light f he heonix - Part 1

Trimus held his breath as at first nothing happened, then suddenly the Phoenix was outside the cave floating some fifty feet above the house. Looking out through the windows Trimus and the others could see Madam Thuly and her son tending the turnips in the kitchen garden.
"They can't see us!" exclaimed Trimus excitedly.
"How did we get here?" asked Darkhawk puzzled. "I didn't see you touch anything."
"I didn't!" exclaimed Trimus "There must be some sort of automatic control that I was not aware of."
The Phoenix rotated till it pointed southwards then started moving, slowly at first then faster and faster, gaining height as it did so. Trimus sat in the control chair and tried to gain control of the skyship, but nothing he did seemed to have any effect.
"Why not remove the key?" suggested Darkhawk.
"What! At this height!" exclaimed Trimus looking down on a bank of fluffy white clouds. "We may not gain control before we hit the ground. I'll call Rintrah and see if he can help." The mage clutched the amulet at his throat and called out his mentor's name, but to no avail.

The craft flew on through the day. First they travelled over wooded hills then towards evening they crossed the coast and headed towards Ierendi. When dawn broke the next day, Ierendi was behind them and the flew over the trackless sea with only small coral atolls and scattered islands to break up the monotony. Ako called upon Normanus to send him guidance but nothing seemed to happen. Trimus tried again and after a few heartbeats the voice of Rintrah filled the cockpit.
"Greetings Trimus, what is happening, you are moving so fast I cannot come to your aid." The voice spoke through a crackle of static. "I still seek Morbion, if you come across any more clues contact me again. Good luck."

They flew on for two more days. Luckily there were some iron rations stored in the main body of the skyship but water was becoming scarce.
"If we don't land soon we will be dead." Moaned Jodotha, he moved to the window. "If we jumped we may survive. We could swim to that island over there." He pointed to a large island less than a mile away. As he did so the Phoenix banked over and turned towards it. As the island got closer they managed to make out jungle covered mountains and at its centre an immense tower that soared at least three hundred feet above the jungle canopy. The Phoenix slowed right down and flew directly towards the tower. Flocks of long necked pink birds flew up from a dark blue lake as they passed over on their approach to the tower. As they got closer they could make out more details of the tower. Constructed of a smooth grey stone with areas pitted and blackened by fire. At its top was a covered arched, colonnade. It was towards one of those arches that the Phoenix was flying. The skyship slowed down to walking pace and passed under the arch into a large wedge shaped room. As the plane touched down the gems on the control panel went dim and the companions breathed a sigh of relief.

Ako opened the door of the Phoenix and stepped out into the room. Hot, humid air wafted in through the arch and into the skyship.
"We have come a long way." Mused Cain stepping out of the room onto the platform that ran around the tower's edge and looked out over the jungle, smelling the strange scents and listening to the call of unfamiliar beast. Trimus and the others explored the strange room they had been brought to. The Phoenix only just fitted into the room, a few inches leeway at each wing tip was all the spare space there was. Along the western wall were racks, some of which held large saddles and bridles while the east wall had a trough butted against it. The floor was chipped, scuffed and scratched.
"This looks like a stable or something similar." Mussed Trimus. "But how would you get the horses up here?" "Perhaps they flew." Answered Cain returning to the room. "This is a stable, not for horses though. Pegasi or hippogriffs more likely."
Trimus stared wide eyed at Cain then rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. "Why would the Phoenix bring us here do you suppose? Could it be that this is where it was built? Or possibly where its builder is? Either way, I feel magic in the air."

Darkhawk walked towards the door in the narrow wall of the wedge. The burly fighter pulled on the handle and the door screeched open. Beyond the door was a stair that seemed to wind down into the heart of the tower. A low wall on the far side was all that prevented people toppling down the whole height of the building. There were a number of other doors evenly spaced around the edge of the stairs. The companions looked in each but all were empty, and all appeared to be the same into which the Phoenix had been guided.
With Darkhawk leading the way they walked down the stairs to the next level. Again this floor had eight doors leading off at regular intervals and the stair continued downwards. Trimus opened one of the doors at random and looked in. Inside was a wizards laboratory. Giving a 'I told you so' look to the others Trimus walked in and examined the benches and tables.
"Someone has been working in here recently." The mage said to Darkhawk who was looking oat a bubbling beaker of greenish liquid. "We may have found Namulas or at least someone who may know of him."
Leaving everything as it was they tried the next door. Inside the room was pretty much the same as the previous except that this room appeared to have been disused for some time.
"It seems we have stumbled on a wizards college" said Ako to Trimus.
"Yes." Replied the mage. "I hope we can find someone soon who can tell us where we are and how we can get back. Jodotha must be wondering where we are!" As he talked Trimus opened the next door and walked into a very strange sight. This laboratory was like the first two but here the beakers and test tubes were being manipulated by three huge spiders. Seeing the companions enter one turned and waved its forelegs instantly a bolt of energy hit Cain and knocked him backwards. "Cripes!" Yelped Trimus. "They're spellcasters." Before the creatures could move towards the door Trimus and Cain backed out and Darkhawk spiked the door shut. "I hope that holds." Sighed Trimus, "But I think we have to be careful there could be more behind these doors."

Cain listened at the next and shook his head. "These doors are thick, I cannot be sure there is nothing behind them."
This time two spiders were working on the benches one turned around instantly and cast a magic missile at Trimus who ducked back but too slowly to avoid being hit. Cain whipped out a potion and quaffed it in one swallow. He then started to talk in the same strange chittering way that the spiders did. The spiders stopped talking for a moment and appeared confused. Trimus drew his wand of paralysis and paralysed one of the spiders. The other spider spun a web that bound Cain to the floor but moments later Trimus trained his wand on the other spider and paralysed that one as well. Darkhawk killed the first spider then stood over the other with his sword pressed between the creatures numerous eyes.
"Bind it Ako." Urged Trimus as he freed Cain from the web. "What were they saying Cain?" he asked.
"They were trying to capture us." The mystic replied picking threads of sticky web from his arms and legs. "I could question this one, see what it wanted?"
"Good idea, do it." Nodded Trimus.
A brief conversation of clicks and scratchy sounds ensued, Cain getting quite aggressive and assertive at times.
"It seems that people are captured and kept for food for their queen. They have never heard of the wizard Namulas. They are called aranea, they have been here for many cycles."
"Thank you Cain." Said Trimus. "Kill it Darkhawk." He added coldly and the fighter plunged his sword into the large bulge on the creature's head. The aranea squealed and squeaked briefly before collapsing.

"The rest of this floor will probably be no different to the rooms we have already seen. We should go down to the next level and see what we can find down there." Trimus said. The others nodded and followed Darkhawk down to the next level. There were only four doors there evenly spaced around the stair. Opening the western door revealed a wide corridor that ended in a window smothered with thick webs with two doors leading off to the north and one leading south. Taking the furthest door first proved to be an interesting choice. The door opened into a very disorganised library. Bookshelves were stuffed with scrolls and larger rolls of parchment. Books and tomes lay on shelves and on the floor. Trimus cautiously unrolled one of the larger rolls. It showed a part of a large island but had no legend or text on it for the mage to determine where it was. The next was more useful. It showed a large mountainous island with a tower at the centre. The next showed the same island and others in the vicinity, this map also had text on it. The writing was faded but Trimus could still make enough of it out. "We are in the Thanigoth Archipelago, not far from the Isle of Dread to be precise. I can't make out the actual name of this island unfortunately." He rolled up the maps and put them in his pack.
With the aid of Ako, Trimus scanned the books on the shelves. Ako gave a warning sign to ward off evil when his searching revealed a boom of demonology but next to it was a far more interesting tome.
"This may be interesting." He called to Trimus carrying the book to a table. The thick vellum pages where stiff and yellowed by time but the writing was still legible. Each page was written in a different hand, some neat and precise others crabbed and irregular.
"This appears to be a book listing the owners of the tower. Each has written his name and what he brought with him, and what they did with the tower." Said Trimus turning the pages. "The first entry is five centuries ago nut this is more interesting." He opened the book near the middle and pointed to the name at the top. "Namulas." He said out loud. "Namulas owned the tower in 888AC. It is possible that when we plugged the key into the Phoenix it brought us here because this is where Namulas built it. The last few pages are blank, after Attravar bought the tower in 925AC there have been no other owners."
"He could still be here." Suggested Cain. "Mages do have ways to prolong their lives you know."

They continued to investigate this level of the tower. In contrast to the floor above this appeared to be mainly living quarters rather than laboratories. A large kitchen, long disused linked to a strangely cool room used a s a pantry occupied one segment of the level. A large eating hall, with ordered groups of tables and chairs filled a full quarter of the floor. Webs and egg cases hang from the rafters giving Trimus and the others a shiver as they cautiously moved through the room. The final rooms on the level were empty.
"I'm going to try and summon Rintrah, he may be interested in what we have discovered." Said Trimus. He gripped the amulet and made a silent call to his mentor. At first nothing happened then the air in front of the mage shimmered and thickened slowly resolving itself into the form of Rintrah, the Nidus proudly displayed on his right arm.
"Greetings Trimus. Good to see you have stopped moving." The mage smiled as he walked around the room. "Where is this place?"
"The Thanigoth Archipelago Rintrah." replied Trimus rolling out a map on the floor. Rintrah knelt down and studied it.
"Interesting, I have never been this far south. It might also explain why it is so hot." Rintrah mused.
"You might find this interesting as well." Said Trimus opening the book of inheritance at Namulas' name.
"Yes, very interesting." Agreed Rintrah, flicking through the pages, occasionally stopping and pursing his lips. "It seems a number of famous mages have passed through here at one time or another. Now what is it you want from me?"
"Can you bring a friend to us, his name is Jodotha. We left rather precipitously and he may wonder where we are. He may be back at Lakeside House or he may be staying in the town." Trimus went on to describe the young rogue to Rintrah who nodded his head.
"Yes I can bring him here, if he believes my story! But you will have to do a favour for me in return, I don't know what it is at the moment but I sense you could aid me in my mission."
Trimus looked at the others who either shrugged or nodded warily.
"Ok. I will owe you a favour. I will give you a brief note to pass on to Jodotha." said Trimus taking a small piece of parchment, a quill and a small glass vial from his pouch.
Once Rintrah had the note he bowed and disappeared with a quiet pop.

They continued down the wide stair to the next level. Like the floor above this had four corridors radiating from the central stair like the spokes of a wheel. This time they tried the southern corridor first which had a door mid way down on each side. They opened the eastern door first and entered a large room containing at least eight beds all covered in webs and dust. Trimus and Darkhawk moved in and started to look around when a cry came from the doorway. "Spiders!" shouted Cain pointing to the moving mass of web above Darkhawk's head. Trimus ducked back but Darkhawk was not so lucky and he found himself stuck to the floor by a gobbet of web. Ako and Cain came into the room, the former swinging his mace the latter punching and kicking at the three aranea that had descended from the ceiling. The scuttling creatures moved with surprising agility across the thick cats-cradle of webs that almost filled the room. Their assailants on the other hand had to duck and weave to avoid getting stuck to the glistening cords. Ako swung his arm back from a blow on one aranea and got his arm wrapped in the webs behind him. As he struggled to free his weapon his target spun a cocoon of silk about him leaving him barely able to breath. Trimus loosed a volley of magic missiles at the beast before it could start feasting on the cleric, killing the aranea outright. Cain meanwhile dispatched the other two with his bare hands and feet, his agility as he avoided the silken cords a glorious sight. Trimus and Cain sawed the others free with daggers which after the task were useless, the toughness of the webs being extraordinary.
"We must be careful in these webbed rooms." Said Trimus as they sat in the corridor, backs against the cooling stone walls, eating a few mouthfuls of hard tack, washed down with stale tepid water. "There is not going to be anything of value in a dormitory. We need to look out for rooms of the more important mages."

The door opposite led into another web encrusted dormitory, As did the southern door in the western corridor. The northern wall of this corridor looked more promising as it had two doors rather than one. The western most door opened into a room about half the size of the dormitories containing but a single bed, a table with a matching chair, wardrobe and a chest. The chest and wardrobe had been opened and items lay scattered about on the floor but there were few webs other than those of smaller, more common spiders. They were just about to leave the room after giving it a general search when Ako called out.
"This stone's loose." He called kneeling down beside the bed. "I only noticed it when I trod on it. Darkhawk give me a hand to lift it up." They struggled at first to get their fingers into the crack but eventually they managed to lift the stone out of the way.
"Damn! It's empty." Cursed Darkhawk turning to go.
"No it's not! There's a snake!" cried Ako and started to attack something within the cavity beneath the stone.
Trimus and the others came over to help but stopped amazed when they looked in the hole.
"Ako. There's nothing in there!" said Trimus trying to pull the cleric away. When Ako shrugged him off Trimus slapped Ako around the face but this had no effect. "It's a tough one!" said Ako swinging his mace.
Trimus cast a detect invisible spell at the cavity but nothing was revealed. Meanwhile Darkhawk had drawn a sack from his backpack and stuffed it over Ako's head. "Arrrah! Screemed the cleric. "The snake's in the sack! The snake's in the sack!"

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