RPG Campaigns

Giraine Summaries

Hi,

Boamund assessed the crumbling cliffside and deemed it precarious due to rockfalls, but easily climbable otherwise. You proved him right; Miguel rolled aside to dodge some dislodged boulders and managed to save Bog from some, too. Then you approached the long platform sticking out onto the uppermost ledge, on which two pillars stood alone, with two more pillars at the cliff-face where the platform continued as a passage into the cliff. The pillars had long streamers of writhing shadows forming a curtain between them, and this didn't seem right to Fraud, the Xentha quester. He strode into them and felt a probing, lashing grip of those shadowy curtains, carrying frightening prescence forcing itself into his mind; but he withstood it, and so did the others as they entered-except Miguel, who was left cringing in terror at the nightmares imposed upon him, which he later could not recall; his memory had shut them away to protect him from madness.

Amidst the curtains, a voice croaked: It was the great mother Ortele Threetooth, which Fraud instantly knew-in Darktongue: “Rent into ribbons was my flesh and my spirit, when the Defiler of the Dark set loose the Dehori demons into this shrine of Xentha. We fought back– the power of that struggle shook the very bedrock here, and the Dehori remain. But there is hope for brave Uz-friends venturing into my tattered shadows. Evils do lurk beyond, yet there are also old allies of the night that have lost their way in the fractured darkness. Speak unto my power well and they may offer more succor than torment in your quest.”

You entered the pillared hallway, finding that a small lead box lay on the floor about halfway down. Bog darksensed that it was inscribed with Darkness and Fertility runes, and yet it held a feeling of weird warmth or heat that did not fit nature of the container or runes. Boamund approached it warily, with Fraud looping behind it, and its lid snapped open, unleashing a ball of fire that would have scorched them but they dove clear. It was empty inside and so Bog decided to take it with him.

The passage led to a large pillared hall with alcoves on the left and right side, each bearing a dark granite statue of an unclothed Uzko (dark troll), male and female on each side, and both with palms outstretched holding lead bowls of smouldering incense that emitted dank sulphurous fumes and eerie flickering light. Darkness lurked between the pillars where a great Darkness rune was on the floor, rent with a crack across it. As you stepped in, three moaning demonic figures materialised in a row in front of the rune and battle was on! They were lead-skinned humanoids clad in tattered dark cloaks, and could steal magic energy with their touch and also breathed blinding Helldark as they approached; blinding Fraud who then hid behind his shield. They dealt powerful punches with their leadened fists but you beat them down soon enough, with Bog proving himself by inflicting multiple crippling blows. You then inspected the incense bowls, agreeing that they were blasphemous against the shrine. The incense could not be doused or removed from the bowls, so you put them into the lead box and carried them off, hoping to resolve the problem later rather than risk creating a problem by tossing them into the floor's crack.

The next chamber was similar, but partly collapsed on one corner. When you entered, a large intelligent Shade, who named itself as Dejuruzz, formed from the shadows. Fraud spoke to it as the Xentha quester and it replied with threats of doom, so Bog started charging but then paused-was this a potential Dehori ally, or a foe? He tried addressing it but it continued its angry barrage of threats; so you engaged it in melee. Boamund faced its main attention, as it tried to engulf him in its freezing, crushing shadows; but he kept diving out of its way. In the meantime, the others joined the fray and began dealing it magical blows. Soon enough it was looking haggard and it floated up toward the high ceiling, roaring that you'd bested it and it could help you because it believed maybe you were not lying that you served Xentha, even though none of you looked like normal Uz or familiar Xentha cultists from the past. It seemed a bit deranged and explained it could not leave here, as it was this chamber's guardian in service (formerly, but perhaps again) to Xentha, yet it explained that there were Shadowdemons; deadly Dehori; lurking in the tunnels past this chamber. You showed it the incense bowls and it confirmed they were defiled, and said that “Granny” would be the only one who could resolve this, but she would be more likely to rip you to bits than to help you. You departed.

Past the chamber, a passage led to the left and then ended in rubble, through which (to the left) there was a visible gap into a natural tunnel. With efficient work, Miguel opened a larger gap in the boulders that enabled you to get to; Bog with a little trouble and mild injury but successfully with Miguel's help again. The ~6m diameter tunnel was unlike the fine stoneworked passages before- it was decorated with runes and “graffiti” prayers in Darktongue, calling to the Night's power, and some of it had been excavated with chewing and clawing. But also there were newer marks atop the writing that showed biting and scratching that defaced it. You explored onward, finding a set of sharp ledges downward into darkness ahead, whereas the tunnel turned to the right there, curving to a juncture where it met a vast, dark abyss past which some more tunnels were visible, but seemingly inaccessible. On the left side of the juncture, a series of three gentle ledges led downwards.

As you contemplated this, dark shapes ambushed from behind: four winged Shadowdemons, with sharp claws that tore into Miguel and Bog as they pounced, knocking them flat. Two more leapt and flapped over you to land in front of Fraud and Boamund, then shrieked, frightening them for a moment before they attacked. The Shadowdemons, however, were thin-skinned and not as skilled as you, so Fraud and Boamund quickly slew theirs, and Miguel had endured much clawing from his foe but Bog fought his off and then knocked out both remaining demons; the fight was won, and you were very impressed with this Enlo warrior!

Fraud thought over the layout of this complex and reasoned that the ledges ahead must curve back around via tunnels that would reach the far side of this abyss, whereas behind you where the demons had come from, at the sharp ledges, must be a dead-end back toward the entrance and cliff-face. So you prepared to explore further down those gradual slopes.

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