After battling through scores of undead, the Troupe learns of a necromancer that has taken residence in the nearby school ruins. Joined by Recorder, a gnome loremaster, they make their way to the ruins to find the necromancer and save her companions. Outside the ruins they meet the ghost of Ulcaster, who seeks knowledge lost in the ruins below.
1 Eleasias 1368
Edwin has been pensive of late, more so than usual. I decide that perhaps now would be good time to ask about him.
Aegon: Tell me of Thay, Edwin. What is it like?
Edwin: Thay lies in the Unapproachable East, west of the Golden Way and east of Algarond. I doubt you will ever travel to our mighty realm, so further explanations will be useless.
Blunt and dismissive as usual. Perhaps there is no breaking through to him. He reveals more than he realises, however. The wizards of Thay are secretive and have a superiority complex.
Khalid notices the moss-covered stone stairs exposed in the ruins, water dripping down them. They lead down, possibly to the book that the ghost seeks. We approach only to find someone else about to descend. He is tall and muscular, with pale skin – unusually pale for a human. I might think him an orc if it wasn’t for the lack of tusks.
On noticing us, he readies his flails for a fight, but seems to relax almost immediately.
I can’t tell if he’s being sarcastic, or genuinely annoyed to see a living being.
Aegon: I must admit that I’m equally surprised. I expected some undead, a spider or two, maybe a wolf, but certainly not a living man.
White: I’m SO SORRY to disappoint you, then. Go down there, I’m sure you’ll find someone to fight – it seems you’re looking for one.
His exaggerated tone drips with mockery as he gestures toward the stairs.
That’s a most unusual day – I thought I was going on a solitary expedition, without having to contend with other adventurers and here you are: a man out of the blue.
Jaheira: You should be careful, child. He doesn’t seem friendly.
Khalid: I d-don’t l-like this man.
I notice Khalid is stammering more than usual. This man is making him nervous. I’m thinking they just don’t understand his humour, however.
Edwin: Another bandit on our way. Annoying. (Hmm, this one would be better in killing the witch. I should have asked this one instead.)
White: So? Are you deaf? Tell me your name and maybe I’ll tell you mine.
Aegon: Aegon.
White: I’m White.
I have some work to do here, but if you promise not to get in my way, I won’t start a fight.
Aegon: Actually, I think we can help each other. Tell me more about your work and I may help you.
White: You want to hear about my work? Interesting.
I’m hunting for one of the most dangerous beasts here. The most crafty of all, I would say.
I’m hunting for a man. A human.
So am I, though I am unsure if my father’s killer is human.
Aegon: You’re an assassin?
White: I wouldn’t call myself an assassin. I’m a hunter and this one thought he could run away with something that belongs to me; the thief is going to die.
So the guy is mine. Don’t you dare catch him before I do! If you find him at all.
He seems the hunting type. He might be useful in finding my father’s killer.
Aegon: A proposal: join me. We can find him together. After I help you, you can help me in avenging my foster father’s murder.
White seems to relax a little. He lowers his weapons and smiles.
White: An act of vengeance? A fair trade.
Let’s go then. He should be down there.
I ask Edwin to wait out here while we descend into the ruins. He isn’t too happy with the decision. He tells us that he’s not going to wait, but hints under his breath that he may be at the Jovial Juggler if we need him again.
White moves to join us before we descend, but he is followed by a lumbering hulk of rotten flesh. The ghast lets out a deafening scream as Jaheira strikes it with a bullet.
Khalid and Jaheira make a good couple, as they cut down the undead creature together. Khalid finds a gold ring on the old corpse, and as he stands up he notices a lizard-like creature yapping as it hops toward him.
As is usual for kobolds, it isn’t alone. White joins Khalid in engaging the kobolds. Time for him to demonstrate what he’s made of.
These kobolds lacked archers, and their crude Stikkas were no match for our steel. We cut through them like butter. White and Khalid work surprisingly well together, blade and flail cutting through and smashing the kobolds to pieces.
The presence of kobolds here surprises us. Do they live in the ruins? Or are they after the same treasures we are?
Now that the area is clear, we can take a look at our new ally. His name is White, and he is a large muscular human, even bigger than Minsc.
He tells us he is a barbarian, though he is unwilling to tell us much more about his past.
As a barbarian, he has the ability to fly into a rage, which can cause devastation to anyone on the wrong end of his flail. I haven’t seen him in a rage yet, and I’m not sure I want to be on the wrong end of his fists if I ever do.
He’s also a fast mover – we’ve already seen him get out of a fight or two.
He says he can call a snake, but he’s not very clear on what that actually means. Jaheira is a little concerned that he may be abusing nature.
He also claims to be a master of poisons or, at least, a master of antidotes, able to prevent them running through the veins.
He carries two morning stars, one of which is enchanted.
He also has an Antidote in his belt pouch, showing off his expertise, I guess.
I tell him that we can probably do better and ask Khalid to open the Bag of Holding. Inside we find some of the armour worn by the men who attacked us outside the Song of the Morning. It happens to fit White well.
We also give him a long bow so he can stay at range if he needs to.
Finally we swap his morning stars for flails, the first one is heavily enchanted.
The other is also enchanted, though it isn’t as powerful as the first.
After we have finished browsing the Bag we go to enter the school ruins, but are accosted by more of those damned yipping kobolds. Time to see what White can do.
I follow our usual strategy, knocking most of the kobolds unconscious with a Sleep spell, while Khalid and White rush into the thick of it.
They don’t stand a chance. We cleave our way through around half of them before they start to wake up again.
Before they can adapt their strategy, I hit them with another Sleep spell and the battle is all but done.
The remaining kobolds still put up a solid defense, and White is poisoned by one of their Stikkas. He saps the poison out before it can eat away at him, his expertise in antidotes already showing its usefulness.
I ponder for a moment if they are working with the necromancer. It wouldn’t be the first time: the kobolds in Nashkel were working with Mulahey, a necromancer and priest of Cyric. I ask Recorder and she says this is unlikely.
We gather up their equipment into our Bag. Many of them were commandos using Arrows of Fire. White puts these in his quiver. They will be useful against the undead minions we are about to face.
The skirmish leaves us drained, our wounds a testament to the ruins’ dangers. With our spells nearly exhausted, we retreat to make camp. We take turns keeping watch, our ears tuned for yipping kobolds, clattering bones, or the hungry cries of ghouls in the dark.
I don’t sleep too well. I need to keep an eye on our new companion. Edwin was annoying, but I knew he could be trusted. We still don’t know anything about White, and he’s not open to sharing much about himself. It works both ways. I don’t see the barbarian sleeping much either.
2 Eleasias 1368
When morning comes I take some time to heal White before we descend into the ruins.
The stone stairs plunged into a darkness as thick as ink, the air growing colder with each step. Water dripped from unseen cracks above, pooling into stagnant puddles that stank of mildew and decay. We hear the faint echo of wolves’ howls through the corridors. Lanterns hanging on the walls cast their shadows upon us. I’m surprised their flames are still burning – perhaps a hint at the dark magic fuelling this place..
With kobolds around we are expecting traps, so I ask Cat and Recorder to keep an eye out. They don’t spot any, rather someone spots Recorder. She jumps as the voice calls out to her.
Recorder is almost excited as she speaks. She must be happy to see a survivor.
Recorder: Bryce, you are okay! Where is Mark and the others?
Bryce shouts in Recorder’s face.
Bryce: Do I look okay?! Hawk is dead. Our leader is *dead*. Damn wolves finished what the dead started on him. Ruby and Mark ran ahead like fools! I’m the only one left!
He’s being too noisy. If there’s anything in these tunnels they will be drawn to him now. I grab him before he shouts any more.
Aegon: Calm down, and tell me exactly what is going on.
Bryce: We were betrayed by Harris, Rick Harris. I was only along for the money to protect the group, myself, I did not care about any dusty book. Dirty necromancer summoned undead to keep the rest of us from advancing. He wants everything himself, and I say let him have it!
Recorder: We are not going to let that happen. Quickly, tell us where he is, so we can help the others.
Bryce: I don’t know, somewhere further in this damn place. Look, good on you for getting help, but you’re just going to get them killed. Get out of here if you know what’s good for you.
Recorder is obviously taken aback by his uncaring attitude. Stunned, she doesn’t know what to say, so I step in again.
Aegon: You’ll find the exit safe. Get out of here.
Bryce: If you are so intent to get yourself killed, just go deeper into this place.
Recorder tries one last time to get Bryce to care.
Recorder: We will get justice for the fallen, Bryce. I promise.
Bryce: I don’t care. I won’t be seeing you again, one way or the other. I am out of here!
Recorder clenches her fists, her knuckles whitening against the dim lantern light. Bryce’s apathy stings, but I remind myself of why we’re here. Justice isn’t about approval, it’s about doing what’s right. I place a hand on her shoulder. She turns and nods. She understands.
He pushes past us as he rushes through the corridor, and back up the stairs. It’s dark outside, but it would be darker down here were it not for the lanterns hanging on the walls.
When he is gone Khalid leads us down a corridor and through an empty room. Cat and Recorder don’t see any traps. We hear growling coming from the next room, and what sounds like the screams of a human.
We rush through to find a man being attacked by a vampiric wolf, it’s blood-red fur almost shimmering in the torchlight. The necromancer in these dungeons must be raising wolves as well as the former students of the school.
We save the man, but he seems more afraid of us than the wolf.
White: And look who we have found. Mr I-will-take-your-stuff-and-run-away, hmm?
Man: Please, I didn’t mean to anger you… Please, let me go…!
White: Only a fool would let a thief go after something like that. If one becomes a thief, one should know the possible consequences.
The barbarian is clearly angry. I’m not sure how far he will go with this thief. I decide not to step in just yet.
Man: But… I didn’t know who I was messing with… I would never have taken this ring had I known what kind of guy you were!
Jaheira: And that’s all? Your mistake wasn’t that you took his ring, but that you stole something at all!
Khalid: S-sometimes, I’m afraid t-thieves s-see nothing wrong in their d-doings.
Man: Look, it’s just a business and – you know the rules. Everyone has to pay for bread and bed. You’re no different.
White: But I don’t fail in things I do.
Man: I can give you something if you let me go?
Look this is a really expensive and unique bottle of wine. Some even say it’s magical! That’s the most expensive thing I have. Go on! Try it! It’s magnificent.
He seems to eager for White to try the wine. Something isn’t quite right.
White: Oh really?
Man: Yes. Give it a try.
White: Hmm…
Even I know what White is about to say. You don’t have to be an expert in poisons to see what is going on.
Do you really think I’m that foolish? I can smell poison in it.
If the man was scared before, he’s even worse now. Blood drains from his face as he goes pale. His deception has failed, and he knows he’s about to pay the price. White grasps the thief’s neck and pins him to the wall.
Man: N-no… p-p-please…
White: Squeak one more time and you’ll lose a finger or two. Now I’ll do the talking.
Khalid puts his hand on his Varscona and gives me a look. He’s worried that White might be going too far. Jaheira steps up beside her husband, protective as always.
The barbarian’s grip tightens around the thief’s neck, his knuckles cracking audibly as the man’s face flushes crimson. Khalid takes a step forward, but doesn’t intervene yet.
Good. Now you will have a chance: a – I’ll make sure you don’t put your dirty fingers on my belongings by cutting off your hand, or b – you’ll take a nice gulp of this ‘magnificent wine’. You decide.
Man: But…
White: I can’t hear the answer.
White’s voice is naught but menace now. He’s not going to let the thief off easily. He deserves to be punished for his thievery, but the others won’t be happy with a straight up murder. Even if he ‘only’ loses his hand, he’s as good as dead. I have to put a stop to this now.
Aegon: That should be enough, White. He’s terrified. If you don’t stop now he’ll wet his pants…
White: Uh…
Fine. You’ve got five seconds and then I’ll go after you.
One, two, three…
Man: Aaaaa!
The man thrusts something into White’s hand and runs away in an obvious panic. He drops the wine bottle which smashes on the ground. I ask White if I can see the ring, and he allows me to take a look. I don’t think he trusts me yet, but he knows I know how far he would be willing to go to get it back.
I take a look at the ring – I can tell it’s been enchanted to allow the wearer to teleport. An ability that should prove useful when we find the necromancer below.
I give the ring back to White and he slips it onto one of his large fingers. That’s when we hear a loud scream cutting through the corridors, an agonizing sound that quickly fades into silence.
Aegon: A pity… I thought he would manage.
White: Really? I’m surprised he was alive when we found him.
White’s expression betrays no remorse, only calm satisfaction. He’s a man comfortable with death.
However, our hands are clean, we didn’t have to kill him ourselves and even so I got what I wanted. So now it’s time to do what you want. You mentioned you’re trying to get someone, right?
Aegon: I was attacked on a road. They killed the man who took care of me. I want to avenge him. I want to see the murderer and his friends suffer.
White: Sounds interesting.
And yes, I can help you. For a moment I was afraid you were a wandering merchant of sorts and I got myself into some boring travels, but this time I’m glad to be wrong.
Aegon: Ha! No, I’m not a merchant.
White: That’s good.
So what are we waiting for? Show me what there is for me in this adventuring group of yours.
The barbarian seems useful, no doubt, but his volatile nature could become a liability. I’ve kept him in lone so far, but that may not last. Khalid and Jaheira clearly don’t trust him, either. For the good of the group, I keep my thoughts to myself for now.
I resume focus on our current goal. We need to go deeper into the ruins. The necromancer awaits, and justice will find him before this night is through. Shadows flicker in the dungeon. It’s hard to tell which shadows are alive, and which are undead.
