ity n he ky - art II ost n he ndercity (i)

The following day the gnome returned to escort them to the Mayoral offices. The building imposing with marble and basalt floors and large, wide wooden doors. They were shown into a large, tidy office where standing at the window is a creature they had never seen before, a pegataur. The mayor turned when he heard the door open and walked towards the companions. Over seven foot tall from his forehooves to the top of his head the mayor was a stunning sight. His brown hair is held back from his tanned face by a heavy blue headband embroidered with elvish sigils.
"How are you finding our city?" the mayor asked after the companions had been given drinks. "Not to much of a shock to the system I hope?"
"No sir." Replied Trimus sipping at his cordial. "It is fascinating. I hope to spend some time here, meeting people and learning what I can."
The elfin features of the mayor wrinkled in a smile as he returned to his desk and leafed through a pile of papers. "I have asked you here because of a recommendation of a friend of yours." The companions look puzzled, who could he mean, Rintrah? "A gnome you helped, Podlo Stormkinder heard you were in town and suggested that you were the perfect people to do the job. During repairs of the Tumbling Fields a gremlin appeared and a gnome fell down a ventilation shaft. He hasn't replied to our calls and we think he may have fallen into the Undercity. This is an area of the city that we used to live in before we moved up onto the surface. Sadly no plans exist of the Undercity, a fire in the library many years ago destroyed them. We fear that Parboo is dead, but his brother Gilbo Skyratchet wants us to lead a mission to rescue him. The Skyratchets are not the wealthiest of clans but they are prepared to offer you five thousand gold pieces and half of any items you find down there. What do you say?"
"The companions looked at each other for a moment before Trimus nodded and agreed to the mayor's offer.
"Splendid!" the pegataur clapped his hands and a gnomish servant opened the door followed by another gnome in a green coverall covered with pockets. In each of the pockets is a tool or instrument of some description. They mayor smiles and introduces Gilbo Skyratchet. The gnome holds out a grimy hand and dances from foot to foot in impatience as he waits for the companions to follow him.

After bidding farewell to the mayor, Gilbo leads Trimus and the others through the streets of Serraine to the Tumbling Fields. From here he led the companions into a room filled with large metal machines that hummed with power.
"These are the generators." Gilbo said pointing at the silvered casings around which numbers of gnomes worked. "We were working round the back of these when the gremlin appeared. You know what trouble those beasties can be." He pointed to a copper grill near floor level. "We had just taken that grill off to clean a filter when Parboo was surprised by the gremlin and fell down the shaft. We shouted down there but got no reply. We hope he is unhurt but there are tales of strange beasts living in the Undercity."
Jodotha removed the grill, tied a rope round a sturdy pipe on a nearby generator then lowered it down into the shaft. Darkhawk was the first to go down the shaft. He got about two thirds of the way down when some left over gremlin influence took effect and his gauntleted hands slipped on the rope and he slid down the gently curving metal shaft. Cain shouted down the shaft but got no reply to his cries.
"I hope this isn't one of those shafts that opens under the city." Mused Gilbo and everyone looked daggers at the small gnome. "I'm sure it isn't, the map I saw last week seemed to suggest that it opened into a corridor in the Undercity but some of those maps are quite old."
Cain grasping his courage in both hands pulled the rope up and tied it around his slim waist. With Ako and Jodotha holding the rope taut Cain climbed down the smooth shaft. After a few moments he called back that the rope was not long enough, more length would be needed. Jodotha shrugged and put two lengths of rope around his shoulders, then with a look of mistrust at Gilbo he stepped into the shaft and climbed down towards Cain. The thief's abilities were stretched to the limits as the metal walls of the shafts offered little in the way of hand or footholds. At times Jodotha had to spread himself like a starfish and scuttle down the shaft like a crab. By the time he reached Cain he was drenched with sweat and his hands were grazed from a number of small slips.
"I think I heard Darkhawk's voice calling back when I called you for more rope." Said Cain as Jodotha tied more ropes to the end of the one that held Cain then continued down. After about thirty more feet the passage curved more sharply and became horizontal before exiting into a corridor. There slumped against the opposite wall was Darkhawk moaning softly and clutching his head. Jodotha called back up the shaft to Cain who relayed the message before untying himself from the rope and following the rogue down to Darkhawk's side.
Ako and Trimus then came down the long rope, the cleric of Normanus made the journey without difficulty but Trimus' staff caught on a ledge and through him off balance causing him to slide down some twenty or thirty feet before it jammed again with a screeching sound. He eventually emerged from the shaft looking sore and with blood oozing from nasty friction burns on his hands and knees. Gilbo scrabbled down last leaving the rope tied securely at the top. "I've told the workers not to tidy it away." He said looking around the brightly lit corridor that ran east-west. Just to the west a north-south passage crossed the east-west one and just beyond that was a large wooden door of gnomish design. Just east of where they had emerged from the chute was an alcove with a heavy iron trapdoor set into the floor with gnomish runes embossed onto it.
"That's a waste chute." Warned Gilbo. "That leads to the base of the city and the outside. From the documents I have read in the library it would only open when the city was over water." The gnome gave a gentle tug on the release ring and fell over backwards as the hatch opened up. Peering gingerly over the edge the companions could see forest and fields moving slowly beneath them. "It seems the safety protocols are not working." Muttered Gilbo excitedly as he hastily shut the hatch.

Jodotha meanwhile had walked eastwards and was examining the large wooden door. "I can hear bangs and whistles coming from inside. It sounds a lot like those devices you have in the world above." The rogue said when the others joined him.
"Working machines." Yelped Gilbo jumping up and down excitedly, before he pointed to the sign on the door. "Generators. And still working after all these years. I wonder what they power?"
Darkhawk scratched his head and looked at Trimus and Ako who shrugged and looked as confused as the burly fighter. Jodotha spent a few moments with his tools before he managed to get the lock open and let Darkhawk push the door open. The cavernous room beyond the thick wooden doors was almost filled with steaming machines. Directly opposite the entrance two more doors could be glimpsed between the pipes, conduits and whirling wheels of the generators. Hot pulses of steam shot at irregular intervals from the machines making the room hot and humid. Dirty brown stalactites hung from the ceiling almost meeting their twins growing up from the floor. Parts of the machines themselves were almost totally encased in this rust coloured rock.
"Water must be seeping in from the world above and dissolving the rock above this room." Mused Gilbo. "Still I don't think Parboo came this way, ours are the first footprints in the slime for many a year." He pointed at the trail of footprints in the green algae that coated much of the floor.

They returned to the vent and ventured into the room opposite the waste hatch. The room was empty and seemingly undisturbed. The southern branch of the cross-roads ended in a heavy iron door that appeared to open by sliding up into the ceiling but no matter how hard Gilbo and Jodotha tried they could not get it to open. "Hm." Mused Gilbo pulling on his beard. "I need some tools to open this. Perhaps we might find some in one of the rooms."
"Yes, but we should check out the northern passage from the cross-roads first." Suggested Trimus. Everyone agreed and they pressed on northwards but after a few yards the passage turned east. They continued along the passage for a while before they started to notice a revolting stench in the air.
"That doesn't smell good." Said Ako clutching his holy symbol. Trimus, silk handkerchief over his nose agreed with a nod. The corridor soon ended in a jumble of broken chairs, beds and tables that almost completely blocked the passage.
"Somehow I don't think Parboo went this way." Said Trimus, his voice muffled by the handkerchief.
"True." Agreed Ako, "But I smell evil beyond this barricade."
With a shrug they all started moving the furniture aside. From the amount of dust and cobwebs attached to the splintered wood, the obstruction had been there for some time. It didn't take long for the companions to move enough of the debris to enable them to access the door. Jodotha bent and listened at the door but could hear nothing. Darkhawk stepped forward and swung the door open and nearly gagged at the stench that blew back into the corridor, a mix of decaying carrion and excrement.
"Shut the door!" shouted Cain but before anyone could react five harpies scrabbled from behind a pile of rotting boxes and charmed the mystic and the cleric. The two now started to move across the floor, littered as it was with the skeletal remains of a large number of humanoids, towards a large opening in the far wall of the room. Trimus stepped up and loosed a volley of magic missiles towards the nearest harpy killing it instantly. Darkhawk rushed into the room knocking one of the harpies to the floor before killing the other with skilful blows of his weapon. The remaining harpies started to flap towards the opening and to everyone's horror Cain and Ako followed. Trimus fumbled in his pack for a agonising moment before drawing a wand from it. With scant paces between Ako, Cain and a long fall Trimus pointed the wand and uttered a magic word. Instantly the harpies and Cain became rooted to the spot. Ako hesitated for a moment before continuing his march towards death but Jodotha and Darkhawk managed to kill the paralysed harpies quickly enough to free the cleric from his charmed state before he stepped out of the broken wall and into nothingness.
All bar Trimus poked briefly at the noisome material that made up the harpies nest. Their search revealed a cache of silver coins and a single chunk of topaz, while Gilbo found an old set of tools. Trimus meanwhile walked to the opening and looked out at the underside of the flying city. Huge inverted towers, clung like stalactites to the rocky substrate. Huge iron girders seemed to form a grid like framework to support the structures above and below. Trimus shook his head in wonder. He could barely comprehend the magics that would be needed to construct such a device as this.

They returned to the sealed door but even with the newly found tools Gilbo and Jodotha could not get it to open.
"Unless Parboo has jammed it from the other side, there seems little point in trying to open it." Said Gilbo reluctantly, his eyes forever returning to the locked door and thoughts of what might be beyond.

The walked west from the intersection and investigated a group of four very similar rooms. Each appeared to be spartan quarters for gnomish engineers. A plain wooden chest, a bed a small table and a cupboard were the only furnishings. All were empty and left tidy as if they were ready for occupation at a moments notice.

After the rooms the corridor turned sharply south then branched to the west again. This branch led into a rectangular room with some very unusual fixtures. They stood and scratched their heads until Gilbo punched Ako in the arm and cried. "It's a monorail station. Like the one we have in the city above. Look there's the rail and here's a ticket office. I wonder if it still works?" The gnome walked under the thick iron rail and poked his head into the dark tunnel that ran north and south. "Look out!" cried Darkhawk and drew his sword as three orbs of light emerged from the rail and drifted towards them. Gilbo jumped back and took cover behind the burly fighter. Two of the globes drifted threateningly towards Darkhawk while the third moved towards Ako. Suddenly blue bolts of electricity arced from each of the orbs and struck Ako and Darkhawk. Trimus cast a mirror image spell and three identical figures appeared then moved as one with the mage. Another bolt of energy bridged the gap between an orb and Darkhawk sending the fighter staggering backwards. Two more bolts hit Ako causing the cleric to yelp and shake. Darkhawk clasped his talisman and changed form before blasting one of the orbs while Ako moved away and chanted a healing prayer through chattering teeth. The damaged orb seemed to float more slowly now allowing Darkhawk's weapons to hit it with greater ease. After a long battle in which all the companions were injured the last orb fizzled and went out. Ako did what he could for the wounded, with Trimus using what healing skills he had to aid those damaged by the electric bolts.

They spent a few moments examining the corroded metal bar from which the orbs had emerged and the small office beside the door. Inside they found a chest which Jodotha could only open by using an iron spike and a hammer. Inside was a paltry fifty or so pieces of silver. They returned wearily to the corridor and continued southwards. The passage soon branched again, this time eastwards to an ornate door. Jodotha listened for a moment then unlocked it. Inside was a large statue of a bearded man, worked in gold and silver. Gilbo made a winding motion with his hand and bowed three times before the statue.
"That's Garl Glitterlode. He created us gnomes just as Kagyar created the dwarves." He said proudly. "Isn't he magnificent?"
They all nodded and silently retreated from the room without even investigating the two large urns either side of the statue. Once the door was shut Jodotha locked the door again so as to preserve the peaceful serenity of the room.

The corridor continued southwards until it opened onto the corner of a large well lit room with several large fountains, now dry. Large covered stalls suggested that this was a market place. An alcove in the east wall held another waste chute. This time the hatch was secure and could not be opened. A large, plain pair of double doors occupied the middle of the north wall. As they approached, the doors burst open and four large carrion crawlers slunk out, tentacles sniffing the air before them. Surprised by their sudden approach Cain and Jodotha were paralysed and could only watch as the others attacked the hungry beasts. Fortunately it seemed that the creatures had not had much to live on recently and were very weak allowing Darkhawk, Ako and Trimus to dispatch them relatively easily.

Leaving Trimus to watch Cain and Jodotha, Ako and Darkhawk ventured into the room beyond the doors. Amongst wrecked and broken carts, stalls and rotten sacks they managed to find a small pouch of gems, which included a fine sapphire, along with a few thousand silver coins in a still solid chest. Pocketing the gems but leaving the coins they returned to the corridor and took an east fork towards another door. Both Jodotha and Gilbo tried to open it using the knobs and levers beside it but to know effect other than a screeching grinding sound from the mechanism that controlled it. Darkhawk returned to the market square and brought back a thick length of iron and a heavy block of timber. Using these and the combined strength of Ako, Cain and himself he managed to get the door to open enough for the party to squeeze through.

Trimus dusted down his hose and straightened his tunic, shaking his head as he noticed a hole in the elbow of his shirt. Just then a sticky slithering sound like an army marching through mud could be heard from ahead. Emerging from a side corridor, and almost filling it from floor to ceiling was a cube of jelly.

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