The Recounted Chronicles of John Harrison Part II

by Dusterra Shadowthorn Custodian and Chronicler for Aezlebov Zobelo

After returning with fresh tea, John settled back into his seat, a thoughtful expression on his face. "There was nothing we could do," he began, his voice tinged with regret. "Not without an excavation team."
With careful steps, they made their way back up through the treacherous tunnels of the Underdark, each moment fraught with the danger of unseen pitfalls. At one point, as they traversed a natural bridge, the ground crumbled beneath John's feet. With quick reflexes, he managed to catch himself with a piton from his hip, narrowly avoiding a deadly fall.
Upon returning to Souk, John wasted no time in assembling an expedition team, seasoned veterans who knew the risks and how to avoid them. Setting up camp near the pyramid, they began the arduous task of digging down below its formidable exterior.
Finally, they breached the hidden entrance and stepped into the heart of the pyramid, greeted by the haunting hieroglyphs that adorned its walls. The depictions of dark funeral rituals and the reverence for Anubis covered the tunnel.
Scrolls discovered within revealed the stories of those cursed to eternal undeath, their crimes and transgressions etched into walls inside the pyramid. The punishment of these dead were to protect the secrets of the pyramid for all time.
As they retrieved as many scrolls as they could carry and returned to camp, they found it under attack by the drow, forcing John and a handful of his crew to flee for their lives. Though they escaped with their lives, John couldn't shake the feeling of missed opportunity, knowing there was so much more within the pyramid's depths left unexplored.
I asked what kind of things were written in the scrolls. He told me most scrolls were so old and brittle they were falling apart, He did peice together a few stories from the scrolls.
He went on to detail one of the scrolls. It was an ancient tale of a desperate man who sought out Anubis, his heart turned to stone by a hag's curse. After a harrowing journey, he approached the god of judgment and death, pleading for salvation. Anubis, whose head resembled that of a black jackal, listened intently, his piercing gaze seeming to weigh the man's very soul.
In exchange for the restoration of his heart, Anubis demanded a price. This task would test the man's resolve and faith. With trembling hands, the man accepted, knowing that his fate hung in the balance between salvation and eternal damnation. And thus, a pact was formed, the rest of the story cuts off there. The scroll had deteriorated and the rest of the story was lost to time.
I asked John how he felt about the fact that these men gave their lives for this knowledge to be brought back to the world. John's expression grew somber; "Of course I feel bad," he admitted, his voice heavy with regret. "But they knew the risks, just as we all did."
With a determined stride, John crossed the room to a shelf lined with scrolls, retrieving a folded document from amongst the ancient texts. Unfolding it, he revealed a map detailing the layout of the pyramid, along with instructions leading to a secret exit concealed within its depths.
"But that's not all," John exclaimed, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "This exit leads to a tunnel that stretches deep into the Underdark, and from there... well, let's just say it leads to a place of legends."
If it is true, John had found a secret entrance into the legendary home of the runeforge dwarves. A city lost in the arcane forge wars. It is said runeforge dwarves were able to make legendary weapons and armor with the enchanted arcane forge.
He asked if I was hunger to which I was, the time passed by so quickly I did not even realize it was time for dinner. John went to the kitchen to prepare dinner for us. This has been a great first day, I cannot wait to hear about the other adventure's John has been through. I must remember to ask him why he does not have a traditional Dwarven name.

Type

Textbook