idnapped! Part 1

The companions returned to Lakeside House still charged from defeating the fyrsnaca.
"Colloran will be disappointed when he hears what he missed out on." Said Darkhawk. "Did you see me sever the serpent's neck. Swoosh!" He mimed the swinging of his sword.
"Yes Darkhawk." Replied Cain "And we saw you get your sword stuck in that bench in the Evening Star when you were demonstrating your prowess to the serving girl. Very impressive."
Jodotha managed to keep a chortle from escaping as he remembered the scene. The buxom lass had put her hands on her hips and laughed loudly as Darkhawk tried to pull his blade free from the solid wooden bench he had been standing on.
"Did the serpent put up such a struggle, good sir?" she teased as Darkhawk went red, and not just from the exertions.
"I still say we were overcharged. A bench never cost ten daros." Grumbled Darkhawk.
"You told us to give him ten to shut him up." replied Trimus.

Trimus unlocked the door and stepped inside.
"Colloran!" he called loudly, dropping his pack inside the door. "Colloran, we're back and do we have a tale for you."
The others followed the mage in, Darkhawk sat down in his favourite chair and pulled his boots off with a contented sigh.
"It seems that our friend is still meeting his superiors." The tall fighter said. "Shame, I was looking forward to telling him of our deeds."
"He might have a few to tell us himself." Muttered Jodotha from the doorway. "This had been pushed under the door." He held up a scrap of parchment.
"What's it say?" demanded Darkhawk sitting bolt upright in his chair.
"'If you wish to see your friend Colloran Aiglehart alive you will bring the deeds of your property to Kelmik's Tower, ten miles south of the city near the Atruaghin border at noon tomorrow. The deeds will be exchanged for the paladin's life. You are being watched and any attempt at trickery or subterfuge will be punished with death.' There's no signature but it is dated this morning." Jodotha read the note calmly.
"We'll need horses and a few other supplies." Mused Ako. "I'll put a list together and get Miklar to go into town and get them. We can rest tonight and leave at dawn tomorrow."

This they did and though the way was rugged they arrived at the ruins of the tower at noon. The tower stood at the head of a small valley in a area of dusty hills and stunted olive trees. All that remained of the structure were heaps of moss covered stones half buried in grass. A few fragments of walls stood proud of the grass like rotting teeth in a beggars mouth but little remained to indicate that a tower had stood there. Trimus shielded his eyes from the sun and looked out towards the tower.
"I can't see anyone down there." He said. "Let's ride around and see if they are around the other side." They rode along the spur then cautiously down a goat track into the valley itself.
"What's that." Jodotha was pointing at something shiny on one of the low piles of rocks. "I'll go take a look." The rogue slid off his mount and handed the reigns to Cain. Using what cover there was Jodotha moved towards the shiny object. He reached it safely and waved at the others to join him. They tied the horses to the bole of a determined rowan tree that had taken root astride one of the fragments of wall still standing. The tree's roots spread out across the grey stone like the veins on an old man's hand.
"That's Colloran's helm." Said Darkhawk taking the shiny helmet from the roughly cut stick that was stabbed into the sod beside a dark opening in the ground.
"It looks like they want us to go down there." Said Cain.
"It's sure to be a trap, but what else can we do?" replied Ako.
Jodotha removed the light gem that hung about his neck and tied it to a length of rope. "At least we can see what we are getting ourselves into." He said lowering the rope into the hole. The light from the gem revealed a flight of worn stairs leading some twenty feet into the darkness.

Ako and Darkhawk led the way down the stairs. At the foot a trapdoor opened under their feet. Darkhawk threw himself forward and avoided falling into the pit that had opened up but Ako was not so lucking. The Cleric fell a short distance before landing on something soft and spongy. His relief was short lived as he soon felt the sting of acid on his back. The spongy mass oozed upwards carrying the cleric with it till he could roll off into the corridor next to Darkhawk. Jodotha and Trimus stood ready on the stairs as did Cain. As soon as Ako was clear Trimus fired his wand of cold at the creature. To his horror the mass simply split into four smaller but similar creatures. Darkhawk attacked with his sword as the oozing mass slithered along the walls, floor and ceiling. The smaller creatures moved quite swiftly and dripped acid secretions on Ako and Darkhawk.
"Fire!" called Trimus "We need fire!" The mage started to cast a spell.
Jodotha ran back up the stairs with Cain to get what wood they could find. When they came back a raging inferno filled most of the passage. They chucked the wood through the wall of fire after lighting it and heard the sound of the oozing masses boiling, popping and spitting inside the flames.

When the sounds died down Trimus let the spell collapse. The pit had been scoured clean by the flames, there was nothing to indicate that the black pudding had ever existed. They jumped across the pit and continued along the passage. After a few paces Jodotha stopped the others and moved ahead to listen at a door that was slightly ajar in the eastern wall. He pushed the door fully open and stepped inside followed by Darkhawk and Ako. Inside the room was empty apart from a few animal bones and the droppings of rabbits and foxes.

They continued northwards to a cross-roads. The eastern and northern arms continued into darkness but the western arm ended in a solid looking door after twenty feet or so. Leaving the others at the junction Jodotha moved towards the door and listened intently before pulling is roll of lock picks from his pack. He frowned at the lock which appeared to be newer than the door. He fiddled and prodded, probed and twisted for a few minutes before giving up and returned to the others.
"That door is too secure for me." He admitted. "Let's try the other corridors first before we try to break it down."

They chose the western corridor first which ran straight for fifty feet before emerging into a large square room with four plain pillars in the centre. Two short corridors led from the western wall, both ending in doors. Jodotha opened the door at the end of the northern passage first, for once not listening first. As the door swung open a swarm of large angry wasps attacked the companions. Jodotha stepped backwards and lit a torch swinging it about his head to disperse the insects while Cain started to make strange buzzing noises. The wasps started to move away and return to their hive which was lying in the corner of the small room beyond the door. Jodotha went to slam the door but Cain stopped him.
"They only attacked because someone threw their hive in there. They were angry." Said the mystic calmly. "If we all stand back they will leave us alone and return to the surface to make a new hive."
Looking a little dubious the companions retreated into the columned room and as Cain had said the insects swarmed past them towards the surface. One wasp paused before Cain's face momentarily before hurrying to join the others.

Jodotha made a point of checking the other door before opening it but he heard nothing. Inside was a soot blackened room some ten foot square. Jodotha stepped inside and scrawled his name on one of the walls with his finger much to the puzzlement of the others.
"Why did you do that?" asked Trimus as they returned to the cross-roads and turned north.
"Dunno." Shrugged the rogue. "I just felt like it."
Trimus shook his head at the unpredictable Jodotha's back. "I'll keep a wary eye on you friend." He said under his breath.

The corridor ended in a short flight of stairs leading down, followed by another short corridor running west followed by a second flight of stairs leading down and to the south. The stairs ended at a doorway from which the door had long ago rotted away. At the foot of the stairs was a wide pool of water that appeared to be but a finger width or two deep. Jodotha was not about to take any chances however and he jumped across the pool landing nimbly on the other side. Apart from the pool of water the room is empty and devoid of features. Another rotting door lead south from the south-eastern corner of the room and Jodotha moved down it, not waiting for the others to follow him across the pool. The corridor ended after twenty feet in a solid wooden door. As Jodotha walked along the corridor he felt the tug of a tripwire on his left ankle. Gas filled the narrow passage causing the rogue to cough and splutter. Suddenly Jodotha sensed an invisible presence moving swiftly towards him and he tried to dodge out the way but he was swiped and cuffed to the floor.
The others had now successfully crossed the pool and were about to follow the rogue when they heard him start to cough. Moments later they saw a faint movement of air and dust emerge from the doorway. Ako and Darkhawk swung their weapons but neither hit having very little idea where the creature was. Darkhawk fired his gnomish cross-bow but all but one of the shots missed. The air elemental shivered for a moment revealing it's position allowing Trimus to let off a volley of magic missiles and for the others to get a succession of successful strikes upon their target.

Once the elemental was dispersed they joined a bruised and battered Jodotha who was listening at the door at the far end of the corridor. Jodotha's lock picking skills were up to the job this time and the rogue stepped back allowing Ako and Darkhawk to open the door. To their horror two evilly visaged gargoyles were sat upon their haunches. They sprung towards the companions, but the space was to tight for them to use their wings. Ako's first strike had to be a good one and it was. His target was crazed all over with a web of fine fractures which when Ako's second swing struck home, widened causing the construct to collapse into a pile of rubble. Darkhawk was equally successful with his foe, reducing it to cobbles in short order. They searched amongst the rubble but found nothing of value nor any other exits from the room.

Trimus retreated to the corridor and pulled out a wand. Uttering a word of command under his breath he held it before him with his eyes shut. He felt the slim wooden wand pull him round slightly until he was facing a blank wall.
"There is a secret door there." He said pointing to the wall. Trusting Trimus' magical knowledge the others searched the wall and soon found a loose stone that when pressed caused a section of wall to slide away revealing a short passage that ended in a sturdy door. Jodotha listened but could hear nothing from beyond the door. The door opened into what appeared to be a disused wizard's laboratory. Cobwebs hung like thick curtains from the ceiling to the benches that were clogged with various pieces of magical paraphernalia. Jodotha held Trimus back as he moved to enter the room.
"Look." He said pointing at the grey floor. "There are no footprint's nobody has been here for a long time. I will check the room first. It may be trapped." The others nodded and Jodotha slipped stealthily into the room. He moved first to a large chest stuffed under one of the benches. He wiped the lock free of the cobwebs that covered it then proceeded to unlock and open it. His face was split by a happy grin as he saw the contents. At least two thousand golden coins and a few items of jewellery, a sword and a crystal flask. He plucked a delicate golden locked from the pile of coins and held it up to the light of his glow gem. Using his thumbnail he flicked it open to reveal a delicate portrait of a young woman. Snapping it shut the rogue placed it in his pocket for safe keeping before examining an amulet half buried amongst the coins. Some two inches in diameter it was plain on one side but the other had a triangle below a strange rune engraved upon it.
"Is it safe?" called Darkhawk from the door.
"Yes, come on in, but try to follow my steps." Replied Jodotha without turning around. The others joined him beside the chest by which time Jodotha had also pocketed a silver and diamond brooch in the shape of a leaf.
"That amulet is interesting." Mused Trimus to nobody in particular. "I must show it to Rintrah when he is better, perhaps he may know what it is."

They searched the rest of the room but found nothing else of value. Ako took the flask which he determined was a strong potion of healing while Darkhawk strapped the sword to his pack while the others filled the bag of holding with the coins.

After a few moments rest Trimus and the others returned to the locked door they had reached earlier which Jodotha to his chagrin had failed to unlock. Ako set to with his mace and after a few sturdy blows the wood around the lock had splintered and the door swung open.
"There goes any chance of us surprising them." Muttered Jodotha to Cain.
"Draw your weapons!" barked Darkhawk as inside were two mummies. Before Ako could loose his mace and grab his holy symbol the magical aura of fear that surrounded the hated undead froze him and Darkhawk to the spot. Jodotha muttered a colourful epithet and pushed past his paralysed comrades followed by Trimus and Cain. The rogue struck at the bandaged figures with his blade but the spongy nature of the mummies absorbed the worst of his blows.
"Trimus! Cast a spell." Yelled Jodotha as one of the mummies blows landed on the rogue's cheek causing a blotchy, purple rash to develop almost immediately.
"Now!" he pleaded loudly but to his horror he saw that the mage had been paralysed too.

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