RPG Adventure: The Northern Menace – Letters from Trilith #12

Welcome to The Northern Menace RPG adventure: Letters from Trilith! Join us as we adventure through the Northern Reach, through the eyes of our Wizard, Trilith, as we continue our adventure! Click here to read the backstories of the party! 

Wealday, 11th of Rainmoot – part 2

 

Dear Dad,

 

So, there we were, in this catacomb, eight skeletons in the next room, just standing there, doing nothing.

 

If you remember, we were sent here to find a magical bow and a magical mace. But it seems someone has them well protected. I wonder who the skeletons were originally and who set them here to guard.

 

The kingdom of Oppland fell centuries ago. Their scimitars and heavy steel shields didn’t look that old. The room looked to have been looted at some point, so the skeletons could have been the looters. They also could have been the team that went to find the mace, or perhaps, they were part of the Obsidian Scythe that stopped them. It would be tragic and ironic if the elf and his team were among them, defending the place against others like themselves. And you know how much I love irony, Dad.

 

If they were neither the Obsidian Scythe nor the elf and his team, who set them to guard I wonder. And where are they now?

 

Anyway, the skeletons didn’t seem to be paying any attention to us, and we figured entering the room would likely set them off.

 

I checked out the sarcophagus, which seemed to have been looted. There was a body inside, but Robi didn’t seem to think it was likely to get up and attack us.

 

We discussed tactics and decided that Geldion would go in and try to turn as many as possible, then run back to us outside the door. We’d use the doorway as a choke point and destroy them as they came out. I cast mage armor as he moved in, with Robi watching his back. Geldion raised his arms, clutching his symbol, threw his head back, and shouted, “By the hand of Pelor and the faith of Sheerson, may you all burn in the abyss!”

 

The skeletons turned toward Geldion and I tensed for a moment, then a wave of energy washed over the skeletons blasting them all to dust. It was incredible. One minute they’re there and the next the room is filled with choking, reeking bone dust. The weapons and shields crashed to the ground. Geldion grinned at Robi. “My faith is strong!” I resisted the urge to do a little jig, and just told him, “Great job!” Robi was duly impressed. I think Geldion has a fanboy.

 

Cool as it was, if there was anything living nearby, we had announced our coming.

 

Robi led the way east. There were footprints going that way, but Antinua told us it had been a while since whoever it was had passed. As we tried to get through a narrow doorway, two skeletal wolves charged from the darkness. One leapt at Robi, taking a bite of his hand but he managed to hold on to the lantern.

 

I yell for them to back up so we could all help fight. Robi beat on the first one with a club cracking bones, but it was still standing. Geldion swung, but couldn’t get around the doorway. Antinua couldn’t get in to fight and was itching to get in a swing. I cast a Flaming Sphere behind the wolves and it burned one of them. Robi hit, then moved back toward us, taking a bite for his efforts. The uninjured wolf followed him out, and Antinua met it with her morningstar breaking ribs and bones.

 

It leapt at Robi, but was reeling from Antinua’s hit, and missed him. The other wolf snapped at Antinua and clamped on her arm. Geldion swung his cold iron mace, destroying one of the wolves. My flaming sphere engulfed the last wolf, destroying it.

 

Robi healed himself and felt much better. Geldion had some trouble binding up their wounds in the darkness. Perhaps he was still busy gloating about that awesome Turn Undead.

 

As we moved into the next room, a dark, misty figure rose from the floor and moved toward us from the far hallway. It was a shadow, Dad. An actual shadow! They’re fascinating to read about, but really horrible to face. I shouted, “Don’t let it touch you!” though I think they all knew about a shadow’s ability to sap strength. I cast Disrupt Undead at the thing, but got jostled by the boys and missed.

 

The thing wafted quickly over to Robi, who was in the lead, and reached out and touched him. Robi shivered and moaned. He seemed to weaken in front of us, but then rallied. Robi threw off his glove and reached for the creature, but it slid away from him.

 

Geldion handed me a vial of holy water then prayed to Pelor to destroy this guy as well. Pelor came through again, and with flying colors. The shadow puffed out of existence in a swirl of dark mist. 

 

Geldion was looking a little cocky at that point, though I admit, it was well deserved. As Robi congratulated him, another one rose from the hall floor! I mumbled more than a few swear words.

 

I lobbed the holy water at it, but it went straight through and crashed against the stone wall. Antinua shot two magical arrows at the thing, but they went straight through as well. I don’t have to tell you, I was beginning to feel a little desperate.

 

The shadow attacked Robi but, thank the gods, its shadowy claw missed. Robi reached right back at it and his hand glowed against it. It recoiled and staggered back – if a floating creature can be said to stagger. (That is the impression I got.)

 

Again, Geldion held his symbol aloft and prayed to Pelor. And again Pelor came through for us. He vaporized this one as well. But we weren’t out of the woods yet. (Never did understand that expression. Who wants to get out of the woods when they’re so lovely and quiet? But I digress.)

 

Geldion saw yet another shadow arise. I was just thinking that it was too odd that they were all arising in the same place – that there must be something calling or creating these things, when Geldion said there was a skull near the doorway that he thought they were coming from.

 

Well, we knew we had to destroy that skull. Robi tried to draw the shadow away so we could go for the skull. Antinua moved up and threw a vial of holy water at it. This time the holy water worked, and the shadow melted away. Geldion and I thought we could perhaps neutralize the skull by pouring holy water on it, and then hopefully, we could smash it. 

 

I poured, Geldion smashed, but a glancing blow, sent it flying. He tried again, coming down on it hard, but only managed to scuff it. It was clear we couldn’t destroy it, so we lodged it upside down in a broken pot and poured 3 flasks of holy water in it. Then I wedged the whole thing in a corner so no rats could knock it over. We hoped that would hold it for a while as we prepared to move on.

 

I can’t imagine what else this awful place holds in store for us, but I guess I’ll know soon enough.

 

Love,

 

Trilith

 

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