Amber Ablaze – blogpost 8

We continue our journey through the caves below Red Larch. The child (Bralen) wants to get out of here, so we decide to bring him to the inn. But how are we going to get out…? Luckily, we find a tunnel that leads up, and we exit the underground lair in the middle of town, behind the house of Ilmelth Waelvur. The town is a little quieter than earlier: people do not approach the sinkhole anymore, but still, look at us when we walk by. I think they thought we would exit the way we entered: through the sinkhole. They are quite surprised but don’t speak to us. Kaylessa (the priestess) takes Bralen in her care and remains in the inn with him. We return to the underground tunnels and take a different route: we head for the place where we are not allowed. I smell the adventure! With my (produce) flame in my hand, I stride forward together with Tomen.

We find ourselves in a nice tunnel paved with stones. Soon we see a couple of bodies that smell like they’ve been here for a while. Giant rats are eating on the bones and rotting flesh that is still on them. I feel a shiver down my spine. We decide not to attack the rats and avoid them: we distance ourselves from them and walk in a line around them and their feast. In the next room, we find a floating stone. It seems like everything inside an area in this room is enchanted to float. I don’t try it, but I am intrigued by the magic. Lurlille steps into the area and floats around the room. Tomen wants to try it as well, but unfortunately for him, he is simply too heavy. I could have told him that as well, but I did not want to break his enthusiasm. We continue our way to a door. Celeste halts and says that she hears voices through the door. I listen as well: it is a group of people searching for adventurers investigating the dungeon. They are waiting for us. After a short discussion, we decide to slam open the door and attack directly. I like that: going for the kill. I want to protect my party and be a hero to them, so I try to build up some momentum to attack two bandits simultaneously. I try to use the pedestal of the statue in the middle of the room as a ramp to launch myself, but I slip and miss the bandits. Ugh. How humiliating. I again miss some attacks, and when the fight is over, I sit on the pedestal to control my anger and disappointment. The party catches one bandit that is still alive and ties him up. I don’t care: I rather like killing him now.

Before I can stand up, Tomen and Lurlille open the next door in this room. Apparently, there is only one man in the hall. Lurlille shoots her slingshot and kills him instantly. Right in the eye! If I only could have hit a bandit… In the next room, we try to be more careful. Tomen and I walk in front to take damage if someone attacks us. In the middle of the room, we see a priest, and instantly, my speed is reduced. I think the rest of us has the same problem, except Tomen and Celeste. Tomen is already slow, but I don’t like me having the same speed. Then I’m no better than a big shell-armored Tortol. Tomen, Celeste, and Lurille defeat the priest after my attacks miss the priest again. 

We investigate the room. Well they investigate, I kick a small stone around to hit something today. I hear some voices near the bodies near the wall: the party is interrogating the bandit we tied up together with Harburg (city watch/butcher). Kaylessa told Harburg where we went, and he searched until he found us. Harburg is very surprised that we killed the priest and tells us that the priest is a member of the Black Earth Cult. The cult abused the old tales of the moving stones to control Red Larch – the believers and delvers are real, but the cult used it as a coverup. We helped to stop that plan from resulting in some bad stuff. Good, I contributed to something good today, I tell myself. I grab my book with poems and go and sit for a quick read.