Faulty Towers

Waterday, Wealsun 5, 592 CY

At Ghelt’s insistence, we stopped at the Silver Dragon Inn and had dinner. Even though I don’t really need to eat anymore, it’s a nice diversion and it gave us a moment to catch our collective breath. Better still, Pockets eventually found us. Ghelt leaned over and whispered a startling, yet very simple suggestion that took care of my problem of having to get the Sword of Pelor back to return to Pelor next time it is asked of us. I tried the new “Please may I have it?” approach. Pockets gave me a big grin and handed it right over.

I assured him that I would stick with him and make sure he didn’t regret not having “instant healing” on our travels. It is hard to “stick” to someone who can hide so easily and move so quietly! Of course, I am assuming the next celestial we contact will ask for it as well, or I am in an awkward position, for I really have no other way of “returning” the sword! (Until then, it will only be used as a last resort.)

I also offered to try to raise his cleric friend in the morning, but he said the fellow had already been buried, and that we had to leave Greyhawk right away. Apparently, Durll is the leader of the local Assassins’ Guild and had taken up a war with the local Thieves’ Guild (which I’m guessing Pockets is a member of) and very likely is here to thwart our activities. We agreed to go, with the planned destination of Redcastle (I can contact a celestial for assistance there when we are ready for it)— my only request was that we leave from Pelor’s temple instead of the Inn, as I felt I needed to let Tomas know I wouldn’t be available and that there were other chaotic influences in town besides Cornelius.

It was only a few hundred yards down the darkening streets to reach the temple. Pockets lingered behind us, obviously worried for our safety, when he suddenly yelled, “Run!” Of course, we don’t all react to “run!” the same way. Aramil and Fafnir were already further ahead and did run towards the temple. Ghelt and I looked back and saw a shadowy figure between us and Pockets, which then ducked down an alley. I went to cast a “light”— Ghelt shoved me towards the temple as well, but my light spell lit up the area. Unfortunately, only enough light to see Pockets— who went down by a poisoned crossbow bolt seconds later. Ghelt gave me a look that promised she’d take care of Pockets and another shove in the direction of the temple, so I went and waited at the door. I heard her tell Watch to “attack!” at which Watch darted into the alley with a yelp. Ghelt healed Pockets as well as she could quickly, and slung his nearly-unconscious body over her shoulder and headed towards us. By the time she reached us and lowered Pockets to the floor for me to heal (thank Pelor my light didn’t cause his death!), Watch was scampering up the steps of the temple, and there was not a single scratch on her! I finished restoring Pockets to health while Ghelt gave the happy puppy a tummy rub.

I got up to tell Tomas of our plans to leave as he strode into the main hall, with my apologies that I would have to leave while they were searching for Cornelius. He told me that Cornelius had already returned, but then admitted that Cornelius was now at large in the catacombs below the temple. I almost hesitated about going to Redcastle, but he assured me that they could handle that situation.

We immediately teleported to Redcastle, and Fafnir must have had very good directions, for we arrived right beside it. Ghelt, practical again, suggested that we find a place to rest for the night (for it was even darker here than it the City of Greyhawk). She and Fafnir decided the crumbling ruins of the gatehouse would be best, and he cast a spell giving us a rather comfortable furnished room to spend the night in. Thankfully, the night was uneventful.

We awoke and I provided a Heroes’ Feast, after which Fafnir dismissed the shelter. Pockets asked me to look for magic in the ruins of Redcastle’s foundation. As we stepped out of the gatehouse, we could see the ruins more clearly— there were skeletons hanging from the remaining ramparts (which Pockets will want to cut down for a proper burial, but we want to wait to do that so no one passing by notices a difference and comes investigating). Most of the eastern side of Redcastle looked completely ruined, while the northwest tower looked fairly intact and the southwest one was only partially ruined.

As Ghelt, Aramil and I were “sweeping” the courtyard and foundation of the ruined manor house for possible signs of an iron flask, Fafnir and Pockets decided to check the northwest tower. We turned back to look for them when we heard a scuffle and some mumbling from Fafnir about “phase chickens.” We found them being attacked by three spiders that were phasing in and out of the skirmish. Aramil and I shot arrows into one, and I saw Pockets skewer one with his rapier. Fafnir’s fireball took out the last one, and hit a few other things in the tower. Pockets then found eight cocoons in the tower, which turned out to be dead orcs, each with 8 silver pieces on them. Fafnir figured they must have been caught on “pay day.” I saw that Aramil had somehow ignited, apparently too distracted to notice it himself, and I cast “Create Water” to douse him.

Pockets saw some daylight at the top of the tower and decided to climb up the rickety stairs. Since we obviously didn’t know what would be up there, I elected (to his dismay, I think) to follow him up the wall using my new “Slippers of Spider Climbing.” They work! Unfortunately, Pockets must have hit a loose or rotting board and began to fall. I am not sure if he would have regained his own balance, but since my hands were free thanks to the slippers, I reached out to catch him. I did, but I wasn’t really strong enough to do more than fall with him. We repeated a similar stunt at each level until we landed with a thud at the bottom. While I feel that he was safer for having me with him, I think he feels that I’m impeding his progress somewhat. I did promise to look out for him though, so I will have to try and determine a way to do that while allowing him room to “work.”

While we were dusting ourselves off from our quick trip back down the tower, Fafnir was calling us all over to investigate what may be the way in to the cellars or dungeon below Redcastle. Hopefully there won’t be anything too difficult about finding this flask, but somehow, I doubt this will be the case!