Mirafir Taken – Chapter Eleven
Undead Rats And Mirafir Taken:
28th Day Of The Drawning Down (December)
Father Tobias, worried about the Undead Rats which continually approached Frimly, asked him about the Undead Rats. Farther Tobias wanted to know if there was any item Frimly owned which he had not declared and may be attracting the Undead Rats.
He denied anything, the Undead Rats, the Dagger or anything else. Frimly almost seemed hurt by the questions.
Then Father Tobias noticed that Frimly had a Symbol of St Cuthbert on his person. Was Frimly a worshipper of St Cuthbert too? He had never said, as he did not say about the Undead Rats.
As if we were being watched by an amused Deity or sorcerer, another of the emaciated Undead Rats then approached. Also a town rat, also undead. This one of the Undead Rats settled next to Mirafir this time and NOT Frimly.
Father Tobias warded it off with his Holy Symbol. As it retreated Sir Ly despatched the last of the Undead Rats.
Was someone listening to us? Had they sent their Undead Rats, cohorts to a new target because Frimly was under suspicion? There was definitely more to this than met the eye.
Galan followed the Tracks of the last of the Undead Rats and it, and the other Rats, all appear to have come from outside of Runedardath Under Mount Illefarn.
Away From The Undead Rats:
Anyway such ruminations were for sages, we had to press on. We went down the ramp into a very large chamber (Room 16).
The Sir Ly and Sigune covered the rear.
Frimly looked into the chamber. As he did so his nostrils were assailed by the Acrid stench of the Pollutant. The Room also echoed with the sound of rushing torrents of water.
In centre the large Room was a gap in the floor, rising out of this gap was a column about 20′ feet square. On each of the columns four sides a mouth was carved into the rock about 20′ feet up the column. From the mouth of each mouth poured forth the Acrid Polluted Water.
Around the pit was a balustrade. On one side was a bridge went across it attached to the column. At the bridges far end by the column two fearsome Winged Stone Gargoyles appeared to guard or ward the access to the column.
By the East wall near where the ramp entered the chamber, Father Tobias spotted 2 Dead Goblins. They were the ones that had escaped the ‘Web’ of fire earlier. One, shot by the heroic Galan, still had the same Arrow in its shoulder. The other Goblin corpse, which had been unharmed by us, now sported a smaller quarrel wound. To Father Tobias’s knowledge no member of our group used a Hand Crossbow. Someone else was here, hunting Goblins. Maybe we had allies. Father Tobias then saw 2 Dwarves with another smaller similar Humanoid, perhaps a Gnome, Father Tobias couldn’t be sure, he had never seen a Gnome before.
They signalled to Father Tobias to come forth. Then without a backward glance, the trio hurried out of the chamber through a doorway in the same wall as the ramp entrance.
Father Tobias told Thora what he saw. Then Father Tobias headed to the doorway to follow them.
While this occurred, Frimly checked the South wall. There was a Ramp Exit going up block by rubble. A rough guess put this at the bottom end of the ramp in (Room 3) of the Entrance Level.
By now the whole party was feeling the Acid Stench aggravating their throats or assaulting their nostrils. He turned to the East doorway through which the Dwarfs and Gnomes had gone. It receded into Darkness. It was at least 80′ feet long. After 50′ feet there was a doorway in the North wall.
Galan was called forth. He checked the corridor for Tracks.
He saw that there were Dwarven Tracks that headed down the corridor past the opening. A single pair of Goblin Tracks turned to go through the doorway in the North wall.
The group, again with Paladins relegated to rearguard, follow the Dwarven Tracks. Galan takes sentry duty at the Eastern Doorway.
At the end of the corridor a doorway opened up into a debris strewn chamber. It was about 40′ feet square (Room 19).
Mirafir’s Folly:
Mirafir went to the entrance to check for Tracks in the far Chamber.
4 Human Archers in dark garb sprang up. Mirafir turned ‘Invisable’ but they fired a volley of Arrows at poor Mirafir. Behind them a Witch, or at least a Female Spell Caster, also appeared. Using our earlier Weapon against us, she cast ‘Web’ on the corridor beyond Mirafir. Cackling at us behind them was the trio we had been following.
Evil Dwarves?
What is going on here?
This trapped Father Tobias Thora and Frimy.
Mirafir quickly cast “Invisibility” but the arrows thudded home. His unconscious body fell to the ground, now made visible due to the arrows impact. Two of the archers dragged him away.
Thora used her great strength to break free before anyone else. However Father Tobias remained trapped. At the rear of the corridor Sir Ly and Sigune were also stuck.
Galan was lucky to avoid the ‘Web’. He had gone up the corridor. He followed the Goblin Tracks down the path, took a quick look at a room filled with broken statues (Room 17) and into a large room, to large for him to see it’s full size (Room 18).
Father Tobias was pulled free by Thora. When he was able to move he cast “Heat Metal” on Sigune’s Sword. Her ring of fire protection meant she could still wield the Red Hot Sword without being harmed. She was able to rapidly cut through the web or burn it away freeing the others. Sir Ly first, then Frimly.
Frimly has been looking in a Doorway to another Chamber. He said it was just 3 abandoned looted Workshops (Rooms 38,39 and 40).
By now the Evil Band are long gone. Galan, who was not caught in the ‘Web’, made his way to the Ramp up which Mirafir was taken. The Ramp is guarded by 6 or more Skeletons of mixed race.
Father Tobias Sir Ly and Sigune were torn.
They must help their comrade Mirafir. Their religious teachings demand that they cannot desert a comrade to an uncertain Evil fate. Yet they must also act for the greatest good. The Water Pollution affected a great many people. Thora pointed this out very strongly. Reluctantly with a heavy heart, Father Tobias advised the Paladins to proceed back down to the chamber containing the column.
Alas, the greatest good is to stop what is killing the land of happy valley and the water supplies of Daggerford. Mirafir was a good noble Elf but sadly he was but one individual. He would not be forgotten but our first task had to be to stop the Pollution.
We all returned to the Chamber of the Column.
By then Galan had returned. He told us of his findings. Together we entered the Chamber of the Column.
Father Tobias looked at the pair of statues. Like others he guessed that they may well attack if the bridge is crossed.
Approaching the balustrade, Galan made a lasso which he used to wrap his Rope around one of the Gargoyles head. We then crossed the bridge over the gap towards the Column.
As we did so the Gargoyles did indeed come to life. Sir Ly casts “Spiritual Hammer”. The holy spectral hammer smote one Gargoyle but to very little effect.
The Paladins and Galan fire Arrows at the Gargoyles with limited success. The Gargoyles were made of Stone which made them very tough to harm.
Thora started to wield her Battle Axe. Her mighty blows took their toll smiting the creature asunder.
The Paladins with Father Tobias took longer to slay the other Gargoyle.
Frimly had now crossed the bridge where he found a Secret Door in the column. Inside was a room with a Smaller Chamber at the centre of it. On each of the four sides of the room was a Lever. Three were down while the Northern one was up.
Galan crossed the bridge to join Frimly. He looked at the controls. Frimly made his choice and then he moved one of the Levers, the Eastern Lever. Two of the mouths stopped gushing forth Noxious Water, East and South. Frimly then moved the Western Lever stopping the flow of the Northern and Western flows.
Frimly had done it?
Frimly then pulled the South lever. In the Western Wall of the control room was a Stone Door with a Glass or Crystal Door Porthole in ti. Frimly sees the Bilious Liquid drain away now the Lever was pulled.
Fimally on pulling the Northern lever up, below the mouths, four other Fountains appeared to open in the Column. Clean water gushed forth from them.
The Centre Chamber is now empty of the Noxious Liquid. A ladder can be seen going up in the room off the Control Room but stops 10′ up, blocked by stone. There must be another way to open it?
Undead Rats And Frimly’s Tale:
Having fended off an attack by one of the Gargoyles, Frimly made the most of the ensuing chaotic combat and climbed across the silk rope that Galan had deployed across the 20′ foot deep moat and climbed onto the Balcony of the Central Tower, where once a now part Demolished Bridge had spanned. Frimly quickly uncovered a Secret Door in the Northern Wall of the Column. Within the column was a 10′ x 10′ foot room with a Central Block and 4 Levers on each side of it.
On each of the four sides of a Central Block there is a Lever. Three were pulled up while one in the North side, remained in the down position. Here was also a door with a Crystaline port hole on the Western wall, that on closer inspection looked into a chamber that appeared filled with the Green Gloop.
As the battle with the Gargoyles subsided, Galan crossed the bridge to join Frimly. The pair pondered over which of the Levers should be moved to stop the Noxious Flow.
Frimly then made a quick and silent prayer to his God and chose a Lever, based on carefully weighed up analysis of odds and calculations.
He chose the Eastern Lever and pulled it up. A whiring and clunking of hidden mechanisms ensued. Galan stood in the Doorway and called for instruction from his comrades outside. They cried that the flow from the North and Eastern spouts had ceased. Frimly, thrilled with this partial success applied lock picking logic and moved to the opposite Western Lever and pushed them down too. More whirring and another shout went up, the other two spouts also stopped their Toxic Discharge!
Frimly looked again through the Port Hole, but the Green Liquid remained, though now somewhat less agitated. So which Lever could possibly flush the system through?
Frimly tentatively moved to the Northern Lever, thought better of it and pulled up the Southern Lever, a much louder mechanical sound then ensued, followed by a giant flush and whoosh of liquid being dispelled….to who knows where?
Frimly had removed his ‘Infravison Lenes’, lit his Bullseye Lantern and looked through the Port Hole again and now the chamber appeared empty!
Frimly went to push open a Sealed Doorway that encompassed the viewing port, but Galan held him back, warning of possible Toxic Fumes.
Galan: “How about using Father Tobias’s ‘Necklace of Adaptation’, this might help in event of emergency.”
Frimly placed the ‘Necklace of Adaptation’over his head the pressed on. Behind the Door lies a small 10×10′ foot Chamber a metal ladder led up to the stone ceiling and who knows what lurks above.
Frimly returns to the Lever Chamber and on a whim pulls up on the Northern Lever outside Fresh Water now begins to pour down from the fountain spouts that appear below the larger spouts. But, with the crack that has rent the pool below assunder, the Fresh Water goes the same way as the Green Icor, straight down the swany.
The group were relieved. Now maybe they could mount a rescue bid for Mirafir.
However, before Frimly or Galan could mount the ladder, dwarves appeared in the chamber of the column. They were very angry. They shouted:
Dwarves: “ Oi! Wit are youse doin! Switch thet wata off ya bampots! “
More trouble was brewing. Surely we weren’t going to be forced to start the Pollution again?
The group were relieved. Now maybe they could mount a rescue bid for Mirafir.
However just then Dwarves appeared in the Chamber of the Column. They were very angry. They shouted
Dwarf: “Oi! Wit are youse doin! Switch thet beck on ya bampots! “
There may be trouble ahead.