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Oops

Roywyn’s Journal

Mirtul 30, Astral Plane

While the story may now be irrelevant, there is not a lot to do here, so I will write it down anyway. As my friends woke up this morning, we looked around the room we’d spent our “night” in, finding little of interest other than a book on roses. The room beside us, previously known as the living room, was ash. We explored the remainder of the hall beyond, coming to what appeared to be a study, complete with a desk lit by two glowing orbs and an unusual-looking sword hanging on the wall above it. Seren went to inspect it closer and was greeted with “Don’t touch that!” for her trouble.

A lot of arguing with the mysterious (and invisible) voice revealed that we were in the study of one Master Illic, and the unseen guardian was simply following instructions left by his master, oblivious to the obvious long-absence of said master. I did not like talking to a disembodied voice, so I threw some of the ever-present ash on the area I suspected the voice to be coming from— this revealed a pair of humanoid legs, at least. Further discussion revealed that the master was in his “workshop” elsewhere in the tower. There was only one little room we had not visited. Kor’tac negated the need to pick the lock, and we soon stood in front of an opening with stairs leading up. I went up to discover (as we suspected) that the trapdoor to the roof had previously occupied the square hole above the steps. Seren began to climb up the steps as well, but stopped halfway up, saying she sensed a portal in the wall beside her. I couldn’t see it, but that made more sense than a rooftop workshop!

We went back to the study and asked for a way to get to the master’s workshop. The unseen voice (ash coating having disappeared while we were gone) said that the key was in the top drawer of the desk. I went to open the drawer and was reminded not to touch the master’s things. So, I asked if I could use a spell to lift the key; the invisible servant had no problem with that, so using mage hand, I obtained the key and moved it back to where Seren indicated. The key lit up briefly and suddenly there was a glowing door in the wall!

We all scrambled through the opening and found ourselves in a large chamber. There was some sort of iron statue or inactive golem in one corner, and alchemist’s equipment on a large table. There was also a throne, upon which was the withered husk of what looked like a human, it’s skeletal hand resting on a glowing blue orb on a pedestal beside it. Its eyes looked dead and its robes were coated in dust.

Things went downhill from here. The figure (at least, we thought it was the figure) told us to begone, and made some vague threats, though its lips never moved, nor did it stir from the throne. All of a sudden, skeletons were simply appearing in groups around Seren! Kor’tac attempted to attack the figure and the orb, but slumped over as his axe hit the blue globe. It briefly flashed a brighter blue. Mishklo, always stepping in to heal, rushed to the orc’s aid; he too fell lifeless as the orb flashed. Even his wolf followed suit! More skeletons were appearing every few seconds. I attempted what I hoped was a song that would frighten them away, as I feared they would completely fill the room; Windy shot the orb. It did not shatter, and Windy slumped over, apparently lifeless— and the orb flashed brighter again. Seren and I were the only two left standing, and the room was so full of skeletons that I could barely make her out 15’ away! She shouted to smash it, which I tried to do with mage hand, but I met with too much resistance. I did the only thing I could think of— I grabbed the druid’s backpack, tumbled through a horde of skeletons, and tossed the bag over the orb.

Well, the backpack was an inter-dimensional space, and the orb did not react as I had anticipated. There was a flash, I think. I may have blacked out, or just lost track of time, but I found myself floating in apparent nothingness moments later. Seren, thank gods, was alive and nearby. I made my way over to her somehow. The skeletons were disappearing one by one. Kor’tac was nearby; sadly, he is dead. Windy and the druid are just... gone. I saw them both fall, and in my heart I know they are dead too.

Kor’tac was always so concerned about our safety, so it’s ironic that we are now using his tower shield as a makeshift raft— it is the most substantial thing we could find other than the orc himself. I’m not sure how long we’ve been drifting (if we’re even moving), but Seren has a knack for seeing portals, so we hope to eventually find someplace with sky and ground. We seem to be moving towards something large— it looks like a ship!

Posted by Kristin on September 27, 2006, 00:33 | Roywyn’s Journal