Into The Cave

Having ensured that Pip made it back to the road safely, Vaneiros stepped up to the cave entrance and peered in to the dark interior. “Scuttle, please, lead the way.” Scuttle pulled out both daggers and stepped into the darkness. Vaneiros followed close behind. At the end of a long passageway, the tunnel opened up into a large cavern. A cold breeze blows through, carrying with it the smell of decay and I shiver from more than the cold. The ceiling is at least twenty feet high and two support pillars stretch up to the ceiling.

Slowly, we enter the large room. I noted that the cavern had a large crevasse running down the middle of the cave, separating it into two sides. Two bridges cross the crevasse, one close to us, the other further away. Scuttle raised a hand and we halted. In the stillness, we could hear a snuffling, wet noise. Scuttle points and I can see a dog-like creature across the way, near the second bridge. Dog like, if a dog had one large eye in the center of its head, four fingered hands with large sharp claws and large spikes on its back. I believe I know what it is but now, confronted with the actual creature, the name escaped me. I caught another whiff of what smelled like death and the part of my mind that’s always looking for answers shut down.

It had not yet noticed us. Scuttle sheathed his daggers and slowly drew his crossbow, aimed and fired. The bolt slammed home into the creature’s chest and it reared back, more in surprise than pain. Scuttle broke into a run, sprinting towards the wounded creature while it was distracted. He crossed the bridge moving silently; closed the distance quickly. As he moved, he tossed the crossbow onto his back and once more, his daggers flashed in his hands. As he closed, the daggers slashed left and right, each scoring hits. Attack complete, he settled back into a defensive stance.

Xarus rushed into the room, raised his javelin, aimed and held his throw at the last moment, not having a clear shot. Scuttle’s body blocked his view. Vitarri moved into the room and raised his crossbow. “Careful, Scuttle is in the way”, Xarus shouted.

“I got this” Vitarri muttered and fired. The bolt streaked across the room, missing both Scuttle and the creature by inches. Scuttle ducked down, glancing over his shoulder as he did so. “So close…” Vitarri muttered to himself.

Vanerios moved further into the room. Seeing a clear shot now, he raised his longbow, pulled back the string and let go. The arrow pierced the creature’s body and it staggered back, looking on the verge of death. Blood flowed from the various puncture wounds

Having a clear path into the room, I entered. I quickly took in the surroundings; saw that I had a clear shot. I raised my crossbow, carefully aimed and fired. The bolt struck true, piercing the creature’s single pupil. Gore erupted from its destroyed eyeball and it dropped to the floor, dead.

Those of us still near the entrance paused before joining the others. There was a passageway to our left and I want to check it out before we move away. I walked over to see where it lead. Looking down, I see stairs that descend to a landing, where the stairs end. At the landing, there were two doors, one to the left and one to the right. Vaneiros crept quietly down the stairs. Pausing, he listened first at the right door, then the left. Behind each door, he could hear muffled sounds of people speaking. He carefully crept back up to where we waited. “I think we are safe for the moment.”

Confirming that there was no immediate threat coming from this area, we crossed the south bridge and made our way to where the dead creature lay. I pulled my bolt from the creature’s eye and did my best to clean it off before reloading it in my crossbow.

“Anybody know that this is?” Xarus asked.

I replied, “A nothic, I believe, though I’ve only read about them.” The smell of decay that I had noticed earlier upon entering the cavern originated from the dead body. It was overpowering. “Flesh eater, I believe. Explains the smell.”

Vitarri knelt down and started examining the body. After a moment, he stood. “Nothing of value.”

“There might be something in there”, Scuttle said, pointing at a room just north of the crevasse. We moved into the room and I noticed that where the last area was a cave, this room had a smooth stone floor and the walls were finished stone. There were two piles of barrels and crates. We searched the room, looking inside a few of the crates but found nothing of interest. It appeared to be a staging area.

We left the storage room behind and moved back out into the cavern. On the west side of the crevasse, there was a north stairwell identical to the south stairwell we had already investigated, that also descended out of sight.

“We should take a look at that north passage. See where it leads,” Vaneiros said.

Xarus said, “I’ll take a look.” He stepped out on to the bridge and was halfway across when the rope holding the bridge snapped. He plummeted twenty feet to the bottom of the crevasse and landed hard, the air knocked out of him.

Those of us still up on the ledge looked down to where he lay. “Are you alright?” I called out.

He climbed to his feet and said, “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a few bumps. I’m going to climb out. Come around to the other side.”

“We’ll take the southern bridge. The one that doesn’t collapse…” We made our way around to where Xarus was beginning his ascent. As he reached the top of the crevasse, I noticed that he carried a sword on his back that he didn’t have before falling. “What’s that?”

He pulled it from his back and handed it me. “I found it down there in the crevasse.”

I pulled the blade from the silver scabbard and examined the blade. It was a longsword and had the word Talon etched on the blade. I slid the blade back into the scabbard and attached it to my backpack. “Well done. We’ll figure out what to do with this later. Anything else down there? And how are you? Did you hurt yourself when you fell.”

Xarus looked away. “No, nothing else. And I’m fine. Thanks.”

Vitarri looked at Xarus suspiciously. “Are you sure? You seem kind of evasive.” Glancing down into the crevasse, he said, “I’m gonna climb down there and take a look around.”

Xarus shrugged. “You’re wasting your time but go ahead.”

Vitarri removed his climbing gear from his backpack, rigged up a line, and began lowering himself down. His hand slipped and he fell the last fifteen feet in the crevasse, landing hard. “Son of a…” he muttered as he climbed back to his feet.

“See anything?” Scuttle called down.

“Just an old empty chest.”

Xarus spoke. “That’s where I found the sword.”

I hollered down. “Come back up. We’re wasting time.”

He managed to climb back up without incident and repack his gear. “Um, Anders?”

“Yes?”

“I landed pretty hard and I could use some healing, if you’re willing.”

“Of course.” I reached out a hand and cast Cure Wounds and he stood up a little straighter.

“Thank you. That’s much better.”

The crevasse behind us, we moved to the top of the descending stairwell. Vaneiros held up a hand and we halted. He crept down the stairway and listened at both doors then made his way back up to us. There are sounds coming from the south door but only silence from the north door. The noise from the south door sounds the same as what I heard in the other stairwell. I think both doors open to the same room.”

“We could split up and attack from both sides. Surprise and flank them. What do you think?”

Vaneiros considered and then said, “Agreed. Xarus, Vitarri and Redium, move to the door. We’ll circle back and when we hear you attack, we’ll come in through the south door.”

We had barely arrived when we heard a door crash open and Xarus shout, “Can I play?” At the same time, the light that had flickered under the doorframe went out.

Vaneiros threw the door open and we ran into darkness. Sounds of battle surrounded us. People cried out in pain in the darkness. Those with darkvision engaged the blinded guards and I could hear cries from voices that I didn’t recognize as blows struck home. Scuttle stood somewhere to my left. Suddenly, Scuttle let out a grunt as someone crashed into him. I heard the sounds of two people struggling. To my right, I heard the twang of a bowstring and someone across the room cried out in pain.

I cast Light, filling the room with light. The sudden appearance momentarily stuns everyone and I take the opportunity to smash my mace into the head of a nearby redbrand. He dropped to the floor, dead. I dismissed my spell and the room once more falls into darkness.

The battle continues for a few more minutes and then Xarus casts Thaumaturgy and the torches flicker and light fills the room.

Three redbrands lay dead; only one redbrand still alive and Scuttle has him restrained. Xarus stepped up to him and raised his great sword to his neck. “We have questions and you’d better have answers.”

Vitarri moved about the room, looting the redbrands of their possessions, while Vaneiros stood in front of the redbrand. “Who do you work for?”

“I’m not telling you anything!” Xarus pressed the edge of his sword into the redbrands neck, drawing blood. His eyes went wide with fear and he started spouting everything he knew. Xarus pulled the blade away. “GlassStaff. We work for GlassStaff. He pays us to harass the townspeople, send any adventuring parties on their way.”

“And who does GlassStaff work for?”

“Someone called the Black Spider but that’s all I know. I haven’t seen this spider person…” With a sudden twist, the redbrand broke free of Scuttle’s grip and made a move for the door. Xarus grabbed the redbrand by his collar, yanked him backwards and stabbed him in the back with his blade. The guard collapsed, bleeding heavily. Examining the wound, I saw that it was a fatal blow.

“Anybody familiar with the name GlassStaff?” I asked, looking around at the others. Shaken heads and murmurs of “no” were the only response. “Well, let’s keep going. There were sounds from the other door, correct?”

Vaneiros nodded and Xarus said, “Line up behind me. I’ll kick in the door and we attack.”

We moved to the southern stairway, Xarus in the lead, Vitarri behind him, me behind Vitarri and Redium directly behind me. Vaneiros and Scuttle brought up the rear. Rearing back, Xarus raised his foot and kicked in the door. As we burst in the room, the first thing I see is a small goblin being harassed by two large bugbears. As the door crashed open, the goblin let out a high-pitched shriek and fainted.