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October 24, 2010

Dwarfed

Griselda's Journal

2 Kuthona 4709
Darkmoon Wood

We walked up onto the ceiling, which was then the floor for us, and looked over the banquet table. I sampled some of the ale till Salma made me stop, and then, someone opened the double doors at the end of the room, and Kasa (still on the “floor” above), Rogar, and I got sucked into the maelstrom revealed beyond. I was able to grab a hold of Kasa and stop us from rolling off through the cavernous room, but Rogar, his shield acting almost as a sail, flew past so quickly that there was nothing I could do to slow him down. I dragged the mammoth and myself back to the doors, which Candal closed before we could see if the dwarf was able to catch himself and return. I was told that they recognized the plane we are in now as “Limbo.”

We found a small wooden door that we had not noticed before, and opening it, found another door. We repeated this several times, until we eventually opened a door and found a set of stairs leading downward. These we decided to descend for lack of a better plan. As we did so, we realized that the stairs were getting increasingly steeper, until the last few had a 10’ tread and 6’ rise.

Leaving the last step, we found ourselves in a massive, circular chamber— easily 200’ across and dimly lit in a purple hue. About 50’ in, we could see deep, carved markings in a wide circle in the middle— and inside those runes something in heavy chains was moving. Salma knew of this, and said it was where Demogorgon was imprisoned by Orcus.

Steering well clear of the center, we followed the wall of the room until we came to a 10’ arch leading into a smaller cavern, where we could see the ghostly figure of a dwarven warrior wrapped in chains. It turned to look at us with pain-filled eyes and gave a blood-curdling howl. My sanity momentarily deserted me, and I tried to run at this point, but Salma managed to grab me just as the ghost moaned “leave this cursed place!”

Having our full attention, the ghost, who we learned had been Ostel Runehammer in life, went on to let us know that if we had been led here, it was to learn the curse of Stonehelm. It told of the lich Tar-Baphon, or the Whispering Tyrant, trapped in a prison under Gallowspire, but still able to influence others, attempting to break the seals that imprison him. The first seal is in the monastery outside Darkmoon Wood. The key I found opens an evil box carried by Candal, and within that, is the power to break that seal. The seals must be maintained, the ghost said, and then faded away. Salma walked to where the ghost had just been, in the center of the chamber, and also disappeared, so we followed her….

And found ourselves back beside our camp in the Darkmoon Wood, and by all appearances, mere hours after our departure— with means and knowledge to break the first seal.

Posted by Kristin at 14:12 | Griselda’s Journal