(written by Phil, earning his character Bartholomew Pettibone 100 xp per level for his account of his most recent expedition)
From the Journals of Bartholomew Pettibone, of the House Pettibone
A Purveyor of Enchanting Sorcery
07 February 2021 – In search of a green door.
My wealth and local knowledge continue to grow. Our last adventure certainly proved fruitful, and I believe that I can now sweep my worries of solvency away. For the time being.
In previous weeks, I have spent time teaching my fellow arcane tricksters the art of inducing sleep upon lesser beings. As such, it has precluded my research into both new spells, as well as local languages and customs. However, during this last week I have been able to finally seclude myself long enough to learn a new spell for myself. I have developed new hand movements and chantings that allow me to stitch together broken skin, staunch heavy (and light) bleeding, repair damage to internal organs and tissues, and knit broken or shattered bones (Cure Light Wounds). I suspect this new knowledge will be quite handy during any future 'outings'!
But now to the task! Persephone, Durham, Hey-Jo, and I have clanked tankards of ale with a new adventurer – Althis – another fellow who has some experience with the arcane arts. In chatting and drinking and eating, we talked over what we have learned about the strange 'tech' spheres and the odd-looking 'war-club' artifact found during our recent escapades.
While carousing, we decided to return to the ocean caves where Durham has, in the past, noted a doorway made of similar materials as our 'tech' items. A 'Green Door' of some import. We immediately decided to investigate that doorway in more detail. And so, we gathered items, hired recruits, and trundled off – hopefully not to our doom! Persephone had also learned that the odd group of adventurers we had met weeks ago (camped in the caverns, near the EATs), might be eternal mine denizens scholars call 'kobolds'. She was told that they were especially fond of foul-smelling and decomposing organic materials for nutrition, and could sometimes be bribed with offerings of such. So she purchased a few vials of garum (fermented rotted fish squeezings) to take along. Just in case.
I must say here that I once again hired the fine companion and hard worker, Gan ad-Din, to assist in our new escapade. How could I not offer him right of first refusal? He readily accepted, and I believe he may be enjoying his new-found stature among his peers. What a happy and companionable fellow!
Town was left behind via the Fisherman's gate, and we headed north toward the ocean caverns. Up the stairs cut into the sea cliffs we climbed, to a thicket having a specific, notable stone marker. It was there that the particular cavern we required opened into the dark depths below! Lanterns were lit and into the cavern's maw we delved! Althis carried one lantern, and my old chum Gan carried another.
Passing through a larger chamber, where ocean water intrudes, Althis and Hey-Jo noted several decomposed bodies, as well as what appeared to be a rather large crustacean, lurking in the nearby depths! Using grapples, they were able to hook and haul ashore two bodies, covered in expensive raiments. However – other bodies in the depths appeared to be moving! Althis and Hey-Jo attempted to snag one of those moving corpses, thinking it only a mirage of water refraction. Success! Except, the movements were real – and willful! The snagged 'mer-zombie', we shall call them MZ's, began swimming up toward us, and at least seven others followed! Before the first MZ could reach shore, Althis gained the attention of the giant crab and lured it out in hopes to force a conflict between the crab and the MZ's. Our Renyu companions insisted that we should not lock gazes with the MZ's, but could not reliably articulate as to why. Certainly good advice, but this was going to make it difficult to engage with confidence.
The MZ's advanced, the crab advanced – and then those two foes engaged each other! Some of our party joined the attack on the side of the crab using missile weapons, while Gan and I remained in the background to provide light and cheery advice! The crab claws clicked and snicked! The party pelted the MZ's with projectiles, and from the MZ's a putrid, foul stench emanated – Ugh!
The MZ's were significantly more durable than first glance would have us believe. It took much more effort than we expected to dispatch even one of the foul MZ's. It would be an untruth to say that noting their strength was not demoralizing, but my fine companions pressed our attack! One MZ was finally dispatched (using a combination of arrows, sling bullets, and massive rocks dropped from higher elevation), while another was being shredded into mouthpiece sized chunks by the crab. Durham tossed a flask of burning oil at another MZ – FIRE! Certainly these beasts were soaking wet, being fresh from the sea, and so difficult to burn, but they did burn! That, at least was heartening! Another oil flask was pitched by Althis, turning another MZ into a walking torch. The MZ being shredded by the crab was completely eradicated, and at that point all of the beasts (including the crab) began retreating back into the water. Believing this to be a route, Hey-Jo and I pitched lit oil flasks behind them, trying to block their escape. However, our attempts were not successful; the crab and MZ's retreated back into the water to hide and wait for less 'feisty' prey.
Onward we trekked, through uneven, natural caverns, until arriving at a branching artery off to our left. Paku, the renyu, indicated the 'Green Door' was down that passage. Before moving down that passage to directly investigate the door, Durham related to us, from previous experience here, that some odd magic tended to invade the minds of those approaching the door – something that resulted in loss of mental control. Seriously?! Well, these things are to be expected, and as adventurers we must cope with these natural and unnatural oddities. We stiffened our lips, pulled up our big-boy pants, and devised a most excellent plan!
I deposited most of my belongings at the entrance of this passage, with Gan to watch over them. A rope was affixed around my waist and my companions kept hold of the other end. While they remained farther back, I slowly approached the door, holding my sword and a lantern, and my wits! The doors loomed before me, large, green, perhaps metallic, and with strange runes raised all about. A double door. As I closed the distance to about 15 feet from the doors I noticed a singular, musky aroma – not entirely unpleasant. Suddenly my faculties melted away and completely disappeared. I fell senseless – into the darkness of oblivion.
At about the time that I lost 'control', Hey-Jo noticed that my behavior had abruptly changed, and cast a sleep spell upon me! I dropped into the arcane slumber. Using the rope affixed around my waist, Althis and Warda dragged me back to the main party, out of range of the effects form the green doors. The party noted that I did not appear injured, or in distress of any kind, so they shook me awake. I remained slightly groggy, and somewhat 'carnally aroused', but able to maintain my composure.
Durham pulled out his divining device and attempted to learn what he could about the door. Apparently at least three life-forms were detected on the other side of the green door, and the entire area around the door (and within the entrance passage) appeared to emanate a resonance similar to the other tech-type items we have previously observed.
The group helped to prepare me to venture unto the door once again, so that I might scribe into my book the runes that I saw on those panels. We assumed, from mine and Durham's experiences here, that some 'magical' aroma filled the area nearest the door. Perhaps it was that which caused us to lose our faculties. We packed my nostrils with wax, and wrapped a wetted rag around my face and mouth. This task was accomplished, and I had no further difficulty returning to the vicinity of the doors. I was able to return to the group unharmed, and with what I believe to be very good copies of the runes, but none the wiser as to what meaning they convey.
We chatted a bit, gathering our intelligence, and finally decided to steel ourselves, and try to open the door. A message, of general good greetings and well-met fellowship, was written (in several languages). Althis then moved forward and slipped it under the door. Well, he tried, anyway. He found the door tight to it's jam, not even a hair could pass under, and the task was impossible. So he did what we are all normally accustomed to do, and began knocking upon the door.
Musical 'singing' began to emanate from the doors as they began to slowly slide open to either side, into the rock walls! Aaaahhh! Althis crumpled the note, pitched it inside the increasingly widening crack, and scuttled back toward the main party.
Two humanoid figures emerged, a male and a female, each clad in diaphanous, erotic clothing, and slowly advanced upon us. Brave Althis noted corpses littering the floor of the room within, and a third, shadowy figure also moving toward us. They continued forward silently, but with intent gazes locked upon us, even as we attempted verbal greetings. Their movement was decidedly creepy – hostile.
In his retreat, Althis cast a sleep spell, and one of the creatures dropped upon the cavern floor. At that sight, Hey-Jo and I unleashed our remaining sleep spells on the other two, dropping them. We all stood agog! It seemed too simple. Durham began dispatching the nearest creature, but unfortunately, as he approached the thing his senses flew away, as did those of his hireling. It was amusing, but horrible at the same time. Their most libidinous desires were unleashed! Persephone retrieved her garum (recall – intended for a separate use!) and we all rubbed a bit of the wretched stuff between our upper lips and noses. Then we sprinkled garum throughout the cavern and adjoining room – and on the creatures as they slept – in hopes of stifling the musky aroma that was testing our sensibilities. Durham's hireling quickly broke free of his desires, but Durham was not so lucky. In his drugged stupor, Durham was intent on releasing his libido upon one of the sleeping creatures. Understand, dear reader, that Durham does not normally indulge in narcophilia. However, the influence of the creature's 'aroma' appears to be such that while affected one wants only one thing, and that is to erotically couple with the creatures. Even if they are asleep. If the creatures are not physically present, or are unseen, then it appears the effect of their 'aroma' is to induce the hapless to have desirable encounters with those around them. In effect the victims become helpless, and are then easily dispatched by the creatures. Anyway, I digress. Before Durham could begin 'abusing' the nearest creature, and certainly awaken it, his hireling tackled him. Thus he put Durham under a locked grappling embrace and kept him from interacting with the slumbering creature.
As I mentioned, we determined that these creatures lured victims into their lair, by somehow removing their inhibitions and increasing their sex drive. Through an aromatic emanation from scent glands? Possibly.
Literally, we had stumbled onto a sex-dungeon!
Each creature was dispatched and their heads removed. We prepared ourselves by rubbing more garum into our nostrils (aauugh! Such a foul, fetid stench!), then slowly entered and searched the room beyond.
Numerous corpses littered the chamber, and we noted various workman benches – a few with odd materials upon them. A passage led out of the room, and away into darkness, on the opposite side of where we entered. We picked up materials, and what appeared to be tools, from some benches, and looted the corpses. We are, after all, scoundrels!
Several of the corpses had sigils or badges upon their clothing that indicated they might be associated with the Barcidae, a local noble house of some import. But most appeared to be pirates or unlucky adventurers.
As we were engrossed in looting the graveyard chamber, a bizarre dungeon denizen crept upon us! And we ran like frightened children! Althis pulled one of the green doors closed, while the rest of us passed through the opening left. Althis and Persephone then pulled the other door closed, hopefully sealing the beast within. I was engrossed in examining the clothing sigils when the beast burst upon us, and all I truly recall is my companions pulling and pushing me in a frightened route! I cannot even provide an accurate description of the intruding beast. All I recall is someone screaming, 'Tentacles!', and then I was being rushed out the door.
Back past the MZ's we fled, but our path was blocked by the giant crab – and it was crabby! Oil flasks were produced by each and every one of us, tossed, and lit to produce a wall of flames between us and the crab. To our delight the beast remained at bay, and we escaped an almost certain doom. We recalled how it so easily shredded one of the MZ – and we knew how difficult it was for us to dispatch but one MZ! The crab would surely have dragged one or more of us to a watery grave. We continued out of the caverns and, without encounter, returned safely back to Cothon.
After toasting and roasting my dear comrades, pouring a deluge of praise, honor, and ale upon stalwart Gan and the rest of our amazing company, I made my departure. I paid my monthly boarding fees, then headed to my private quarters, where I proceeded to sleep the sleep of babes. I intended to teach myself a new spell, and I needed a good night's rest.
Years ago, I had overheard the arcane preceptors, back in my homeland, discuss a means within our arcane arts of manipulating the very air around us, in such a way as to bend light. The resultant effect was to render the master undetectable by the naked eye. They postulated that if light were to be twisted, curved, and bent around the caster, it would thus create the illusion of invisibility – but invisibility nonetheless!
My goal for this meditation cycle would be to concentrate, focusing my reach into the dimensionless arcane realm. I will seek to knit the very fabric of air that surrounds us all into a cloak invisibility. But I must start small, perhaps with a grain of rice on the first day. Yes. Then a coin. On the third day I will push to make a pillow invisible. I can do this! Each day a larger and more massive item, until I can easily and quickly wrap myself in a cocoon of bent light, becoming invisible! Indeed, if I am to continue with this life of chaotic adventuring, and wanton skullduggery, then what better arcane defenses to arm myself with than: the ability to lay my foes into slumber, quickly repair minor physical damages, and to make myself unseen? I will become an enigma.
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