Harvest 19

The Guild lost an apprentice today. It was a tragedy that need not have occurred. At least we were able to prevent the loss of two apprentices. Still, it seems a small, pointless victory.

The day started out reasonably well. Raven returned today. Her and I were comparing information on what we have managed to learn about the odd, dead plains we traversed while helping the Halflings of Turlough. Apparently, it is the lands of the Drune Lords and is called the Sour Lands. They seem to practice a bizzare perversion of Druidic magic. Though, it seems so far removed that I hesitate to even make that much of a comparison. They revere the Horned Lord as a symbol of Power, Warfare and Destruction. They draw their power directly from the Land, without ever returning it. Thus, they deny the Goddess. They are a cruel people, led by one that claims to be an incarnation of the Horned Lord.

They are a growing threat and have finally begun to expand their power base. They seem to be a force we will need to reckon with, though our own power seems insufficient at this time. Nevertheless, we will need to do something about them in the future.

In the middle of the afternoon, there were bells at the Stronghold. We all made haste to return as the bells are not idly rung. Roderick was pleased to see us. A cellar had collapsed in the center of town and it truant apprentices were the likely cause. We rushed to our quarters to grab our equipment and then hurried to the scene.

Upon arriving, we realized is was just a bit more than a cellar. Several people were already preparing ropes and some Dwarves had begun some assessment of the structural damage. The shaft fell some 300 feet! Down below the sewers, so water was also pouring into the shaft. Roderick was also on the scene. Some apprentices were missing down the hole and somebody had seen something moving down there.

Though I was anxious to help the apprentices, Blackhawk and Raven insisted on allowing some scouting to take place first. Blackhawk wanted to use some new spell of his to facilitate shape changing and Jaden provided an invisibility spell to reduce the chances that Blackhawk would be seen. His plan was to descend into the shaft as a bat and then change into a Dwarf once he reached the bottom.

Rationally, I know he really wasn't gone for very long. Yet, it felt an eternity. Apprentices in trouble? So many were lost in the battle against the Dark Circle. Yet, this time I could actually help, so it was difficult to wait. I distracted myself by enhancing the grace and coordination of Elensul and myself. Jaden cast several spells on himself and we all discussed possible strategy.

Finally, Blackhawk returned. Though, he was still invisible. Apparently, he flew into an invisible Jaden because Jaden was suddenly visible lashing out because something flew into him. Blackhawk's voice a moment later calmed him. There was a badly injured apprentice at the edge of the pile of rubble. Blackhawk had tried to stabilize him with curative magic, but had not seen the other apprentice. Nor had he seen any other creature. We yelled a quick question to Roderick and he replied, letting us know that two apprentices were missing.

As we prepared to descend into the shaft, Roderick requested Raven's assistance. Apparently there were some wounded from the collapse that he wanted her to help with. Torn between duties, we decided that the rest of us would descend while Raven helped the others. If necessary, she could join us at the bottom.

I conjured Manwe's Grasp and Elensul, Jaden and I stepped off the edge and began to float down into the abyss. It was an eerie experience. We were falling slowly enough for our eyesight to easily adjust. We gently pushed past jutting timbers and precariously dangling masonry. Elensul had grabbed some of the ropes and was guiding them past the obstructions. We got down below the level of the sewers and were rewarded with a shower of their foul contents. Toward the bottom, there was still enough light that we could see dimly. Finally, we alighted on a pile of debris.

We were at the bottom of a cistern. The mound of debris shifted beneath each step, making the whole thing rather precarious. Toward the edge of the mound, I could see the apprentice that Blackhawk had spoken of, partway in the water. Everyone peered around the chamber to see if we could spot the other apprentice, or any dangers, and I made my way across the mound to check the condition of the one we had located.

Young, blond, very badly injured. Blackhawk's magic had helped, but this apprentice was so badly injured that even curative magic would avail him little. Nevertheless, I cast a spell to help his system remain stable when he was lifted out of the shaft.

We still had not seen anyone, or anything. I thought that perhaps a bit of light would help. I reached for a nearby rock, a cantrip on my lips, when something darted out of the water nearby, just missig me. Probably because of the blurring affect of my armor!

Elensul immediately charged down to the waters edge with me, but the snake-like thing had already returned to the water. Jaden, called out and then went invisible. I thought I could hear Blackhawk moving around, but still could not see him anywhere. I elected to cast a spell on myself, one that increases my speed and reactions. I then drew my rapier.

A moment later, two tentacles popped out of the water and threatened Elensul and I. Then, unsuccessful in their bid to reach us, disappeared into the water again. The water was roiling where the presumed body of the creature was. Apparently, all of us had enough. The next time the tentacles popped out of the water, we all struck. Elensul with a quick punch, an arrow came flying over my shoulder into the thing, small bolts of light zipped past me into the tentacle and I even managed to strike it with my rapier. However, a sound came from below us and it seemed like the mound shifted slightly. We began to wonder exactly how large this thing might be.

Elensul carried the apprentice up to the top of the mound where Blackhawk tied him securely and tugged the rope. Jaden began to navigate the mound in one direction while I picked up the dweomered rock and began to look the other direction. Moments later, a creature pulled itself up out of the water and charged up the hill. Elensul still managed to evade it's grasp. The thing was covered with a dark, hard looking carapace and had a huge mouth filled with vicous looking teeth. Stepping up, under it's guard, Elensul laid in with a rapid series of punches. He knocked the creature around a bit, but the sound of his punches was as if he were hitting a stone wall. Blackhawk stepped a bit closer and showered the thing with arrows. His first shot was aimed at a smaller stalk that appeared to have eyes in it. It was a great shot! But, it didn't seem to have the desired affect as Blackhawk then focused the remain shots on the body. Unfortunately, two of the shots skipped off the things rocky hide. Jaden followed up with another spell. As his magical bolts hit the thing, it finally collaped.

I continued my circuit of the mound. Jaden pointed out a broken crossbow and I peered out into the water. It looked like it fell off sharply and that the water is deep. Even as I was completing my search, Elensul was peering down the things mouth. Inside, he could see the bottom of a foot. Gingerly reaching beyond the sharp teeth, he managed to get a grip on the foot. Suddenly, he disappeared and reappeared 10 feet away. Laying next to him was the body of the apprentice.

Several hours later, we had managed to clean the worst of the stench from ourselves and had looked up the identity of the creature in the libraries. An Otyugh, a foul creature that lives in filth. Finding Roderick in one of the day rooms, a pile of reports on the table, we reviewed the days events.

The injured apprentice will likely live. There were 3 others that avoided falling into the cistern and Roderick had learned a bit more about the events that transpired before the collapse. The had been exploring a new set of tunnels when the came to an oddly constructed wall. It was apparent that the tunnel continued beyond the wall, and the wall was constructed as an open grid. Looking past the stones, they decided to start pulling them out of the way. This triggered the collapse. Some of the Dwarves were able to study the area and determined that the wall was rigged as a trap.

Elensul reported what he had learned from Lauciian about the club of Apprentices and Journeymen. Roderick seemed a bit agitated at the mention that Journeymen were involved. We also offered to assist with speaking to the apprentices. Roderick plans to make sure all the apprentices see the body of the dead apprentice so they can fully appreciate the reasons fot eh ban on exploration in the tunnels. Roderick did inform us that they have now discovered a two block section of tunnels that they did not know existed.

Before leaving, we also inquired on how far Gryphon Isle is. Apparently, it is a week by Navigator ship. It appears that it will be at least a week and a half before General Liam returns.