(5 Oct 2001) The hunters of the Jruuh find themselves hunted.
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Maze of the Jruuh
(5 Oct 2001) The hunters of the Jruuh find themselves hunted. |
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Here, where several glyphs of warding are written in older languages, a rope dangles down to what seems like some sort of platform from which stairs descend to the rocky floor. Perhaps in ages past, this was a place of worship.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Thomas suggests to the others. "A hidden city." He looks around slowly and comments, "Not so creepy down here. It's actually quite nice."
Sir Lefallon offers Lady Redmane a hand down, and then hefts his shield back into place on his arm. "I mislike this place," he says to Thomas. "It may have been the place of men once, but it is the place of dark things now. How will we know which way to seek the Jruuh lair, milord Explorer?"
"We search each passage we find," Tom explains, kneeling down to pick up a rock. He walks over to a wall and drags the rock roughly across the surface, scratching a whitish arrow into it pointing back to the entrance. "We'll always make an arrow pointing back out so we won't get lost," he adds.
"Of course! Such a simple thing, and yet it did not occur to me," Sir Lefallon marvels.
As Thomas outlines his plan for investigating their surroundings, from a northern corridor, the adventurers hear a growling. The first rumblings of it might just be imagination, or some trick of wind -- but though faint, it seems familiar.
The princess has since drawn back the hood of her cloak, and stands, examining one of the glyphs on the wall. "I wonder who they were?" she asks of no one and everyone. She reaches her free hand to remove her spell book once again, fumbling with the buckle in the dark. "I think I may have a spell for this ... if we need light, that is -- though I have never attempted it, and I would need torches."
Drawing her sword once her hands are free, Redmane keeps alert. "Are the Jruuh clever enough to change or erase the marks, though?" she asks.
"Hopefully not," Tom replies, "But just in case, why don't we make a second mark in a less visible spot in each room, just in case." He kneels down and puts a small "U"-shaped scratch in the rock on the ground, the end of the "U" pointing toward the exit.
The Explorer then stands and draws his sword and points toward a corridor. "Let's start there. I heard a growl just now, I think," he says softly.
"Same formation as before?" Redmane asks Thomas.
Tom nods. "Unless your experience dictates otherwise, Knight Redmane," Thomas replies. "In large rooms and passages, we keep the same triangle pattern. For narrow tunnels, how about you and I in front of Lady Raven and the Princess. Sir Lefallon can guard the rear."
Sir Lefallon visibly gathers his courage as he stands up straighter and grips his sword more tightly. "It shall be as you say, milord Explorer."
"Sounds good to me," Redmane agrees.
Princess Angel moves to stand up behind Lord Thomas, where she can get the most light from the lanterns carried by the front guard. Once again, she lays out her spell book on her arm and searches for something of use in these dark caves. She adjusts several bookmarks as well, long strips of ribbon used to mark pages apparently important to the princess.
Thomas looks to Lefallon. "I figure most attacks will come from the front down here, as we've already been through what is behind us. Fear not, friend." He walks forward, passing by Lady Raven and smiles lightly at her. "Onward," he says, "and prepare your light spell, Princess. We may need it."
"Even so, I shall strive to be as vigilant as possible, milord," comes the reply from Sir Lefallon.
The growling grows momentarily louder, and more distinct -- but then, it doesn't seem to be coming from the same direction. The swell of noise fades to nothing again. A few moments ... and the faint rumbling from the north is audible once more.
Thomas stops and digs into his side pouch. He pulls out a candle and lights it. He walks briefly back over to the Princess and offers it to her and says, "Here, so you can read easily."
"It may not be so easy to avoid being flanked," Redmane whispers. "The Jruuh seem to be spread out. Perhaps we should lure them to us instead?"
"Certainly, Lord Explorer." The princess reaches in to her book case and draws out several different strips of colored ribbon and replaces one of the bookmarks already set in the tome, all of the same shade of light blue, with a golden ribbon. She then tucks her wand in the book case and takes up the candle. "Thank you."
Tom nods slightly to Redmane and whispers, "Should one of us scout ahead, and if he finds anything, lure it back to the group?"
The knight considers this strategy. "They might cut you off in darkness. Perhaps the Princess has a spell of banishment that can clear the way?" she whispers back.
Thomas nods back, whispering, "A good idea. Let's ask her."
"Banishment? The ... extent of my previous banishment spell wasn't great. But then, I suppose, we were outdoors. Here in the dark such a light would be more noticeable. But ... " The princess flips several pages to end on the golden bookmark. "Are you certain I should cast it now?"
Looking to Lady Raven, Redmane asks, "What do you think, Seeress?"
As they walk through the corridors, the growling noise becomes more noticeable ... and seems to come from several different directions. Sir Lefallon calls to the front, "Milord ... I hear growling from behind us. I fear that they are aware of our presence here."
The princess frowns at the page, then shakes her head. "This isn't it. This is another spell. To be quite honest ... I don't recall ever having seen that spell in my book," explains Angel. She glances across the page, flips a few more, then shakes her head. "Lady Raven? You cast your glamour free of any book.... Maybe ... " She closes the book with a thump and nods. "I can try."
"I think ... Sir Lefallon is right," the oracle responds, peering about. "Let us look for a more open space -- I mislike these confines all the more."
The Explorer holds up his hand, halting their slow progress. He listens intently, trying to see if he hears what Sir Lefallon hears. The Explorer then nods and starts heading forward quickly. "Come, the next room we come to, we'll secure and use as a position to defend."
The princess frowns a little. "No ... I didn't cast it from memory. I did not invent it of my own accord, now that I consider it. The banishment spell simply ... isn't here."
"Each spell can only be used once then?" Redmane asks as she keeps pace with Thomas.
"That may well be the case. Or, simply, that it was there ... " The princess glances behind her and makes a wiggle-finger fly away gesture with her hand. " ... and then it wasn't."
"Or it was removed by some ally of the Jruuh when you left the book by itself," Thomas whispers. "Who knows how many allies they really have?"
"Come to think of it, and ... I wish I had earlier now ... I do believe our Lady Sorceress mentioned spells only working once," the princess adds.
There's a sudden skittering noise, like claws on stone, and pebbles scattering. It comes from the passage the party just came from, and approaches quickly.
"We'd better hurry, milord, miladies!" comes Sir Lefallon's voice. "I think they're on their way!"
"They may be herding us," Redmane growls. "This is their territory, after all."
"Prepare to fight, Sir Lefallon! Time to run, we have to reach a more open space! I think one is just ahead," Thomas calls out to the group and moves ahead even more quickly. "Hurry! We must get into position where we can defend the oracle and the Princess."
The skittering is closer, louder. Whatever it is, it's moving quickly, and soon to round the corner.
Sir Lefallon calls ahead, "Aye, milord, we'll make our stand in yon space! I'd as soon not fight in these tight quarters."
With all the haste a princess encumbered with book and candle can manage, Angel moves to follow after the two front guards. "To me, Lady Raven! Perhaps you can help work spells if it becomes necessary," she tells the woman behind her.
"I just hope we aren't rushing into an ambush," Redmane mutters.
Raven takes Angel's arm, helping her move along into the open cavern indicated by their leader.
From the passage behind the adventurers, the scraping and clattering intensifies, until a small, somewhat fat-looking white lizard emerges, frantically scrabbling across the stone floor right down the middle of the group. It hurries past the group, dodging around boots. It takes a moment to whip its head over its "shoulder" to look at the passage behind it, a small stone it was carrying falling from its mouth as it releases a short, sharp hiss. Clumsily, it attempts to get momentum again, and flees into the darkness ahead.
The Lair
This room seems to be one of the natural caves that intersperse this complex of halls, with an uneven floor and a ceiling rising high overhead, so that stalactites seem to prod downward from out of shadow. Stairs cut into the rock descend to the floor ... where there is a vast collection of glittering things that might be enough treasure to please even a dragon.
Frowning at the small creature that ran past them, Lady Raven ducks after it, hoping the glittering cavern will offer them a better vantage point from which to fend off the jruuh. "Ah ... Lord Thomas. When you said we were tracking the jruuh to their lair -- what were we supposed to do when we found them?"
"They're upon us, milord!" Sir Lefallon shouts as he catches up to the others. Indeed, the growling comes from all passages save the one directly ahead, and the younger knight seems visibly worried over whether three blades will be enough.
Redmane scans the area quickly, looking for movement.
"Do the legends speak of intelligence? Perhaps words and not swords may serve us better?" asks the princess of the lady beside her. She looks to her as well, then past her and in to the darkness.
Thomas' eyes grow wide as he looks around the cavern slowly. He turns and looks around at the others, then replies to Lady Raven, "Learn. If all else, bring the battle to them. Show them they can't hunt us forever." He takes in a breath. "Okay, triangle formation, Lady Raven and the Princess in the center. Keep it tight, Sir Lefallon, Knight Redmane; we'll be a shield for them. Angel and Raven, find a spell. You mentioned a spell of light. The Jruuh don't like light. Use it." His eyes narrow as he peers through the darkness. "Swords out! Princess and Angel, kneel down. Let's keep you two as hidden as possible."
Knight Redmane takes up her position next to the Explorer, facing the tunnel entrance with her sword drawn and shield held ready. "Don't be surprised if they turn invisible."
The oracle takes her place in the formation, her right hand going inside her cloak as she glances warily around the fighters. "Intelligent?" she replies to the princess. "Not as we think of intelligence -- only a certain, cruel, cunning."
"Yes." The princess lowers herself to kneel with the magic book opened across her knees. She fetches her wand from the book case and holds it ready, and with her left hand begins frantically searching for something. "But. The spell, it was meant for flight, not light ... oh ... I will find something ... "
A lumpy mound of angles at the back of the cavern uncoils itself -- what looks like a pile of burnished steel unfurling wide wings, and revealing a snarling draconian head bearing a heavy horned crest and rows of interlocking teeth lining its elongated jaws. It rises up from where it lay to stand on broad hind feet, unfolding twin scythes where forearms should be. With a angry, inhuman scream, an ivory forest of spikes that were laying flat only a moment ago rise from the creature's back, beyond which a barbed tail lashes.
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This site serves as a chronicle of sessions in an online roleplaying campaign moderated by Conrad "Lynx" Wong and May "Rowan" Wasserman. The contents of this site are (c) 2001, 2002 by Conrad Wong and May Wasserman except where stated otherwise. Despite the "children's fantasy" theme of this campaign, this site is not intended for young readership, due to mild language and violence.