Sunday, Flocktime 9, 592 CY, continued

I think this is still the 9th of Flocktime, though it is hard to tell. I miss the sun! Today was just one harrowing experience after another. The first thing we had to do was cross the chasm, and, thinking this to be a simple enough task, sent Korin scrambling across the chasm using a spider climb spell courtesy of Fafnir. Korin took ropes across so that each end could be secured and we could each climb across with a spare rope in case we got in trouble. For reasons we could not see, the ropes kept coming untied as soon as one of us was halfway across, and it seemed as if someone or something was purposely doing it! But, we never saw our invisible antagonist and continued on our way, slightly bumped and bruised, once the last of us made it across.

We walked a short distance, through traps that had already been long-ago sprung, and stumbled into over a dozen dwarven zombies. I took out most of them with a divine turning, and I hate to say that Jonathan used one of the priceless javelins of lightning to chip away at another. Thankfully the rest of the undead were dispatched quickly and easily.

We passed through many deserted rooms— one contained a beautiful mural and a dry fountain, another had wooden bunks (again, we looked upon them as so much potential firewood). Once again, Jonathan showed us just how a trap was meant to work by falling into it and counting the spikes from the inside. The rest of us were able to jump the 10’ pit except poor Ghelt. Dwarves are not aerodynamic. She was injured by two spikes but was able to clamber out, more flustered than hurt.

We spent the bulk of our time and energy in a rather large chamber with 6 columns and 6 doors and a lot of shadows. Jonathan and Korin were running ahead of us and were well into the room before the shadows made their presence known. Luckily Ghelt came in next and did an amazing turning of her own— destroying all 15 of the shadows at once! As we were congratulating her though, the room suddenly went dark as two more menacing shadows detached themselves from the ceiling. Even my daylight spell was only enough to cast a dim glow for us to see by. Hoping these shadowy forms would turn as easily as their lesser brethren, I cast a turn undead myself— and nothing happened. These shadows were not of the undead variety! Suddenly, Korin dropped the Sword of Pelor and ran screaming from the room (and luckily made it past the pit trap) as one of the demonic shadows flew right into Jonathan’s body. Not good! I left Fafnir at the doorway to cast magic missiles at the one shadowy form still on the ceiling while Ghelt tried to knock Jonathan out without killing him. The possessed Jonathan, of course, had no such inhibitions towards Ghelt and was hitting her pretty hard. Just as I got to Jonathan myself to help subdue him, I felt a sharp pain between my shoulder blades. Looking back, I saw that Fafnir was no longer fighting the shadowy demon (for the ceiling was now empty!) and was lobbing his returning dagger at me repeatedly! Not knowing what else to do to help Ghelt (Jonathan’s bastard sword was doing much more damage to her than the dagger would to me) I cast a blessing on my allies (which, at this point, was only Ghelt and myself!), and cast heat metal on Jon’s blade, hoping it would become too hot and he’d drop it. I then went to heal Ghelt until the heat took effect. Apparently whatever possessed Jon didn’t mind if he was in pain though, as he didn’t let go. Finally, I was getting desperate and knocked him out with searing light, which thankfully forced the shadow out of him. Ghelt and I slashed at the shadowy form a few times and must have weakened it, for it disappeared into the floor. I quickly went to heal the unconscious Jonathan while Ghelt went to subdue Fafnir, who was still lobbing his dagger at us. After Jonathan had enough energy to stand, I went to help Ghelt subdue our wizard. Korin, no longer fearful, shot back into the room and was soon in a heap with Fafnir. Unfortunately for Korin though, half of the attempts to subdue Fafnir landed on him, knocking him out too. Fafnir too finally succumbed, and the demonic shadow left him— and also drifted into the floor before we could finish it off.

All of this took less than an hour, I think, and we still have a long way to go. Korin now refuses to touch the Sword of Pelor, and I fear he will fall back into his incomprehensible ways. We aren’t even sure we are headed in the proper direction anymore, or how long our light will last.