Episode 61 – What the ... ?
| The Assassins |
Azareth - Wizard 5th Level LE (PC) Craven - Duelist/Thief 4th/4th LE (PC) Creighton - Fighter 5th Level LE (PC) Keldirk - Rogue 6th level NE (PC) |
| Locale | Unknown. |
| Date | 4th Goodmonth 582 CY |
| Time | After midnight. |
Creighton shifted uncomfortably on the uneven ground. He twisted and turned in a futile attempt to find a comfortable position but the cold of the packed earth and a small, sharp stone betrayed his efforts. Reluctantly the hulking warrior opened his eyes, sat up and stretched. With a yawn he looked around and tried to blink the sleep from his eyes.
Then the realisation of his situation dawned on him. Blinking furiously Creighton reached for his sword. It was pitch-black but Creighton didn't need to rely on light to realise that he was no longer in his room. His fingers scratched around in the dirt but his weapons were gone.
| Creighton | What in the nine hells is going on here?? |
Creighton took a deep breath and tried to regain his composure. He sat in an impenetrable darkness, so absolute that he wondered if perhaps he had gone blind. Then, with some relief, Creighton heard the peaceful breathing of his slumbering companions nearby. He could recognise Keldirk's nasal snore anywhere.
Reaching out, Creighton gently roused Keldirk.
| Creighton | Shhh. |
| Keldirk | (awake instantly he whispers) What's up? |
| Creighton | I don't know yet. But our room's gone. |
Keldirk lay in mystified silenced for a few moments and tried to find reason in Creighton's words until, finally, the thief's own senses alerted him of the change. He had gone to sleep on the top level of The Whistler but now lay in the dirt wearing nothing but his nightshirt and soft doeskin breaches. There was no breeze, no sky and no sound hinted at his location.
Creighton waited patiently for Keldirk to catch up.
| Keldirk | The others? |
| Creighton | Nearby. I think Azareth is to your left and Craven a bit further on. |
| Keldirk | (picturing the locations) We are positioned just like we were in our room. |
| Creighton | Exactly. Except our room is gone. |
| Keldirk | No, the room hasn't gone, we've been teleported. Wake the others, but do it quietly. I'm going to explore. |
| Creighton | Okay. But don't go to far. |
Creighton woke Azareth then Craven and informed them of the situation. Just then Keldirk returned, calling softly to pinpoint their location.
| Keldirk | (fumbling in the dark, pulls his companions into a huddle) Here's what we know. We are no longer in The Whistler. We don't have our equipment and its bloody dark. I had a quick search and discovered that we're in a cave, about fifty paces long, twenty-five wide. There are three large tunnels leading out, not including any tunnels I might have missed above head height. The walls and floor are natural stone. A thin layer of dirt and pebbles covers the ground. I'm wearing the same clothes that I fell asleep in and I presume you three are too. |
| Azareth | Yes. |
| Creighton | Yes. |
| Craven | Kind of. |
| Keldirk | (pauses) What do you mean, 'kind of'? |
| Craven | Well, I don't wear anything to bed. |
| Creighton | (reaches out in the darkness and pats Craven on the bum) You deviate. (chuckles) |
| Craven | Bed-clothes constrict me. And, besides, women just love snuggling up to me and touching my body. I suppose sleeping naked has become a habit over the years. |
| Keldirk | (sarcastically) Fascinating. Really, go on. |
| Craven | No that's okay. I'm done. |
| Keldirk | Good. So, this situation raises a number of pertinent questions. One: where are we? Two: why are we here? Three: Who sent us here? Four: How do we get back? |
| Creighton | Five: Where do we find Craven a pair of pants? |
| Azareth | (barely suppresses a chuckle) |
| Keldirk | I'm glad you think this is amusing. |
| Creighton | Lighten up. |
| Craven | No, Keldirk's right. This is serious. First thing we should do is try to arm ourselves. Did you stumble across any sticks, branches or large stones? |
| Keldirk | Did I say I had? |
| Craven | No. |
| Keldirk | Well there's your answer. |
| Craven | Fine. Then there's nothing we can do except pick a passage and follow it. |
| Azareth | We could always wait here for a while. Perhaps we were sent here for a purpose, a purpose which will become evident when whoever sent us here contacts us. Perhaps Creighton woke up prematurely or our contact is late. Either way, if we move from here we may never know. |
| Craven | You have a point. |
| Keldirk | Don't be ridiculous. You want us to sit here and wait until some figment of the mage's imagination wanders in and says "Hello chaps, here is your equipment. Sorry for any trouble. You'll find your way home through passage number two. Goodbye." |
| Azareth | (sighs) No. That is not what I meant. I am merely suggesting that it might be prudent to remain here for another hour or two before beginning a thorough exploration of the tunnels. |
| Craven | (suddenly wishing he still had his vampirical night-sight) I agree. We wait for two hours then, if nobody has come, we select a passage and go. |
The assassins moved to the cavern wall and waited in silence. It was difficult to measure the passage of time but perhaps two and half hours later they scrambled to their feet and Keldirk lead them, hand in hand, around the wall to the first tunnel.
| Keldirk | This is as good a tunnel as any, I suppose. |
| Azareth | I beg to differ. |
| Keldirk | That fact comes as no surprise, mage. You make a habit of disagreeing with logic. We've already wasted two hours for your mythical benefactor to arrive. I think now is the time for action. |
| Azareth | You said there were three tunnels? I am simply suggesting that we should spend some time gathering what data we can from said passages before making our decision. |
| Keldirk | It's pitch black, what do you hope to discover? |
| Azareth | Keldirk, even you must be aware that there are five senses. I would rather not imagine what you were doing when the Masters back on the Olman Islands instructed us to make use of each and every one of them. The more information that we have at our disposal the better decisions we will be able to make. It would be wise not to forget the teachings of our instructors. Agreed? |
| Keldirk | (sighs) Fine, go sniff the air, lick the dirt, or do whatever you want. (mutters) You couldn't have done this wile were just sitting around? That would have made too much sense. I'll wait here. |
Azareth, with Creighton close behind, moved around the cavern and checked each tunnel in turn. After ten or so minutes they returned.
| Craven | And? |
| Azareth | We could learn nothing more from the first tunnel. The second tunnel was more interesting, both Creighton and I could smell water. |
| Creighton | It was very faint, mind you. |
| Azareth | The ground near that tunnel feels sandier than this one, which has more of a gravelly feel. |
| Keldirk | This is fascinating. Really. |
| Azareth | (ignores Keldirk) The third tunnel is the largest of the three and both Creighton and I could smell something that reminded us of stale dung. So maybe an animal of some kind lives, or lived, down there. We could not hear anything, perhaps one of you would have better luck. |
| Creighton | Assuming that there's something down there to hear, of course. |
| Azareth | Indeed. I believe that we should investigate either the second or the third tunnel. The second tunnel could be interesting in that it may lead to a body or flow of water that may, in turn, lead to the surface. The third tunnel may or may not contain some animal life. And if there is a creature living there then perhaps they have a means to reach the outside world. |
| Creighton | Critters have to eat, don't they? |
| Craven | True. But maybe the animals have no reason to leave the caverns, they may eat things that wander these tunnels, |
| Keldirk | Like us. |
| Craven | (laughs humourlessly) Yes, like us. |
| Azareth | So what tunnel do we take? |
A few moments passed before the assassins agreed to follow the second tunnel. If nothing else, they decided, they would need water to drink sooner or later.
With their decision made the group linked hands and - with Creighton out front - they stumbled their way along the pitch-black tunnel. It was slow going and extremely tiring as each man moved forward. Creighton began each step with a sweep of his foot to ensure that his next step would not be his last. This painstaking process took its toll on the assassins and before long their nerves were on edge. The floor of the tunnel was anything but smooth; loose stones, roots, snags and the varying ground level all conspired to trip the unwary.
After what seemed like hours Creighton suddenly stopped. He pulled his bare foot back and reversed into Craven.
| Craven | What is it? |
| Creighton | Eww! I stepped in something sticky. |
| Craven | Does it hurt? |
| Creighton | (pauses) No. |
| Keldirk | Then keep walking. |
| Creighton | Feel free to step up and take the lead any time you want, hero. |
| Keldirk | No, I'm happy where I am. |
| Creighton | Hang on a second I'm gonna check this stuff out. |
The big warrior bent down and scooped a glob of the sticky substance from his toe. Raising his finger to near his face he took a quick whiff. It was a familiar smell but not one that he could easily identify. The substance was thick and very sticky.
| Creighton | Hey Az, come here and get a whiff of this. |
Azareth moved forward and tentatively sniffed at Creighton's hand.
| Azareth | It is tar, or something akin to that. (snaps his fingers) Keldirk, break off a length of root and bring it to me. |
| Keldirk | Why? |
| Azareth | Must you question everything I ask of you? |
| Craven | Just do it Keldirk. |
Without further comment, the young assassin felt his way back along the tunnel until he found a root sticking from a wall, no thicker than a child's arm. He took hold and yanked with all his strength, tearing and twisting the root from the wall.
| Keldirk | (hands the yard-long root to Azareth) Here! |
Azareth inched forward on his knees and dipped one end of the root into the sticky substance. Stepping back he reached out until he found Creighton.
| Azareth | Now, if you will be so kind, please use your magic to light this. If the substance is tar then I figure we will have made ourselves a serviceable torch. |
| Creighton | (rises to his haunches and prepares to cast) |
| Craven | Wait! Not here. Let's go back a bit. If your flames strike that pool we could be in trouble. |
The group moved back a number of yards and placed the root on the ground. Creighton linked his thumbs and splayed his fingers while concentrating on the words of magic within his blind eye. In an instant, a fan of flames erupted from his finger-tips and the others were forced to look away from the blinding flash. Once their vision returned they found the makeshift torch alight.
| Creighton | Ta-da! |
| Azareth | (applauds) Well done. |
| Creighton | It was your idea. |
| Azareth | I could not have done it without you. |
| Creighton | You're too kind. (bows) |
| Azareth | Not at all. |
| Keldirk | (pushes through and picks up the torch) Where to? |
| Craven | Back the way we came, I suppose. We can't be certain how much tar there is and I'd rather not cause an explosion in these confines. |
| Azareth | Before we go we should prepare a few more torches; no telling how much longer we'll be stuck in this place. |
After preparing enough torches to last them many hours the assassins proceeded back along the tunnel, away from the reservoir of tar. On their way back, Creighton and Craven broke off several hefty sized roots that would serve as makeshift clubs.
Before long the assassins returned to the cavern where they awoke many hours ago. Holding the torch high they had their first good look at where they had arrived. It was a large, flat-floored space, devoid of anything interesting save the three tunnels in its wall. The ceiling was a natural, dark brown stone and rose perhaps fifty feet above their heads. Roots wound about stalactites while others hung limply from the ceiling like twisted snakes, frozen into place. The smoke from the assassins' rudimentary torch floated high and flowed about the ceiling like an ominous cloud.
They examined the cavern closely, paying extra attention to the area of ground where they woke, but found nothing to hint at how they had arrived in the cavern complex nor any clues as to why there were here.
Their decision made, the four assassins gathered at the entrance to the third tunnel. Keldirk and Craven, having better hearing than the others, listened at the entrance to the tunnel. Keldirk nodded once after a few moments and declared that he had heard a faint chittering sound.
| Craven | Are you sure? |
| Keldirk | Yes, I'm sure. |
| Craven | Perhaps we should light more torches; for defence. If the sound Keldirk hears is being made by a living creature then maybe we'll need more than these crude clubs. |
| Azareth | Catch twenty-two. If we light more torches now then that will reduce the amount of light we will have later. There is no telling how long we may be trapped in here. |
| Creighton | We can light them pretty quickly, if needs be. This tar is pretty flammable stuff. |
| Craven | Agreed. (places a hand on Keldirk's shoulder) Do you want to take the lead? You've always been quieter than me. |
| Keldirk | (nods and begins to walk ahead) |
The assassins left the large central cavern and proceeded down the third tunnel. Apart from their muffled footfalls and the occasional pop of the torch the group moved through the tunnel in silence. Keldirk thirty feet in the lead followed by Creighton, then Azareth with Craven bringing up the rear.
They passed a number of side tunnels, but they were all too low or too tight for anyone to fit down with ease so they continued until, finally, they reached a T-intersection. Keldirk returned to the group and said he could no longer hear the chittering sound. Creighton checked the floor for signs of passage but the stone revealed no secrets.
Keldirk took the left passage but it continued for only a short distance before the tunnel height decreased appreciably. In a matter of yards the assassins were forced to backtrack and continue along the right path.
Another intersection and another passage, this one continued for sometime with a number of dead end passages leading from it before they made another left turn. Azareth tried to keep a mental map of their progress but even he was becoming confused.
| Azareth | Every damned tunnel looks the same. I wish I had some parchment. |
| Creighton | If I had a wish I'm sure I'd wish for something better than a piece of paper. |
They walked for what seemed like hours. Occasionally Keldirk would return to the others and declare that he had heard more of the chittering sounds. But each time the sound would soon stop and return them to the eerie silence. The seemingly endless tunnels sapped their strength, they plodded along drearily hopeful that something would be around the next bend. They had exhausted several of their precious torches and still they walked in this maze of tunnels, with no sign of imminent escape. The assassins made yet another turn when Keldirk again returned and signalled the group to a halt.
| Creighton | More clicking sounds? |
| Keldirk | Yes, but much louder than before. Listen! |
| Craven | Yes, I hear them. |
| Azareth | Me too. |
| Creighton | (shrugs) I can't hear a thing. |
| Azareth | What now? |
| Craven | We proceed. What choice do we have? I'm kind of hoping we meet something - anything. This monotony is getting on my nerves. |
| Azareth | Be careful what you wish for; we may be bored, but at least we are safe. |
Keldirk turned and continued his scouting, the others falling in behind. They didn't travel much further when Keldirk stopped them again.
| Keldirk | Whatever is making the noise is just up ahead. (to Creighton) Even you must have heard that. |
| Creighton | (strains to hear) Nope. |
| Craven | Shh! Be quiet. |
| Creighton | (softly) I heard it. |
| Craven | (listens) I have no idea what it is. Do you guys have any theories? |
| Azareth | (suddenly spins around) Listen! |
| Keldirk | (listens) The mage is right. The sound is coming from behind us as well. We're trapped. |
| Creighton | What do we do? Go back the way we came? There was a series of small side tunnels a few hundred yards back. |
| Craven | No, not yet. |
| Keldirk | Okay, so we wait. What for? |
| Craven | I don't know. But the tunnel is pretty narrow here. While there's not much room in this passage to fight it does mean that if something attacks us they'll have to come at us one at a time. (scratches his head) Keldirk, swap places with Creighton. If they, whatever they are, come at us from both sides then we'd better let Creighton and I handle them. |
| Azareth | I suggest we each light a torch. If the approaching creatures are animals of some kind they will likely be afraid of the fire. Either way, we can ill afford to be trapped here without light. |
Creighton, Craven and Keldirk each lit a torch and listened, nervously waiting for whatever was making the sound to come into view. The clicking grew louder and before long they could see what was causing the strange noise. From up ahead several large, shiny black shapes came into Creighton's view.
| Creighton | Ants! Giant ants! (sucks in his breath, horrified) We've been shrunk. |
| Azareth | Either that or these are massively large, giant ants. |
The insects stopped just within the firelight. The creatures were as tall in the shoulder as Creighton was tall, their antennae higher still. The assassins could see only five ants but there were obviously more moving in the semi-darkness beyond those.
The ants' multifaceted eyes gleamed as the creatures pivoted their heads from side to side in fast jerky movements. Huge mandibles snapped open and shut, each snap making the sharp clicking noise that the assassins heard. The antennae on the ants' heads wiggled constantly as the insects decided what to make of the four humans before them. So far the tunnel behind was clear.
| Craven | Do we run? |
| Azareth | No, not yet. |
After a few tense moments of appraisal it seemed that the ants had made a decision and they scuttled ahead to attack. Craven moved up the line and took up position beside Creighton.
Creighton stepped forward and thrust his burning brand at the nearest ant, causing it to rear up onto its hind legs. Craven stepped in deftly and thwacked the ant on a leg with his torch. The ant fell back, clearly injured.
The tunnel was tight and both Craven and Creighton found it difficult to get any power behind their swings. Keldirk retreated back the way they had come and listened in case more ants appeared to cut off their escape.
| Azareth | (behind Keldirk) I do believe that we are in an ant nest. |
| Keldirk | What's your point? |
| Azareth | No point. I was just making an observation. |
| Keldirk | Well here's an observation for you: make yourself bloody useful! |
| Azareth | (refusing to be drawn into Keldirk's argument) Two of the ants beyond Creighton seem to be carrying something, while those in front are empty handed - so to speak. (peers into the near darkness) I think it may be food. |
| Keldirk | (rolls his eyes) Stop yabbering and cast a spell or something. The others need you. |
| Azareth | That probably means that these ants have just come from the surface. We must be near an exit! The way out is somewhere ahead! We should try and push forward! |
| Creighton | (puffing) Easier said than done. There are a lot of them and I can't see them backing down now. |
| Craven | I can't keep this up much longer they are starting to wear me down. And it's getting slippery underfoot with all this ant goo. |
| Azareth | Keldirk, hold this. (hands him his burning torch) I have an idea. |
Azareth closed his eyes and recalled the words to his latest - and most powerful - spell. Satisfied he had the incantation procedure correct, he began to mentally weave the fabric of his spectral force. He pictured the entrance of an ant nest that he recalled from his childhood, little more than a hole in the ground, and he zoomed in with his mind's eye to see the line of industrious ants that marched in and out. Then he let the scene expand and he pictured a swarm of wasps flying through the trees like a sentient cloud. He imagined them twist and turn as they flew towards the nest entrance, artfully dodging twigs, leaves and webs. In his mind he heard the constant drone of their rapidly beating wings and, just as he had the picture clear in his head, he began to cast. As the magic flowed into him he kept the scene playing in his mind. Releasing the magic, Azareth played out his fiction and brought six giant wasps into illusory existence.
The sound of the buzzing wasps became spectral reality and the ants paused briefly, breaking off their frenzied attack.
Creighton and Craven stepped back warily, out of breath. They had no idea what was going on but, upon seeing the concentration on Azareth's face, they soon understood.
As the first of Azareth's illusionary giant wasps flew down the tunnel and into the meagre light, chaos reigned. Wasp after wasp appeared and hovered angrily over the giant ants. The ants scattered as the wasps appeared, all but ignoring the less threatening human invaders. Antennae wiggling, the ants attacked. But as quick as they were Azareth's wasps were quicker. Breaking away, the phantasmal wasps flew on, deeper into the tunnel and closer, Azareth hoped, to the Ant Queen.
The ants, sensing the threat, ignored the humans, dropped their foodstuffs and chased the winged enemies down the corridor. The assassins pressed hard against the wall and allowed the column of ants to pass.
| Keldirk | (looks down the tunnel at the rapidly departing ants) That was nice, mage. I'm impressed. |
| Azareth | You can thank me later. Right now we have to move and fast! The illusion won't last too much longer; pretty soon the wasps will disappear and the ants may return. The entrance to the nest is probably up ahead. |
| Craven | Let's go! |
With that the group made their way past several ant corpses and into the clear tunnel ahead. Minutes later a short gust of wind all but gutted Creighton's torch; that small sign showed them that they were indeed nearing an exit. Once they had lost sight of the ants Azareth instructed Creighton to pick up the pace and the four jogged along the twisting tunnel. After being stuck underground for so many hours they could practically smell the fresh air ahead of them and it was easy for them to find their way into the daylight. What they saw once they got there however left them breathless.
After their eyes adjusted to the bright light they surveyed the area. They found themselves at the top of a treeless hill surrounded by a forest that stretched as far as the eye could see. The entrance to the ant nest was little more than a hole in the ground, atop the hill. A path, well-worn into the earth by the marching of thousands of ants, lead down to the tree line. But what had struck the assassins speechless was the sky. Instead of the vibrant blue that one would expect on a day such as this, the assassins peered into a red, cloudless sky. The sun was at its zenith, the white ball the only blemish in the vastness of red.
| Craven | What the... ? |
| Azareth | (chuckles) I don't think we're in Del Mord anymore, Toto! |
| Craven | Who's Toto? |
| Azareth | Never mind, it was something I saw back in Chathold. It is unimportant. |
| Keldirk | Come on, let's get out of here. Head towards the trees, I don't want to be here when those ants return. |
| Normal Text | Character's words or descriptive text if part of a paragraph |
| Italic Text | Character's thoughts or actions if surrounded by parenthesis |
| Bold Text | Character is shouting. |