tactics. Illusions are the work of the mewling lesser races!” Bas snorted right in Samman's face, typically a signal that he was itching for a fight.

“I wasn’t the one who was at death’s door, brought to an inch of my life by mere shadows!” Sam was clearly prepared to go toe-to-toe with the minotaur.

At this, the minotaur looked like he was going to rip Samman apart with his bare hands. “Calm down, both of you. This is completely pointless.” Daric’s calm, elven voice pales in comparison to the gruff baritones of the two warriors, but his clear and steady tone was enough to garner their attention. “We all forgot about the illusions. Have we forgotten about our friends?”, he said, looking at his traveling companions. “Or about our revenge?” The last comment was directed right at the minotaur. Daric recognized this ragtag group was held together only by their shared hatred of their former captors. “We need to keep moving, before our time runs out.”

Thuli chimed in, in his strange, click-song voice. “There. Is. Door. Here”. Sure enough, in the back of the empty hall sat a large door, barred on this side.

"Well, this doesn’t bode well,” said Daric.

“Agreed,” said Samman. “If they barred it on THIS side, then I doubt we want to be on THAT side. Maybe we should take the stairs.”

Calcarius, the kenku, let out a shrill call of exasperation. “And they say birds have short memories! What did the old man-mage tell us? ‘I think your small friend is with the necromancer, the most dangerous wizard in the tower’. What else did he say? ‘Two floors up is the illusion and necromancy schools of magic’. He laid out our entire path ahead of us. What is wrong with you two?”

Embarrassed, Daric and Samman let out a sigh. “OK, we’ll try the door.” The minotaur, still glaring at Samman, walked over to the door, heaved, lifted the massive beam off its hooks, and dropped it to the floor with a loud clatter. “Quiet! Do you want to wake the dead?”

The minotaur again glared down his flared nostrils. “Would you like to join the dead in their slumber?”

“Oh by the cudgel of Rillifane, cut it out and open the door,” said Daric, in a tone that could almost be called exasperation, a tone rarely heard coming from the normally-calm elf.

The minotaur opens the door, revealing an inky darkness beyond. Using the light of torches, Bas no-Korfan and Ebo enter the room, their weapons at the ready. The flickering light reveals a large, natural cavern. It must have been magnificent at one time, but now the stalactites and stalagmites lay dried, cracked and broken. The cave is deathly quiet ,,, for a moment.

Ebo sees them first: four humanoid forms, sickly-grey in the orange light. “Pfft, zombies” harumphed the minotaur. The forms spot the party, and rush towards the two warriors. “They’re moving awfully fast for zombies!” cries Ebo. Sam blurts out “As I feared, undead abominations. Back to the door!”

Minotaur and human make a fast retreat to the door and their waiting comrades. “Shut the door! Shut the door!” Before the door is shut and re-barred, Daric gets a good look. “Ghasts”, he explains. “Be careful, they can paralyze with but a touch, even elves.”

“Well, let’s forget that, then. No way would they keep Gimble in there.” Samman clearly wasn’t fond of the undead.

Calcarius, again, let out an exasperated shriek. “But what of the necromancer?” Samman was clearly confused. “Necromancers create and control undead! Clearly that,” he pointed a wingtip at the door, “is the necromancer’s lair!”

“Dammit!” cursed Samman. “I didn’t know that!” He turned towards the kenku, and stared at it’s black, unblinking eyes. “Look, friend, our wizard is missing, apparently captive high in this accursed tower. Our cleric is a babbling wreck, currently sitting in the corner of the room, cursing his goddess. Our normal leader is who-knows-where. The gnome is apparently getting gnawed on by a group of undead monstrosities. All we’re left with is a bunch of muscle-bound meatheads, myself included!”

Daric took exception to that remark. “I know what a necromancer is …” he mumbled.

“The question is, what do we do now?” said Ebo.

“Well, we could bottleneck them here.” says the elf. “Open up the door, let one through, chop him to pieces, rinse, then repeat.”

“It. Is. Good. Plan.” chirps the insectoid Thuli.

After several minutes arguing about their best positions, the party proceeds with the plan. Sure enough, it works tremendously. Open the door, in comes one of the grey, smelly ghasts. Chop choppity chop, put it to rest. There were apparently only four of the creatures, all of them easily dispatched. Feeling bolder, the party, torches aloft, re-enters the cavern.

This time, the party is quiet. The minotaur and Ebo again take the lead. They proceed, slowly, waiting for movement. After about 50 feet or so, another figure, a very large figure, enters into the far edge of the light. Over 7’ tall; stark-white fur; a broad, muscled chest; thick arms; and a head … horned, like that of a bull. Bas moves forward, dropping his guard ever so slightly, moves forward. “Kothar?” he murmurs.

“Bas, freeze!” yells the elf, from his usual safe position, way in the back of the party. “Whoever you think that is, it’s not. That … is a wight. Whatever you do, don’t let it touch you.”

“It is not I who should fear it’s touch, it is that necromancer who should fear mine!” growls their (living) minotaur ally. He hefts his warhammer high, and charges his undead brother. The two minotaurs -- living and unliving -- raise hammer and greataxe, and engage in battle. Ebo and Samman approach to give their ally assistance, and are instantly set upon by two more of wights, approaching from either side. These were clearly one humans, dressed in the ceremonial armor of the Perskebethi royal guard, and bearing the trademarked Perskebethi curved long swords. One of the wights manages to slash across Samman's chest. The blade is ice cold, and sends a sharp shiver of pain up the Samman's very spine.

"Aargh!" cries out the pit fighter. "It burns like ice!"

Somewhat confused by the statement, the others fight on. Daric, firing into the melee with his elven longbow, cries out "They can steal your very life force! Don't let them cut you!"

"Thanks for the handy advice! Clearly we mustn't let swords cut us, comrades!" announces the pit fighter, as his own borrowed blade catches the cold, leathery flesh of his opponent. The others -- lizardman, kenku, and thri-kreen -- enter the fray.

The battle seems to be going well, but the sounds of battle are interrupted as Ebo cries out in an unholy shriek. The others look over; he is holding his temples as if his very mind was being assaulted. Fortunately, the insect warrior Thuli is there to distract his opponent. "Are you alright, my friend?" shouts Samman, who has nearly finished his opponent.

"I am fine," pants the guardsman. "Something assaulted my mind, showing me horrible images".

"It must be the necromancer", Calcarius trilled. Sure enough, seconds later, a green beam of necrotic energy shoots out and hits Samman, who promptly holds his stomach and vomits. "We need to take him out, now!"

Bas lets out a mighty bellow, and takes a mighty swing at the undead monstrosity that was once his brother. The hammer strikes true: the creature's head is crushed in by the mighty impact, and collapses in a heap on the floor. The minotaur charges into the darkness. A beam of sickly white light briefly illuminates the darkness, then a deathly scream fills the room. The others finish their battles, and move over to find their large friend. As the torchlight fills the area, they find the minotaur, huffing and puffing. At his feet lies a human figure in lush, black robes. Blood trickles out of his mouth. Clearly the necromancer's spell missed, and the minotaur's charge dealt a near-lethal blow.

Ebo shouts down at the mortally wounded necromancer. "Where is our friend? Tell us, or we will end your pathetic life, here and now!"

The necromancer defiantly glares up at the fighter. "I welcome the visage of the Lady of Death."

"Fine", says Bas no-Korfan. With a mighty heave, he crushes the skull of the wizard into the stone floor of the cavern. With a snort, he murmurs, "toughest wizard in the tower, my ass." He turns and walks back to the center of the cavern.

Samman stands and shouts at the minotaur. "You fool! We need to find Gimble! You snuffed out our last chance to find out!"

"Or", states Daric, in his standard, matter-of-fact voice, "we could check Curtain #1". Sure enough, he pulls aside a dark curtain, cleverly dyed to match the cave walls. Beyond is a nook in the cavern. Within, is a small table, with straps and buckles, apparently for restraining prisoners. Nearby, sits another table full of small knives, scalpels, clamps, and other tools of surgery. Along the wall are parchments, laying out the anatomy of a small, humanoid creature, in fine detail. In the back of the cave sits a cage, and inside the cage, a small figure lies huddles in ratty blankets.

Ebo rushes in, and with a mighty heave, lifts up the front of the cage and tips it back with a loud clang. Even the minotaur is impressed with the show of strength. "Gimble!" shouts the Perskebethi warrior.

The small figure stirs. Gimble sits up, his scars from the repeated surgeries clearly present on his torso. He squints at the light of the party's torches, and opens his mouth to speak.

"Ugh", says the gnome, spitting on the floor. "This place's health care plan sucks."

To be continued ...

Rewards
Besides Gimble, the party finds the following: Back to Episode Guide
 * Gimble's silver raven
 * what appears to be the necromancer's spellbook
 * two poultices that are unfamiliar and have not been identified
 * four scrolls that have not been identified
 * five silver gargoyle figurines
 * 300 gp