It seems I had mistaken the rumours regarding whom the locals were calling a daemon. Although
Nephtiri has dealt with some staring and glaring at her masked visage, and as a result certainly does appear the foreigner in the eyes of the natives, it was another tel’quessir who was targeted by the rabblerousing. She refers to herself as
‘this one’, and though I have not seen it myself, Nephtiri says that she wears a crown of antlers woven into a wreath of leather bands. From what I have seen, ‘this one’ seems very quiet to the point of secretive and withdrawn and was dressed in hides and a visage covered by an inordinately large hood. Referring to oneself in the third person to my mind is an indication of some spiritual oath or vow of humility, the likes of which I have seen amongst certain barbaric tribes.
Nephtiri believed it was a matter of cultural custom to speak in the third person, though such was expressed on the basis of a tragic lack of familiarity with the People – and that in itself shall be a great hurdle towards her chosen pursuit of mastery indeed. I, on the other hand, believe it may be a personal decision. Though I could be wrong, I say this based on knowing no caste or creed, even amongst the wildest and wooded of the People to possess such a trait. At the very least I can surmise that ‘this one’ travels with the Stalwart Guard and has likewise ventured with Nephtiri in ‘battling the tides of the raging sea’. I am uncertain of this meaning, whether it be swimming against the tide as if to escape it or literally engaged with elemental manifestations or other hostile aquatic foes, but it seems to line up with her familiarity with the ‘wrecks.’
With that correction of my records, I shall return to the tale of the breach and how it was that I beheld the dangers of the depths of the world as well as its marvels and the lessons learned from such derring-do.
-
It began by leaving the gates of Sarshel with Talia of War and Sal of the Stalwart Guard. Bari claims their company was known by another name and though it is of some value to keep aware of such change and why it may have occurred, I can only reflect on my experience. To that end, it was not long before we lost sight of the city walls behind us and entered some caverns unknown to me. Following in their wake I was but a passenger in the course they had charted, confident only in the knowledge that this journey would further my understanding of the realm and that it was to be a demonstration of a day in the life of those who seek fortune spelunking and tromping through danger in that profession so familiar to the realms – adventuring.
First, we traversed tunnels infested with flesh-eating hornets of immense size, and even as early as this part of our journey I had a suspicion this place was connected to the breach of Songhall. Not only was my suspicion confirmed, but apparently the path led to Vlasta as Rain mentioned and more than that Sal claimed that it even connects to the Underdark, citing how they uncovered the corpse of one of the most treacherous things to exist in our world. Even at the chance that this could be true, let alone having eye-witness accounts, this made my discovery of this place more concerning than I thought. And though I said nothing at the time besides expressing shock, I find their casual remarks about these vile monstrosities and above else such a black mark as the very hint of a cursed one here to be an expression of detachment from the reality of the danger it represents! These are extremely dark tidings and bode terrible ill for this realm and through my experience I have decided that my work here is of greater gravity than I expected. It is clear to my mind that the adventurers of this land cannot be counted upon to properly utilise all that they uncover in their many and seemingly single-minded exploits.
My sentiments continue to build up when I consider the rest of our journey. The next encounter was a lesson of its own. As we moved forward, we came across a dead monster of no small stature, hacked and slashed to pieces and sure enough this was not a great concern for our hosts. But as they went ahead passing a pool of drying blood and I too went to cross it; we were ambushed by a clacking horror and a grotesque thing they call a gibberling. This unlikely duo was spotted by Kallian who shouted from behind and as they came charging at me and I managed to move aside in time for Talia and Sal to step in. Battle is always a blur, but by now I had come to see our companions as the professionals they are, and the threats were dispatched swiftly.
According to our guides, the horror and gibberling must have been a patrol from the deeper tunnels they had missed as they passed ahead, and these sorts of things can happen, making it no more safe to be in the rear than at the vanguard in places like this.
Thus, the first and main rule of the Stalwart Guard: everyone is to stay together at all times, and the group is to progress together. It seems this was to be an individual responsibility as much a collective one, and if we seem to lag too far behind we must close the gap or if someone falls behind, we must urge them on or call for a halt. The second rule seems as important as the first - to not draw the attention of anything that is not already engaged by the frontline and to stay well behind them.
I certainly must commend the efficiency with which these rules synthesise the organisational necessities of a successful (not dead and forgotten!) adventuring company. But there was another rule, and it was one we learned the true value of from what came next.
So far it was incredibly smooth sailing despite the grave dangers faced, but it was when Talia mentioned crystal golems – again so confidently, so casually citing such extraordinary things – motioning that they could be found past some webbing in the cavern ahead... when the winds of fate invariably yet imperceptibly changed. At the time, the mention of a crystal golem felt like just another case of name-dropping and my first thought was that it might be a product of artifice, a creation of some old alchemical workings and magic? After everything we’d already encountered and heard about, everything seemed absurd – I had truly jumped into the deep end. And as the vanguard moved forward, there was no time to reflect upon my thoughts but to state my interest in beholding such a sight. And even that moment was fleeting as Sal turned into the next tunnel and found himself struck face-first in a giant web.
And so he stood there, unable to move anything besides his mouth,
“Welp, this is it for me.”
I thought his words were a joke. That he was just making light of the situation and that the predicament was nothing beyond the usual for him just as it was with all the great monsters he had dispatched along the way. But then the giant monstrosity that spat the web came charging on eight legs at him, and with swift movements of its mandibles, fangs, or legs struck him low quicker than I could realise how terribly real it all was. It was a nightmare made manifest, completely surreal, and so great a contrast to everything that came before that I was frozen in place.
Another spider came for Talia across the way but she managed to fight it back, then the wretched thing that sunk its fangs into Sal turned to Kallian, drawn by her well place bolt sunken into its cephalothorax. She turned back to me, speechless, yet in my mind I heard the memory of her words from our first trek into the unknown,
"But if there is danger, I need you to run. Don't look back, and don't wait for me.” It was the same advice Rain had given us; it was the only true wisdom that I knew in the face of certain doom. And as I ran, I never heard her scream.
Though I heard a thud behind me as I fled, I could not look back. I knew what I had to do, and I felt a potent conjuration tear reality open not so far away. I fled into caverns unknown only to realise that fact and swiftly collapsed against a wall; silence and contemplation were all that I was left with. I was woefully unequipped and unprepared for anything like this. I was helpless and with nothing save a few medical kits and poultices of the faintest of healing power. There I came to terms with the reality of my situation: that I was alone and powerless in a place I could not possibly escape, with surrounded by monstrosities and terrors hidden in the dark.
There was nothing for it, I must have slipped into a reverie but in time began a silent approach towards whence I came. No movements, no sounds, and every inch forward was trepidation and yet hope for there was no sign of blood or gore either. And then I saw it. A cocoon, white and silken, unmoving, occupying the space Kallian had before. I read the dweomers around me, the portal was Talia’s but not of her own working. She had fled, and left us all behind. In the distance, lying on its back, was one of our two assailants, legs all crumpled into its body, sitting upon a pool of its own gruesome ichor. No sign of the other, and I dared not move into that clearing to find out where it had gone.
I scanned the ceiling, every groove in the dirt and the rock walls as inched forward, until I eventually reached the cocoon. With little else to work with I set my ritual athame upon the silken strands tearing it back with the slightest influx of heat tempered from a cantrip to see Kallian’s pallid visage, her blue lips, and yet as I checked for a pulse, I still felt its beat. Swiftly then I put to work my medicines, ointments, unguents and herbs. The poison seemed paralytic and debilitating, she was unconscious, and her breathing was shallow, but it was enough for me to bring about a resuscitation. Her eyes opened, huzzah, and I swiftly burnt away the rest of the bindings as she came to. Though not an anti-venom, I found an antidote in her bandolier, had her sit up, drink, and as we began to relax; I heard movement from behind.
Shock and stillness.
Then a familiar voice. Talia had returned, seemingly the portal had not whisked her off very far and after aiding with the ministrations with her healing powers she dared to move back into the clearing beyond where the results of her handiwork lay. There was no chittering, no movement, no sudden webbing, it was clear and it seems Sal (or at least his body) was slumped just beyond the corner. It was not for me to see what happened then but Talia worked her more potent powers as she uttered a litany of prayers and though I thought Sal surely dead, it seems his time was not quite done in the Prime Material.
In the aftermath of that sobering encounter, where these fearless champions of war and plunder were forced to contend with humility in what can in no uncertain terms be a defeat came the final and perhaps most important rule of adventuring:
Never travel alone underground or without telling someone where you are going. Although I think it applies to travelling anywhere alone not just underground, it is the thought of succumbing to the treacherous nature of this place and never being found, lost and forgotten forever in ignominy (if not simply consumed by monsters), or like what I felt in that moment, alone and powerless, doomed in a dark and unforgiving place with no expectation of aid save perhaps when next some mad band of adventurers dared braved these passages again in search of riches and glory.
But adventurers really are mad. Because after we recuperated, it was settled that we would venture forth as intended – and whilst for me that was quite fine, being unscathed at least physically, I do not think I would feel the same if I suffered as any of the others did. Well, each to their own, and they do worship war, this is their forte, this is what they live for. By such perspective this all makes sense. At least we would make camp first. So we made along the path beyond the dead spider, of the funnel-web variety it seems, to see a wounded one come skittering forth. This time it was made short work of, striking in desperation so, and Sal took out his vengeance upon it, stomping all over its downed carcass.
By this time the company was restored to vigour and though we would encounter a deranged kuo-toa and an odious troll, it was once more very professional work. I see how easy it is for them to be complacent when everything so often goes their way; adventurers truly are the apex predators in the lairs of the monstrous. Anyway, soon after passing through the troll’s lair we reached a defensible cavern suited to setting camp, but given our destination was just on the other side of it we climbed back up onto the surface again. Fresh air made for the finest relief, and so I’d come to Vlasta for the first time, in the strangest of ways. With trade and respite seen to, we met the arcanist Essuh Terik with whom we descended once more into that vast underworld, reaching for the crystal caverns. But that venture and its incredible portents will have to be preserved in memory for now.
What began as an examination of a breach of security and sanctity has revealed itself to be so much more. Not just a serious threat, but an opportunity, a mystery, and as time passes I believe with growing certainty that it has to be the key to finding what I’ve come here for.