Enola Yarn – blogpost 53

We discuss a bit about what to do next. We agree with Valentin, who first wants to find Calyx, kill the death tyrant, and then revive Smokey. We have to be very careful not to activate any ‘teleports’ in our quest to find Calyx. 

We find a lever in a room. We try to pull it with a mage hand, but it doesn’t work – we try it with two. However, we are surprised by another TELEPORT. I crouch on the floor, with my eyes closed, and look around. I’m still here, and so is the rest. In addition, someone new appeared in front of us: it was a youngster halfling in red attire.

“Who are you?!”

“Hey… um… how did I get here…?” he looks around. “I’m Ruben Rybnick, a merchant and specialist in beautiful fabrics. This here is my good friend and partner Shaggs.” he gestures to his left. 

The partner isn’t there. Maybe this is someone with imaginary friends, like kids? 

“I’m looking for very expensive fabrics,” he adds.

Valentine shakes his hand, and he shakes her very excitedly and violently. 

We all introduce ourselves and try to convince him to help us defeat Netherskull the death tyrant. He seems interested in the leather of the creature, so he says he’ll tag along. What a weirdo… making fabric out of skin is very morbid. I take a mental note never to take clothes from him, even if I’m freezing to death. 

“Shaggs is here like you are,” says Ruben to Farryn, who’s feeling around to find the invisible extra party member. “there are multiple people who cannot see you. He is a bit shy.”

We pass the room where we found Smokey. The room is empty, but we still have to get past the mind flayer statue. Valentine destroys the statues with a couple of eldridge blasts, without activating them. 

“Hold up! We have to watch out for the gelatinous cube below this trapdoor,” warns Farryn.

Farryn opens the trapdoor and shows a gelatinous cube. Valentine and I attack the cube until it’s gone. 

After the short fight, Ruben tries to get some felly from the button by hanging from our immovable rod. When he gets up, he is very whiny about stretching his arm. I don’t buy it, I think he’s just pretending to be hurt. I have no idea why he would do that, but it’s just a feeling I have. I intend to keep a close eye on him. 

We spot a couple of bodies in an adjacent hallway. They all have the back of their heads smashed in. It looks like the wound is made using a big hammer. The weird dwarf must’ve done this. 

In the next room, we see an arch with a six-fingered hand on it. There are creatures with six fingers, but it doesn’t match at all. Something else needs to be inserted, but I have no idea. We head to the East, walk through a door, and were greeted by a big arrow. It is shot by a ballista. There are two of them in this room, and Valentine and I break them down very quickly. 

As soon as we’re done and can pass the rubble, we exit the room. A while later we find a door leading to a place we haven’t been before. We see red bulbs in the distance. That must be the eyes of the Death Tyrant. We cannot go in there yet, we have to find Calyx first. Valentine is eager to walk further – because of the extra personality of the ghost. We turn around and find a deep pit in the north. At the bottom, we see a sarcophagus. This must be the grave of the Vampire that is ruling this area. Let’s not disturb it, I think – luckily, the others just pass. 

A while later, we find a place with a painting on the wall. I investigate it, because I like art, and suddenly recognize someone in the painting. It is Calyx! I feel a strong pull from the painting, and I have to put my hands against the wall to not get sucked in, but I manage to keep enough distance. 

“GUYS! Don’t look at the painting, but Calyx is in there!!” I shout. 

Calyx is stuck in a cell, in a sort of desert, chained to the bars. How are we going to get him out of there? 

“Can’t we get him back? Should we destroy the painting?!” shouts Farryn.

“FARRYN! Don’t be so stupid! That’s not how this works.” I tell him off. How can someone that smart be so stupid?!

I choose to shoot a well-aimed fire bolt at the painting to only attack the magic surrounding the painting. 

Then, like gas, Calyx evaporates from the painting and finds solid ground next to us. He is back from his painting prison! Ruben introduces himself and Shaggs. 

We sneak to a separate room, near the Death Tyrant to discuss tactics. We want to surprise it, so we have the advantage. However, to sneak past it, we need a key to open a door. Ropi and Mip are going to get the key, but get teleported and even killed (until summoned again). At that point, we have to go ourselves. We decide to fly there and surprise the Death Tyrant. 

As we fly, Calyx as an owl with passengers, FARRYN with Grond, and Valentine with her wings, suddenly – it happens. Valentine falls with a scream. She manages to save herself, but we’re noticed by Netherskull the Death Tyrant. 

We all hear a burst of dangerous laughter…