I guess by now I should have come to expect the unexpected. Having settled in for a little rest, we had only the night before our adventures caught us up. We awoke the next morning to find Ji E’tah missing and a strange magical summons in his place. Assuming we wanted his safe return (and we did) our only option was to recover a black orb for a master wizard. Seemingly without ever leaving the room, we were transported by an enchanted ship to an isolated isle. For days we sailed while the ship was tended by undead constructs that neither threatened nor even acknowledged us.
Upon arriving at the isle, suddenly heat and humidity engulfed us like a great wave. We explored the island, but found it deserted – no people, no animals, not even insects. What we did find was old, very old – dilapidated huts and strange monuments with ancient markings. It was at one of these that I was able to trigger an “entrance.” Unfortunately, it was directly under Aranthis, who plummeted into an underground lake.
At the nearby shore she located a well-tended dock and we quickly threw down ropes to join her. We found the ornate dock well lit with torches and, curious, we began our exploration. Grog immediately fell victim to a spiked pit trap and it was all Aranthis and I could do to remove him from an impaling spike. Luckily he’s as tough as a bull moose and Brannick was available to restore both his health and spirits.
We soon came upon a large room surrounded by doors. The central focus of the room was a 35’ metal statue that intoned an indecipherable warning as Grendel approached. Behind one door we encountered another automaton, similar to the ones that manned our enchanted ship. Only this one was much more dangerous. Though he approached as if through molasses, his attacks were flurries of untraceable movement. He dropped Frip before any of us could react, but Grog retrieved the gnome before he reached death’s door. Though the battle was sore fought and I was grievously wounded, we were finally able to down the fiend and discover at least one source of his fighting prowess. He carried a magical longsword (+2) and dagger (+1) and a rod that is able to silence an area.
We found the remaining rooms empty but were also able to jump across a crumbling ledge to another corridor. As we traveled this corridor, we noted a humming growing ever louder. Circumventing traps, we made our way through an ornate pair of double doors to find another room guarded by two armored figures with swords. Upon entering the room, these also attacked us and again we were sorely pressed. We were finally able to defeat them, but even in death they lashed out; exploding in a great ring of fire.
Continuing on, with that omnipresent humming growing ever louder, we came upon a luxuriously decorated apartment ensorcelled with a magical alarm. Hearing a huge foe pursue us, even above the loud humming, we pressed quickly onward and found a throne room. Upon a dais within this room was a strange white light that seemed to beckon us. Running from the two metallic automatons that burst into the room and fluidly transformed into a single entity, we all ran for the light and suddenly found ourselves in a remote and quiet cavern – no longer in danger of pursuit.
Making our way back up toward the surface, we first encountered living creatures. The dozen or so canine humanoids were much more fearful of us than we of them and beat a hasty retreat. We then fought our way past two displacer beasts. Frip did his best to salvage the strangely wavering hides of the beasts. They make me a bit unsteady just trying to focus my eyes on them.
Finally we came upon the prize. But a huge metallic automaton guarded the orb. Being in no mood to fight this Giant, we rushed for the orb (reasoning that our patron wizard would keep his promise to return us once we found his prize). As the Giant split into four lesser entities to stop our assault, we dove and rolled around them. The once gnome Fodkin made wonderful use of his new found pixie wings to grasp the orb – suddenly we were transported in a flash back to the “Morning Star.” Ji E’tah sat comfortably waiting for us, unharmed and unaware of our adventure. If it wasn’t for the sword, dagger, rod, displacer hides, and this newly found figurine of a horse, I doubt Ji E’tah would even believe our story. Even now it seems as if no time at all has passed, and we awaken as if from a dream – and, though a week has passed for our band, I can only reconcile my diary by recording this single entry.
As before, I have sketched a map of this area and noted significant events and locales. The unholy alliance between the wardens of death and those dedicated to the pursuit of evil grows stronger. We have overcome orc priests, ghouls, and, of course, more skeletons.
Thus ends the diary of Falon Shimeron – aside from some unsubstantiated claims of felling an unsuspecting rust monster in a single shot and falling victim to a paladin vampire. But that’s the stuff that other stories are made from.
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