The Good Doctor
As the skeletal form fell, lifeless against the stone floor, the Shriek’s conscripted adventurers collected their bearings and assessed their wounds. Kachuun, the small kobold agent of the Shrike, poured volcanic sand into their drum, which with their playing formed a dust that settled over each companion who partook of the Catnap and vanished soon after it landed. With their song ended, the kobold made their way out to scout with Mogg.
With Saracek dead and the others identifying or taking a catnap, Mogg and Kachuun slink off into the darkness to scout. As they scout the area before delving further into the dungeon, they watch as the small amounts of the Brume trickle in through the earth and start the slow process of reclaiming this level of the Dungeon of Graves. They might have to start to watch for Brume beasts soon. Until then, they had plenty of other things to worry about. Out of the many items the powerful paladin had, the shield was the most interesting. They had heard stories of the Army of Light riding into battle with these shields of blinding light said to be blessed by their Inaethrin. The mural in the antechamber had indicated that Saracek had been a paladin of the light before he had turned to the Master.
After a short discussion, they realized they had not fully investigated all of the large rat tunnels in the mushroom growing room. They take the northeastern tunnel, figuring the tunnel would lead them back to the surface. After just over a minute of climbing they reached the graveyard and turned around. At least now they had multiple ways to get into the dungeon without needing to falsely praise the Master to pass unassaulted through the mausoleum. Turning back, they head to the northwestern tunnel. This tunnel delved further down into the earth before leveling out and heading west. After nine miles, the path opened up to a larger cavern.
The walls, floor, and ceiling of the naturally formed cavern were covered in runic words. It seemed to be the language of magic, staring at it was disorientating. The runes were so intense that the air radiated magic as if they had casted
Detect Magic; however, when Kaertas does cast
Detect Magic and looks at the already glowing area...he is quickly in pain and blinded. With the runes still burned into his eyes, he learned that it had enchantment and illusion auras. Dr. Carric assed his patient quickly and shared that Kaertas’ blindness wasn’t permanent and would only last a few minutes. He then informs the others that no one should look at the runes, except for the wizard as he couldn’t see them.
Trying to determine how to traverse the runes, they decide to test the area with something more disposable than Mr. Collins, the steel defender. Sinestra sent her Mage Claw through the area and back. Nothing attacked it and to Tink, who was watching, they could see that as it broke the line of magic the claw was covered in runes as if it was dipped into paint. The conversation with Tink explaining what they witnessed happened over a couple of minutes, as the homunculus communicated through a shortened version of Gylidder non-verbal signaling. However, after learning that nothing untoward happened to the hand, Mr. Collins was sent into the runes. As the construct moved in, they had their eyes opened and disorienting runes made them feel like they were going the wrong way and they instantly turned around and walked back to Nysdrith. After a quick signing, they shared that they turned around because it felt like it was the correct way. The artificer sends him back in for further study.
As Mr. Collins had entered, the others could hear their footsteps being distorted as if their footsteps were coming from a different part of the chamber. They were told to stick to the wall and quickly they disappeared out of Nysdrith and Tink’s line of sight. After just a moment, Nysdrith yelled out to his companion to clap and nothing but his voice distortion could be heard. He is uncertain of his fate and followed up with a louder call for clapping. This time his voice was sent back to the group from various places in the chamber; however, a moment later they heard an echoing clap in response. Sinestra monologues about how normal communication would not work in there and eventually got to where they needed to attach to each other.
Instead of tying the rope to each person, they held the rope as they traveled through the runes. They make the trek with closed eyes, holding the rope and using the wall as their guide. On the way though, Lothar accidentally kicked a filled vial across the chamber and they could hear it clatter in various directions with the sound distortion. As they turned the corner, they could feel that they had left the runes, Mr. Collins tapped his creator, and noticed it led to a natural cavern that ended in a light. The cavern opened up to a vaulted ceiling and the light came from a small tunnel that must head up to the surface. Taking the time to make a thorough investigation, they find nothing but the thousands of bats resting on the ceiling and beetles glistening in the guano. Not wanting to wake them, even though Kaertas voices that they could use the fur to make some magical items, they each grab the rope, close their eyes and use the wall to continue back through the runes further in the chamber.
Continuing through the magic, they blindly trust the wall and make it to another break in the runes. As they rounded the corner again, one of Lothar’s skeletal companions managed to kick a gemstone. The cleric of Vrokíva offers that they should sweep the chamber but the others don’t believe it would be a good idea. This natural cavern opened into two areas. Ahead of them they could see many piles of skulls, each skull with a hole in the center of the crown. And written in Gylidder on the floor “What you slay...you must portray...from now until...your dying day...you’ll be the one...to pierce the skull...so sharpen you pick...for Master’s cull!” However, they peeked into the western room and it looked to contain nothing but a gigantic floor to ceiling obsidian mirror. Vai’len and Taeva move through the room, using a newly created candle dagger to help aid their investigation. Moving silently through the area until one kicks a rock, they held for a moment but nothing moved in them. Neither of them looked into the mirror, during their investigation. Upon reporting their findings, Kaertas and Dr. Carric moved into the chamber. Vai’len moved in and tucked herself into a side opening, while Nysdrith and Mr. Collins boldly moved in with them. Halxion kept watch on the group from the tunnel.
The massive mirror was flat and smooth and highly reflective. Kaertas and Dr. Carric noticed four shadowy figures approaching them from behind in their reflection of the mirror. Turning to see if they were real, four Shadows emerged from the mirror. Acting first, the Shadows miss Nysdrith and Vai’len but hit both Dr. Carric and Kaertas, minorly hurting them but draining their strength. Everyone in the hallway and the other room were caught unawares when the battle began but Vai’len and Nysdrith were both able to move and hurt the Shadows. Meanwhile near the runes in the side hallway;
“That sounds like combat... did someone look in the MIRROR???" --Lothar
“Yes, someone looked in the mirror Lothar, and it looks like Kaertas is chucking another fireball at the problem…”---Sinestra.
The battle continued with Dr. Carric falling back behind the rouge. Vai’len could hear footsteps in the hallway behind the two more squishable of the Shrikes’ captives, they sounded like Lothar’s but as the cleric moved up to fire, he fell back instead of traversing the hallway. The Shadows slinked back into darkness, hopeful to gain the advantage on the adventurers. When it appeared above Dr. Carric it had sensed the artificer's weakened state and when the creature reached out and touched him, he was instantly slain. With their first foe dead, the Shadows turned to the rogue. Vai’len was hit one time and drained of half her strength; however, she was able to disengage and kill the one that had slain her companion.
Halxion, a cleric of Tlombi, moved through the others and approached the mirror. The Shadows had annoyed him and so he brought out his aura of twilight guardians to protect him. The last of the original four Shadows were slain and it seemed that the battle was over. Unfortunately, the few times they had made it back to New Czira they hadn’t thought to purchase any diamonds for the clerics. Halxion stared into the obsidian mirror, he noticed four shadows behind him but he never broke his eyesight. Even when Mr. Collins went to walk in front of the cleric, he brought his arm up to stop the progression. Tink, Dr. Carric’s metal bird companion flew to Vai’len’s shoulder and rested there. It was comforting for the rogue to have Tink there and in hope to help curb some of the companion’s grief, she gave the bird a pat. Someone voices “We make the next three days the best days of Tink's life. Whatever it takes."
Each of them moved around the chamber, not looking in the mirror except for Halxion. The shadows get closer to Halxion, getting ready to touch him...at the joint of the neck and the shoulder...like they are going to strangle him. Pulling out his warhammer, he tried to hit the mirror but nothing happened. In what seemed like the pursuit of science, Nysdrith joined Halxion in staring at the gigantic wall mirror. Although, when he noticed the shadows behind them, he turned to look. Four more Shadows emerged from the mirror. Lothar was ready, and when he released his
Guiding Bolt, the Shadow was instantly vaporized. It seemed they were highly susceptible to radiant damage. Sinestra, who had been unable to see most of the fight but still highly successful in damaging the creatures, moved up and asked if it was Shadows again and with the confirmation, fired down the chamber, nailing one.
With this set of Shadows slain, Halxion and Nysdrith returned to looking into the mirror. This time, Taeva joined in looking in the mirror with Halxion and Nysdrith. And again it was Nysdrith who turned to look behind at the approaching Shadows. However, after the first wave of creatures the adventurers became efficient in slaying them. Afterward, Kaertas attempted to dispel the magic on the mirror but it did not work. From the back and not looking at the mirror, the rogue ponders what this pace could be. The Dungeon of Graves is a place of chaos and evil and the nonsensical and evil nature of the room fits with the concept of the dungeon. She believes that there was no way to purge the mirror as the real source of the problem was far from here; this was just a symptom of the evil. After a few moments of not breaking their line of sight with the mirror, the shadows in the reflection faded. As they turn back to their companions, their eyes fall upon the lifeless form of their good doctor.
Lothar taps into his magic to ask Dr. Carric what he wished for them to do with his remains. He clearly states he doesn’t want to be a zombie and that he wanted to be brought to the surface and burned. They honor his wishes and make their way back to the surface after a short rest in a chamber near where they just fought. Nothing assaults them as they leave through the rat tunnels and head back to their pyre on the beach. They gather some wood, and place Dr. Carric upon the pyre. Halxion prepared the body and conducted the funeral rites. Unlike some of the other funerals, everyone present had nice things to say about Dr. Carric. The smoke was carried off into the air and the wind came to gather it into the mist.
Before resting for the day, they quickly move through the dungeon down to the Oracle. It was one final thing they could do to honor the doctor, free Snaggletooth from their imprisonment. With the price paid and the correct words learned, they head back up to their campsite before Snaggletooth’s name was repeated three times in infernal, thus releasing the faerie dragon who had been with Dr. Carric since they found them.
