he welfth alisman
art 3 entacles f arkness

A dwarf and a two humans, one of whom they recognised as the apprentice mage. dashed into the room from the northern end of the room at the same time as a fighter and a female cleric stepped through a door on the eastern side of the room. As she stepped into the room the cleric threw a bundle of sticks into the room and uttered a sequence of occult syllables. The sticks writhed and shivered as they changed into green skinned snakes which started to slither across the floor towards Trimus and the others. Darkhawk stepped sideways and threw open the third door, hoping either to surprise any assailants behind it or to find an escape route. Sadly the door only opened onto a small, dark cloakroom. Darkhawk turned back to the others and drew his sword. Jodotha fired his crossbow at the mage advancing from the north hitting him in the chest. Rellan threw a dagger at the same figure hitting him in the leg. In response the mage cast a spell trapping Jodotha and Colloran in a tangle of sticky fibres. The dwarf quaffed a potion and continued to run towards the others. One of the snakes suddenly grew two twice its normal size and increased it's speed towards the companions. The fighter standing next to the cleric also doubled in size and grinned maniacally as he stepped swiftly across the marble tiles.
Trimus looked at the cleric, an attractive Thyatian with long black hair and large brown eyes and shook his head. "What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?" he muttered under his breath.
Colloran's burning sword swiftly sliced through the web and he now turned to face the dwarf who was charging his way.

The other figure with the dwarf and the mage made a pointing gesture with his arm that looked very familiar to Trimus and a length of rope shot out towards Darkhawk. The rope instantly wrapped itself around Darkhawk's arms and the thief yanked on it to try and pull the fighter over. Fortunately Darkhawk was too strong and he braced his feet almost causing his attacker to fall over instead. Colloran's burning blade sliced through the mage's web like a fish through water, freeing the paladin and Jodotha. No sooner had the rogue removed the last of the sticky tendrils from his face then the mage cast another spell. The rogue slumped to the floor along with a pair of snakes who had also been caught in the mage's sleep spell.

The giant dwarf barrelled into Colloran and lifted him above his head. He spun around three times before throwing the bemused and dizzy paladin into Rellan who in turn cannoned into Darkhawk, the three of them ending in a jumbled heap. The dwarf put his fists on his hips and laughed raucously. Simultaneously the mage cast another spell causing Trimus to freeze in mid step. Cain seeing the chaos reigning around him leapt for the chandelier upon which he swung towards the mage. The mage managed to step sideways but still took a stinging blow to the side of the head that left him dazed and bleeding from a broken nose.

Darkhawk managed to extract his arms and pulled sharply upon the rope causing the thief to stumble forwards towards the prone fighter. Darkhawk then aimed a head butt but missed. Colloran ran towards the mage who was trying to cast a spell. The paladin arrived just as the mage vanished but his sword got there a little bit earlier wounding the mage severely, his scream cut off as he vanished. The dwarf bellowed and picked Colloran up again this time hurling him into a pot plant shattering the heavy terracotta pot. As he stood Colloran could feel sticky liquid dripping from his pack, at least one of the potions secured there had broken. Before he could get fully to his feet he was knocked to the floor again as Jodotha was hurled his way. The giant fighter slashed the chain holding the chandelier with his sword sending Cain crashing to the floor amongst a welter of broken glass, twisted metal and shattered crystal. Jodotha starts to awaken from his magical sleep just as the mage reappeared at the south door. The mage cast a trio of magic missiles, two hitting Colloran the other striking Jodotha.

Rellan who had been badly winded when Colloran had flown into him cast a spell of dispelling causing the magical snakes to revert to sticks and also freed Trimus from his paralysis. Ako tried to curse the female cleric but the spell crashed back upon him causing him to collapse under a wave of noxious evil. Trimus cast a volley of magic missiles the bolts of energy crashing into the cleric causing her to scream in agony. Darkhawk free now of his bonds closed on the heavily wounded mage and killed him with a flurry of blows from his sword. Trimus cast a dispel magic on the giant fighter and he rapidly shrunk back to normal size. The rogue seeing a chance for escape made a dash for the door. Darkhawk drew his gnomish crossbow and fired three shots in rapid succession. All three struck their target but the thief stumbled on and out of the southern door. Trimus pointed a wand at the cleric but nothing happened, it appeared that it was out of charges. He cursed loudly and stuck the wand back into his pouch, hoping that he may be able to recharge it later.

Colloran charged towards the dwarf who at first made to pick the paladin up but at the last moment remembered that he had been returned to his normal size. Instead he tried to side-step Colloran but the paladin shoulder charged him, those standing by clearly heard bones break in the dwarf's body as he was bounced into a wall. The dwarf picked himself up and ran towards the south door. Trimus whipped out his staff and stuck it between the dwarf's legs as he made for the door. The dwarf went flying and slid across the floor for several yards before crashing into a wall and breaking his neck. The fighter had been dispatched by Ako and Rellan leaving Trimus facing the cleric. Trimus swung a punch at the woman but she blocked it and gripped the mages wrist at the same time as casting a spell that wracked the young mage with pain.
"Surrender!" shouted Trimus through gritted teeth.
The cleric spat in his face. "The followers of Tukahlsis never surrender." She let go of Trimus' arm and ran for the door. Cain jumped for her but sailed over her head. He gathered himself up and ran after her as she made for the main gate and freedom. As she fumbled momentarily with the bolt on the gate Cain leapt again. This time he clattered into her. As he stood up he looked down and saw that the cleric was dead, impaled on one of the sharp metal stars that embellished the gate.

They dragged her body back into the house and Jodotha spiked the doors to prevent anyone entering. They then proceeded to search the bodies for magical items and information as to who these people were. Along with a small pile of coins, gems and jewellery they found a number of weapons, potions a ring and upon the mage a spellbook. All the items were stuffed into a sack, there was no time to spare to analyse or divide the treasure.
They rested for a short while, Ako administered magical healing to those who needed it while Trimus used more mundane methods. They explored the remaining rooms of the house without finding anything interesting. Darkhawk helped himself to an onion and a chunk of strong Fiveshire cheese in the pantry but nothing else of value came to light. "We are no closer to finding Rintrah." said Trimus pacing around the entrance hall. "He must be hidden here."
They visited each of the rooms in turn searching for secret doors, at first tapping the walls and floors with pommels of swords and mailed fists then by using Trimus' wand. The final room they searched contained a large bed, a wash stand a chest and a round table with four high backed wooden chairs. It also contained a trap door set into the floor beneath the table. Once Trimus had pointed out it's location to Jodotha the rogue dropped to his knees and felt around the edge of the door with the point of his poniard. There was a quiet click and the trapdoor popped up by half a finger's width. Jodotha stood up and brushed dust from his knees.

Colloran took the lead down the steep flight of stairs that lay under the trapdoor with the others following behind. They had descended about twenty feet when the steps suddenly transformed into a chute. With a yelp Colloran and the others started sliding rapidly towards a pit that had opened at the foot of the stairs. Colloran couldn't slow himself down in time and he crashed into the pit. Jodotha following close behind nimbly leapt of the chute and landed in a crouch on the other side of the pit. Trimus used his staff to slow himself down but the silver shod ends were not enough to stop him completely. He gently dropped off the edge of the chute into Colloran's midriff. Ako used his gauntlets of ogre strength to grab the sides of the chute. Splinters of wood flew up as he slowed down, the gauntlets getting hotter and hotter until the wood smoked and Ako almost screamed in pain. He stopped just before the lip of the pit and also prevented those following him from going over the edge though he was sure that the weight of Darkhawk crashing into him had broken at least one of the glass bottles in his pack.

Once they had jumped over the pit and pulled Trimus and Colloran from the pit the chute reverted to stairs once more.
"If we can dump enough rubbish in the pit." Suggested Jodotha. "We may be able to stop the stairs from collapsing on us again."
Rellan led the way and looked around the corner, the others had doused their lights briefly while the elf used his infravision to scout the way ahead. He returned and reported. "I can see no one in the immediate vicinity. We should proceed but go cautiously."
Colloran took the lead as the party rounded the corner of the corridor. On their left was a large opening in which had been stacked a number of crates. One of the wooden crates was open and Trimus looked inside finding an assortment of jars, burettes and alembics.
"Someone is stocking up a laboratory." He whispered to the others.
A few yards further on they came to a side passage leading off to the right. On the left side of the side passage were a trio of wooden doors, each with a small metal grill set in them, near the top. A pitiful snuffling sound came from the middle door. Trimus and Ako walked up the corridor looking through the grills as they went. The first showed an empty cell, as did the last. The middle cell however was occupied by a man in dirty grey robes, his hair matted with straw and dirt, cowering in the corner.
"Who are you?" whispered Ako through the grill.
"I am poor, Jasper, I'm all alone." whimpered the man, who appeared to be in his late forties. He scrambled to his feet and pressed his filthy face to the grill. His bright blue eyes a vivid contrast against his dirty face. "Free me, please." He begged through broken teeth and bruised and bleeding lips.
Jodotha came forward and picked the simple lock. Ako held his holy symbol aloft and attempted to turn the unfortunate Jasper who whimpered louder still and hid behind Trimus.
"Why were you imprisoned Jasper?" asked Trimus quietly.
"No more questions." Babbled Jasper. "No more questions, Jasper knows nothing. Jasper told all he knows already. No more questions!"
Sensing that Jasper was bordering on panicking and possibly running away Colloran knocked him out with a punch to the jaw.
"Was that really necessary?" asked Ako.
"Yes." Replied Colloran curtly, picking Jasper up gently and putting the unconscious man over his shoulder.

They continued along the corridor with Darkhawk in the lead until they reached a large square room. In the centre of the room was a large raised platform occupying at least a quarter of the floor area. The platform was made of wood and stood about one foot higher than the surrounding stone slabs. In the centre of the platform was a cube of metal some three paces long on each side. Against the far wall stood a desk with a collection of unusual and arcane apparatus atop it. They walked around the metal cube which appeared to be a box of some kind. Colloran gently lowered Jasper to the floor beside the bench while he and Rellan examined the articles upon it. The box was hollow, Jodotha determined that by rapping upon it with his knuckles and mall holes just large enough to insert a finger formed a rim around the top. In the northern side of the box was a door, held shut with a padlock through a sturdy hasp. Jodotha knelt and picked the lock.
"There is someone or something inside there." Said the rogue as he stood up.
"It could be Rintrah." Said Trimus. "Open the door."
Jodotha did as he asked and was surprised to see several long, rubbery, black tentacles upon them emerged from the box. One of the tentacles snaked out and wrapped itself around Colloran's throat, coiling and tightening as the paladin struggled for breath. The tentacles were attached to large rubbery balls that had stranger sucker like mouths and six eyes equally spaced around the balls equator. Each of the balls had four of the tentacles emerging from their crowns. Cain was grasped around the waist by a tentacle but was able to pull it off. Trimus cast a mirror image spell and gained four identical images of himself. Darkhawk changed form to that of a Celestial Knight and blasted the one strangling Colloran. It shrivelled and blackened but still it kept it's grip upon the paladin. Ako presented his holy symbol but to no avail.
Colloran's plight was worsened when another tentacle wrapped itself around his arm as he tried to pull the first free. Rellan was also caught around the wrist One of Trimus' images was dispelled as a tentacle made a vain attempt to grab the mage, Cain was not so lucky, two of the coils wrapping themselves around the mystic.
"Get clear, those of you that can." Shouted Trimus drawing his staff of water elementals. Jodotha, Ako and Darkhawk took a step or two backwards as Trimus struck the heal of the staff upon the stone floor and utter the word of command. Instantly the room became several degrees colder and a hail of large balls of ice danced on the floor and the tentacles, not to mention, Rellan, Cain and Colloran. As the storm cleared two of the balls had died and one was severely damaged. Jodotha stepped forward and severed the tentacle around Rellan's neck, Trimus cast a trio of magic missiles at the tentacled ball attacking Colloran while Darkhawk attacked the other. The rubbery limbs slapped and grabbed at Trimus dispelling two more of the mages images. Jodotha stepped in and with a few well placed strikes dispatched one of the orbs, the tentacles becoming flaccid as the creature died. Jodotha looked up after checking that Colloran was uninjured to see Darkhawk dispatching the final one.

Trimus gingerly walked to the box and looked inside. It was empty and featureless aside from a few neat air holes. Ako cast a spell and closed his eyes briefly.
"The amulet is behind that wall." He said pointing a the western wall of the room against which stood a bench containing assorted beakers and vials. Darkhawk and Colloran moved the bench allowing Jodotha and Rellan to give the wall a fingertip search. The elf soon found the hidden door and the means of opening it. As he went to activate it, Rellan was shoved rudely aside by Jodotha who pointed to a fine wire.
"The door is trapped." He said quietly before turning his attention to disarming it. "It didn't matter." He said after a few moments work. "It was designed to open the box and release the creatures." The rogue opened the door revealing a twenty foot square room in the south west corner of which was a cage, beside which were a trio of large chests. Lying on a crude pallet in the cage was Rintrah, his chest moved but his breathing was shallow and his skin looked pasty and clammy.
"Rintrah. It's me, Trimus." Said the mage kneeling outside the cage by Rintrah's head. The older mage gave no sign of having heard nor understood Trimus' greeting.

Jodotha meanwhile checked the chests for traps and opened them. Inside were a collection of items, coins and gems, some of which Trimus recognised as belonging to Rintrah. Most notable was a set of banded mail and a shield each of which had the same device upon them, a rampant blue dragon. While Colloran, Jodotha and Darkhawk packed the more valuable items into sacks Ako unlocked the cage and placed his hands upon Rintrah's chest and uttered the words of a spell of healing.
The mage bellowed with wide, staring eyes started to attack the cleric of Normanus. Colloran cast a spell of fear upon the mage but nothing happened. Darkhawk dropped his sack of coins and dragged Ako out of the cage while Cain struck Rintrah at the base of the neck felling him.
Ako rubbed his throat as he looked down at Trimus' unconscious mentor. "What could of caused him to attack?"
"I don't know." Replied Trimus. "Could he be under some sort of magical influence? A drug of some sort?"
"I may have a way of finding out." Said Jodotha pulling a vial from his backpack. "This is a potion of dreamspeach. It may allow me to converse with Rintrah." The rogue knelt beside Rintrah and drunk the potion. "Rintrah. Listen to me. What is wrong with you?" The rogue sat there silently for a few moments. "Can it be cured?" Then he paused again. "We will try and help you Rintrah, you are safe now." The rogue turned back to the others his face troubled. "It seems that Morbion has drugged Rintrah with Magebane." Trimus sucked his breath through his teeth. "That is an evil drug. It robs mages of their powers. I know of no cure."
"Rintrah doesn't either." Continued Jodotha. "He is very confused and frightened, he can feel his body and mind weakening as time passes, if we are going to find a cure we will have to be quick."

Ako took his staff of healing and used its powers to cure poison upon Rintrah but it had little or no effect. Jodotha meanwhile returned to the stairs and disarmed the trap that caused them to turn into a slide. Then with Darkhawk carrying Rintrah over his shoulder they returned to the Phoenix. They had a few problems leaving the city but Jodotha distracted the city guards by acting drunk. Once aboard the Phoenix they used the small Circle Of Power to take them back to the tower.

Torvas and Alasandri were pleased to see their safe and swift return but their faces clouded as they heard what had been done to Rintrah. They also looked askance at Jasper, who had a sack upon his head.
"This is Jasper." Said Darkhawk. "He seems to dislike the appearance of cleric's and mages. We rescued him from Morbion's clutches. Perhaps you could help him."
Torvas nodded and called a servant over who took Jasper away.
"Magebane is a cruel drug, it can rob the victim of their powers permanently." Said Torvas. "We could call upon our links to find someone who may know of a cure but it is unlikely that we will find one in time."
"It would take a cleric of great potency or rare herbs and roots to cure him." Added Alasandri.
"May we leave him here while we search?" Pleaded Trimus.
"Of course" smiled Alasandri.
"Do you have the talisman?" asked Torvas.
"Yes." Replied Darkhawk. "It is amongst Rintrah's belongings. "However I ask that you do not take it from him until he has recovered."
Torvas frowned but then nodded.
Trimus wrote a note for Rintrah asking that he give up the talisman to Torvas, in return Darkhawk offered to carry out any task that Rintrah asked.

They rested for a few hours, taking the time to eat a hearty meal in pleasant surroundings before sleeping a few hours knowing that for the moment they were safe. After resting Rellan and Trimus studied the mage's spellbook, dividing the spells between themselves, those that both already knew were left in the book which was to be given to the Order of Aeder. The other items were analysed once the spells were divided. Ako took the blue dragon armour and shield after Trimus had determined that they enabled the wearer to become invisible. Ako also took an enchanted mace while Trimus took three silver daggers. The rest of the items were to be given to Aeder as well.
"I am reluctant to destroy this myself." Said Trimus poking the holy symbol wrenched from the neck of the evil cleric with his dagger. "A powerful cleric would probably know the correct rites and procedures better than I."
Trimus left the holy symbol with Alasandri and joined the others in the Phoenix. Darkhawk waved goodbye to Rellan who was staying behind for a while before returning to his order and to Torvas and Alasandri before shutting the door. As they left the tower Ako headed towards the flaming portal through which the skies above Lake Amsorak could be seen.

Back to my home page.
Back to the story's contents page
The Next Chapter

© 1997 / 1998 / 1999 / 2000 alanderekjones@msn.com and robertvance@msn.com

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page