Two days previous (10/9), Tienarth’s Raiders had returned to the Naked Isle with the third and final ring fragment. After a day to analyze new magic items, they went to work on figuring out how to repair the ring (10/11). The cube of force was handed to Jerker and Elaria wore the necklace of missiles. Ollie sought out Silverfish for advice. The old man congratulated on their success. Ever contemplative, he began to speak about liches.
Speaking with Silverfish
“Have you ever pondered the curious case of the lich, my friends? It’s a peculiar practice, isn’t it? To surrender one’s mortality, to become a husk of their former self, all in the pursuit of eternal life. It’s a bargain, I suppose, but a steep one at that. I’ve often wondered why any wizard, no matter how powerful, would choose such a path.” He leaned forward, eyes glinting with a mix of curiosity and disdain, then continued. “Is it a fear of death, a desperate grasp at power, or perhaps a twisted desire to watch the world crumble around them? Or perhaps there’s something more sinister at play, a hidden agenda that only the most evil of wizards could comprehend.”
Ollie asked Tienarth what he thought. The old elf offered something non-committal. Ollie redirected the conversation to the ring.
“Ah, the broken ring. A delicate matter, indeed. While I am not a master jeweler, I can tell you that the pieces can be reforged by a skilled craftsman. However, the magic that once imbued it is a different matter. To restore its powers, a potent spell must be cast.” He paused, eyes narrowing in concentration. “The spell must be tailored to the ring’s specific purpose. In this case, it seems the ring was designed to nullify other magic. Therefore, the spell must be equally powerful, capable of counteracting any enchantment it encounters. Additionally, a general wish spell might be necessary to rekindle the ring’s dormant energies.” Leaning forward, his voice dropped to a whisper. “But remember, such a task requires great skill and caution. A misstep could have dire consequences. It is a delicate balance of magic and craftsmanship, a test of the jeweler’s abilities and the wizard’s knowledge.”
Tienarth was surely capable of managing the magic, and fortunately, they had both a wish spell and a rod of cancellation. They wondered about finding a jeweler. Ollie knew enough as a dwarf to confirm the need but was hardly capable of doing the fine work. Fortunately, Silverfish new of a newly-arrived jeweler who they later learned had arrived with Avitus and could be found in the village.
Odd Behavior from Arianna
But before they went to find the Jeweler, Nate went to speak with Arianna. As he approached The Howl of the Demon, Ephor’s ship that remained moored in the harbor, he saw her bent over and turned away. As he climbed the ramp up to the ship’s deck, Arianna dropped something over the side. He heard a splash in the water.
The conversation with Arianna went as other interactions, disdain dripping from her every word. Nate wanted to know if the amulet they’d recently found that provided protection from magical detection would help hide her from her rivals who also sough the Neh Rod. She didn’t let the young paladin finish his question before letting out a mocking chuckle. Her beauty was undeniable, but she had no patience for her inferiors, of which the entirety of intelligent beings seem to comprise.
Nate left to join the others and relate the story. Urgesh was intrigued by the mystery of the item dropped overboard. He and Jerker went back to the water, taking care not to be seen by Arianna. Urgesh swam around the boat. He didn’t seem much interesting under the water other than a ruined crab cage. Floating in the water was a large, half-eaten frog. It seemed possible that Nate had interrupted Arianna eating a frog. This presented a puzzle to which no answer presented itself. Urgesh wondered aloud if she were a demon. Someone else mentioned that they though she was only an illusion.
Peran the Jeweler
Despite the lack of satisfaction, they returned to Osrendell proper and looked for the jeweler. They found a small, thatched hut with a sign declaring “Jeweler for Hire”. Inside, they found a halfling on a high stool next to a workbench. Tools and gems covered the worktop. He introduced himself as Peran, a jeweler who came to the Naked Isle because of the recent influx of wealth. They soon found out he had another reason for being there.
The need for a jeweler was explained. In a deep, authoritative voice, he spoke. “Ah, a broken artifact of power. A delicate task, indeed. But I am not without the skill to mend it.” Presently the conversation came to Aderian offering gold for the service of reforging the ring.
Chuckling softly, Peran replied, “Money is a tool, a means to an end. But in this case, I require something more…unique.” The possibilities hung in the air. Any number of precious items tumbled through their imaginations. “I am a student of archeology. The item is actually nearby.” Peran continued, “A relic from the ancient elven civilization that once thrived on this island. Something that has been lost to time and forgotten by all but the most knowledgeable of scholars.”
He went on to explain that the relic was on the island, somehow associated with a cave. Instantly, they thought of the magic portal at the top of the tower that lead to a cave. Ollie asked about the relic.
Peran leaned forward, eyes sparkling with intrigue. “The relic is a pendant, fashioned from a shimmering, iridescent stone. It is said to have the power to control the tides and command the creatures of the deep. But its true nature is shrouded in mystery. It is a challenge worthy of a true adventurer. The relic is guarded by a creature of legend, a guardian born from the very essence of the sea. It is said to be as wise as an ancient sage and as fierce as a storm. To retrieve the relic, you must first appease the guardian and prove your worth.”
Entering the Cave
Peran showed them a symbol of a snake. He told them to expect it to be in the cave. Ollie lead the group through the swamp and to the tower. All together, they were Ollie, Urgesh, Aderian, Jerker, Elaria, Tienarth, Hocuspo, Nate and Ferris. At the top of the tower, Ollie tested the portal, going through and back again. Then, they all went through. After a short time searching the cave, the snake symbol was found engraved in a wall. Ollie’s knowledge of stonework determined that a secret door lay behind it. Soon he was pressing on the stone to open up a door to a 10-foot passage with stairs going down.
After a short walk, the passage leveled out and then they were in a large chamber. Tall columns flanked either side. The chamber stretch beyond the length of Aderian’s glowing stone, a gift from Ghevont of years past. Suddenly, two huge pythons descended from behind columns. The beasts were trivial threats that died in moments.
Open passages were seen left and right, and at the end of the long hall was another passage. They chose to explore to the right, marching down the wide passage, eventually coming to two double doors of iron. Aderian pulled the doors open to face an armored figure that rose from a throne and stepped up briskly to face him in battle. Several tense moments followed.
The mages fired magic missiles at the foe. Urgesh summoned an ostrich from his pouch. At first, only Aderian and Ollie fought with the mighty warrior which stood at least eight feet tall. It swung a heavy maul with amazing speed, once landing a sturdy blow on the former pirate. Uttered speculation was that they faced an iron golem, a fearsome enemy they’d faced more than once before. The magic hurled against it seemed ineffective. In the end, Urgesh charged at the enemy, spinning and leaping at the last moment. His mighty sword, Vambier, cleaved the head clean off. It rolled across the floor.
Inside the helmet was a humanoid head, approximately human, though larger. It seemed to be a flesh golem wearing plate armor. Next to the throne were urns of coins, which Aderian poured into his magic pouch. Nate took a potion that was nestled in the coins. Then, they retraced steps back to where the snakes lay dead. Ollie advised against taking the left passage. They cross the hall and marched for another 20 minutes until they came to another large chamber.
Aderian and Jerker entered the chamber first. From the edge of the darkness emerged a large reptile with six legs. Aderian flinched, turning his gaze away. Jerker’s eyes met the eyes of the basilisk. A gray wave passed over this form and he was transformed into a statue of stone. Elaria, his elven wife, wailed in agony. Aderian, Urgesh and the ostrich attacked the basilisk, and it was killed before it had another chance of injuring anyone.
Tienarth thought about a solution for Jerker. There were calls to leave him in place as they went on, arguing that as a statue he was likely safe until some sort of reversal could be made. In the end, Tienarth produced one of the scrolls taken from the Island of Lonesome Shoulders. It was a spell meant for transmutation of stone to flesh. The spell was more complex than the old elf could hope to memorize, but he understood it well enough to restore Jerker to life. He estimated an 80% chance of success. As he read the magic writing and waves his hands, the words disappeared from the scroll and twinkles of energy hung in the air. Presently, Jerker took a deep breath. He was once again flesh and blood.
The passage out of the basilisk chamber was only about 20 feet before it opened into another chamber. The light of fires burning in stone braziers lit the room. Three figures, 10 feet tall stood in a row. Curving horns protruded from their devilish faces. They gripped tridents. Bat-like wings spread from their backs.
“No further shall you go, mortals!” the one in the center bellowed.
Urgesh attempted to converse with these guardians. The insisted that the party leave or else be burned by fire. Elaria retreated hastily, muttering about the necklace she wore. Jerker went with her. The guards reiterated that their prisoner must not escape. The rest of the party retreated at Tienarth’s urging. Ollie called them cowards. Back in the basilisk room, the patience of Tienarth was pitted against Aderian’s desire to press onward.
Beginning to lose his temper, the half-orc barbarian continued to challenge the devilish adversaries. The central figure cast a spell meant to produce fear. It had no effect on Urgesh, but his ostrich fled. Next, Urgesh hurled the head of the flesh golem at the guards. It was a fine throw but missed as if by magic. At that, he returned to the others.
Back in the room with the dead snakes, they considered the untried passage. Tienarth, Urgesh, Ferris and Nate did not agree to continue exploration. Hocuspo went along with them back to the entrance and on home. Ollie, Aderian, Jerker and Elaria went down the other passage, the one to the left as they original entered the chamber. As before, they arrived at iron doors. Ollie impulsively pulled the doors open and dashed in. Before him stood three giants, each of them with a single eye in the center of their faces. Cyclops!
The prospect of this battle overwhelmed the little warrior. He stepped back and shut the door. They all tensed up, waiting for the doors to open, but after several minutes, they remained closed. Perhaps a measure of caution returned at this time, for they decided not to press for battle. Instead, Aderian hammered spikes in front of the door, and with that, they left for the village.
End Notes
- Days
- 10/11 – Trying to find the pendant
- Treasure:
- 800 cp
- 1700 gp
- 300 pp
- Unknown Potion
- Combat: 2645 xp
- 2 Giant Pythons 405 xp ea
- Basilisk 610 xp
- Flesh Golem 1225 xp
- Characters (8.5 shares of 311 xp each)
- Aderian (human, fight, in front) 348 xp
- Elaria (hireling) 156 xp
- Ferris (human) 342 xp
- Hocuspo (hireling) 156 xp
- Jerker (human, fight, in front) 348 xp
- Nate (human, fight) 345 xp
- Ollie (underground, stonework, guards rear) 320 xp
- Tienarth (inquisitive, patient, avoid combat) 320 xp
- Urgesh (half-human, aggressive, action-oriented, fight) 336 xp