Revelations Part 1

'Heed this revelation.. I am he that was alive and then was dead; Now behold, I shall now live again... Vapario.'

 Revelations Part 1

The party descended into the mist filled dungeons below the palace and came across a red door at the end  of a long corridor. It was guarded by a talking dog which somehow had been down here for longer than it could remember, loneliness and isolation had driven it mad, but the party were able to persuade it to let them past. Heading down broken staircases and ruined corridors they found themselves in a ancient citadel, buried below the human city.

 Water from the canals above was finding its way down here, falling from the high ceilings, the stained glass windows holding back the waters, murky daylight barely filtering through from the surface above.

 Mist became steam as heat from the earth below cause the waters to evaporate, encourage strange plant growth in the unnatural light. There was still magic here, long buried but active, and nature was surviving upon it.

 As they pressed forward overgrown plants and vines started to take over the hallways as water continued to trickle and splash down from vaulted ceilings. They found an octagonal vault in the centre of a large hall with a stone door. Prising it open inside they found a sarcophagus, which they decided to open. A skeletal guardian awoke inside, and attacked. It was a hard fight, but they managed to defeat it get away.

 Heading back to the main hall, as sleeping fire salamander broke from beneath the stone floor. As teh water splashed down onto it the steam became overwhelming. The fight was difficult, Norgarth trying to wrestle with teh beast but it was too string, its tough scaly hide deflecting weapon blows, and the heat form the beast burning flesh where they stood.

 Retreating away, Shen Li saw an opportunity as the salamander pursued, and striking with a flurry of blows against teh ancient stonework of an archway brought it down upon the creature, burying it beneath tone of rubble. Injures and with one way now blocked they continued through ornate halls deeper into the citadel.

 Norgarth and Galthia, weary from battle decided to set up camp to rest, It seemed quieter, safer here, and so Shen and Haennah decided to scout ahead confident that they could face any immediate challenge or get away from harm if need be.

 The monk and the Teifling found a trap that was active, spikes coming from floor and ceiling filling a wide corridor. There was a handle that operated it, lit with a faint blue hue. Testing it they determined how it worked and Shen decided to carefully move past the spikes. The monk suggested the trap remained active so teh spikes which they believed were poisoned were visible and could be avoided.

Unfortunately they both had failed to notice the giant gelatinous cube that the spikes were holding in place, and Shen walk straight into it.

 

Acid burned Shens skin deeply, as he was sucked into the cube and held by it. Struggle as he may he could not get free. Haennah thinking quickly formulated a plan. It seemed an age, as she stood there watching Shen struggle helplessly, as if he was simultaneously drowning in teh goo of teh cube and being scorched by its acid touch.

Unfurling her silk rope form her knapsack she used her sorcerous power to quick cast Mage Hand and commanded it to pull teh other end of the rope into teh cube and tie it around Shens waist.

Shen managed to grab hold and pull upon teh rope as Haennah , using her unnatural strength given to her by the Yuanti Ti armor, anchored the other end firm.

 As he pulled Shen got anther mouthful of cube goo, he felt dizzy, sleepy , as he started to succumb to some kind of magic, as he pulled himself free. Heannah rushed forward and dragged him away before the cube could attack again.

 

With Shen out of reach of danger Haennah used fire magic to destroy the cube. It was only then that she notice Shen was unconscious. Using the last of her spell power she healed his wounds as best she could, but for some unnatural reason he would not wake.

Whatever magic the cube possessed , Shen had fallen into a deep sleep from which she could not wake him. She decided to rest there, hoping that Shen would recover, before going back to the others, but at the end of her rest he still had not awoken.

She wrapped Shen in bandages head to foot, to cover his burnt and blistered skin, hoping that this would help, and then lifting him over her shoulder carried him back.

'You're no good to me dead Shen, I need ally's down here if I am to survive.'

 

While Norgarth and Galthia rested they had time to look more closely at the surrounding ruins. It came to Norgarth, that this was indeed an ancient city, the architecture looked elven, it predated the human city above. He realised that it must have sunk millenia ago, and been built over. Only the powerful Elven magics had allowed most of it to survive intact. Who knew what manner of creatures, or traps they would uncover down here, but it clearly was a dangerous place. Any urgency to follow the spirit of Vapario was futile, this ruin was too dangerous to blindly bumble through.. they needed to be more cautious.