Tenth Entry

Rejoined by my companions in Xaceos, they regale me with tales of cave trolls, underground wizards, magic mushrooms, spheres, and the death and resurrection of Sidonia Jort al’Kur. Some of us train, others simply rest. For my part, I make visits to a local magic supply shop (for more runeclay), to a jeweler (to determine the value of certain gems and jewels kept on my person) and to the local Thieves Guild, where I register and take the time to learn with more precision the properties of the magical dagger I have been carrying. I am delighted to discover that its properties include: an exceptionally sharp edge; increased likelihood to hit opponents (+2); and extra damage to enemies(+3). These latter properties are enhanced further when the weapon is thrown or used in a surprise backstab (+3/+4). Perhaps the dead elf in the spider-well was a thief like me. If so, I pray to Dou that the weapon will serve me better than it did him. With Dou’s guidance, I christen the blade “Shred”.

We decide to embark upon the ten day journey to the mountains and the path toward Orc City.

On the fourth day, we come upon a band of ten Orcs. “Sleepy-heads, you’ll soon be deads…”. And they are.

Day 6 brings a charging group of 20 Orcs that cause more trouble. I miss with my sling as they close upon us, and the battle does not go well at first. I manage to extract myself from the melee and fire sling bullets from the rear, until a single Orc charges me directly. I slash him once with Shred – he hits back twice. The first blow is a glancing one, but with the second, all goes black…

I awake to find Sidonia administering a healing potion. The Orcs are dead, but the battle was damaging, and we find it necessary to nurse our wounds for 19 days at camp. One night brings danger as Philhemena wakes me to investigate a snuffling noise near her guard post. Trax and I creep up upon a Warg. I have heard of these creatures but never faced one until now. Trax fires a crossbow bolt, whereupon the giant beast leaps upon her viciously. I cast my Sleep spell and the Warg falls to the ground. Trax dispatches it.

Later that week, I kill another Orc scout as we close upon the trail. The rangers track back to his camp, and I am able to Charm his partner, an Orc by the name of Tzalphk, who becomes a fountain of information. “Everybody trades in Orc City – goblins, dwarves with mithril, elves with raw materials, humans with their weapons and leather… Caravan masters with Orcs take in and abandon young adventurers… Humans attacking from the north are not in cooperation, but are helpful nonetheless, to the Orcs… The Scout Guild in Orc City teaches scouting… When in Orc City, you can stay in the Visitors Quarter in relative safety… You need black armbands emblazoned with the red brand – these are available at the Gateway on the road… The Orcs have come together under the incredible leadership of the “Chieftain”, who came from a small town in the hinterland… Access to the Chieftain is possible if you grease palms – they want mithril and runeclay, so bring samples…”

We send Tzalphk back to the gateway to obtain armbands and passes for us. We agree that our story can be that we have a connection to runeclay supplies through Florae, which is known to have good clay.

Bravely, we set forth to the mountains and the narrowing road. The gatehouse proves no obstacle, and we continue our trek for another half day to a fork in the road. The left fork leads up a short hill and we determine to investigate the building at its end. It is the Temple of Kneal (Land). We circle the building and I am able to find a means of entry. It is quiet. It is dark. There are no windows. There is a strange, dank, medicinal aura to this place.

We come upon ten figures guarding a chest. They are undead zombies. Trax hacks all ten of them to bits, and removes the heads. Finding no traps on the chest, we open it to find a potion (Extra-healing) and a key (#3). Sidonia holds these.

Another room is dominated by golem statues. Behind a nearby altar, I locate a secret door. I peer inside, to see three still figures, their backs to me, another chest lying on the floor directly in front of them. I move silently behind them, along a side wall. I consider attempting to backstab, but they are so silent and still – I wonder if I can quietly investigate the chest without waking them?

Wrong move. They chase me from the room (although I am able to kill one of them on the way out). The party returns to dispatch them, so that we can see what they are guarding. Bolts of white cloth, a book on top. Notes in Orcish, dates, experiments, dosages, compounds. A set of test tubes, scales and powder. Zombie-making equipment. Is there any horrific endeavour into which these Orcs are not involved?

Comforted that these zombies do not appear to be especially strong, we are emboldened to explore more quickly, chopping zombies where we find them. A room with a bloodless corpse on the floor, a zombie eating its intestines. Another room with two zombies bumping into each other, repeatedly. Zombies in a square painted on the ground. Zombies playing ping pong. Bodies on tables. We heal a dying elf named Reewald. Zombies guarding bookshelves loaded with tomes. Silverleaf finds Key #1. Trax carries it.

One room with tables. A blow from nowhere, and an invisible zombie has felled me. It is cornered and dismembered, and I am resuscitated by Trax with a ready Potion of Healing, my wounds bound.

What is this madness…