The Troupe come across a mysterious barbarian known only as “White”. Aegon offered him help to find a thief in return for help finding Gorion’s killer. They found the thief, and although they let him live, his life was swallowed by the dungeons that remain below the Ulcaster School Ruins.

2 Eleasias 1368

The sound of the thief’s screams still seem to be echoing down the halls. Maybe they’re the screams of other victims to this dungeon. My worries are interrupted by a shout from Khalid. He’s spotted another vampiric wolf.

He draws it into range of our weapons and White’s arrows fly true, with almost uncanny precision. An arrow pierces the wolf’s skull and almost goes through its neck. The air hangs heavy with the scent of blood-soaked fur. The faint howls of wolves can still be heard echoing in the chambers. This won’t be the last of these foul creatures.

We take a moment to catch our breath in the cold, damp air of the dungeon. I point out that this necromancer feels different. More prepared. He may still be crazy like the others we have slain, but they seem to have more control. A different kind of madness: the most dangerous kind.

Khalid, unusually determined, motions for us to press on. Water drips in the dark, each drop echoing as if in mockery of our footsteps. Shadows flicker and dance along the stone walls, cast by the dim light of the torches. Every creak and groan of the ancient structure felt alive, as though the ruin itself watched them with hungry malice.

A shadow starts to move, taking the vague shape of a human. The shadow moans as it moves closer to Khalid, and we can see the faint outlines of a mouth within the shadow. The moaning turns into slow, agonising speech.

Mal-Kalen: Help to me… body inside… just a shade I… inside body… I live again! Revenge the destroyers!

Khalid: Poor creature, who were you in life?

I was taken aback by Khalid’s composure. His usual stammer was gone, replaced by a resolute tone that even the ghost seemed to recognize. Perhaps it was the gravity of the moment, or something deeper within Khalid himself.

Mal-Kalen: Mal-Kalen I… student I… revenge destroyers… release the body!

Khalid: Is there no rest for you spirit? What holds you to this place?

Mal-Kalen: School destroyed by treachery… Ulcaster gone… protect they said… must revenge!

A shadow in the shape of a hand reaches out for Khalid.

Khalid: Back you undead horror! Back, lest you wish to die again!

He says the words with such force. I notice Jaheira staring at him in admiration. She’s usually stoic and tries to hide her emotions, but it’s often hard for her to hide her love for her husband.

Mal-Kalen: Now the body inside… no escape for the body… release body so I live! Revenge the destroyers!

Khalid: I beseech you, cease your attack! I am not your enemy!

Mal-Kalen: You not enemy… you the body… release body so I live! Revenge the destroyers!

Khalid: Leave me be! I want no part of your ancient anger!

Mal-Kalen: Has been but a tenday… must revenge the destroyers! Release body!

Khalid: It has been 300 years! Time has already taken your quarry!

Mal-Kalen: 300 years… it cannot be… 300… dead all must be…

All dead… I remain… will exact penance from descendants… revenge the destroyers! Release the body!

The air around us grew colder as shadows coalesced into vaguely beast-like forms, their crimson eyes promising torment. He starts to shimmer like a fog catching the moonlight, and we can see the face he wore when he was a living student. The ghost reaches toward Khalid, while its shadows reach out to my familiar.

Khalid raised his sword as Mal-Kalen’s voice turned into an anguished scream, and we knew there would be no reasoning with the ghost any longer.

We retreat back through the tunnels to avoid their attacks. The shadows surge forward, their forms flickering between tangible and ethereal, like smoke caught in a storm. Cat is surrounded by shadows slashing at him with their dark claws.

With each passing second, the shadows seemed to grow longer, closing in on the Troupe like claws reaching out for their throats. Khalid Holds the Line and braces for the spirit’s attack, while Jaheira and I prepare our magic.

The dungeon is lit up by the flames of the sun and Magic Missiles that strike Mal Kalen. His form seems to fade into the dark for a moment. Cat is cut by the shadow’s claws and he flees in an attempt to get behind Khalid.

A shadow grows beside Jaheira and tries to distract her with its claws. I hit Mal-Kalen with another barrage of Magic Missiles. Cat maneuvres around the fight and retreats into the tunnel opposite us. I hope he knows what he’s doing – I can sense he’s severely wounded.

Jaheira summons a couple of war dogs to fight for us and draws her club to turn against the shadow that flanks us. I can sense Cat is running, and he is having a hard time shaking off the shadows that want to consume him.

We have to destroy the ghost. It’s controlling the shadows so perhaps if it’s gone, it will take it’s shadows with it. It flickers in and out of the Material Plane as I strike it with another barrage of Magic Missiles.

Khalid thrusts his Varscona into the ghost, and it seems to falter a little. It’s still holding onto this plane, but it is fading away.

I hit it with another barrage and it starts to scream. The sound is deafening as it echoes through the dungeon.

Its screams turn to words as it fades away, leaving only a face to utter it’s final curse.

As the echoes of Mal-Kalen’s screams faded into silence, I wondered if we were any different from the destroyers he loathed. The battle is won, yet I cannot help but feel sorry for the ghost. He never got his revenge, his closure, but was merely forced back into the afterlife by our hand. Is this the fate that awaits all that die with unfinished business? Is this what I will become if I don’t find my father’s killer?

Cat returns to us now the shadow no longer pursues him. I can see how much pain he’s in now, a pain I can still feel. I heal him with Corellon’s blessing.

Jaheira says that her fight with the shadows has improved her martial prowess.

She gets a bonus of 1 to Breath saving throws, a bonus of 1 to THAC0, and gains 5 Hit Points.

We have to go deeper, so deeper we go, following the howls and moans that echo to the surface. In the room next to Mal-Kalen’s chambers we disturb two vampiric wolves and awaken their thirst for blood.

We retreat back around the corner, and the first wolf falls to our hail of arrows and bullets as it sinks its teeth into Khalid’s arm. Its poison runs through his veins, paralysing him in place.

The second wolf starts trying to tear through Khalid’s armour and into his flesh. For some reason it’s choosing to ignore the rest of us. I launch a Chromatic Orb at the beast while it is distracted.

While distracted it is easy to hit, but it has found a gap in Khalid’s plate mail and has started to tear at his flesh. We have to do something right now – he could die!

Since he can’t heal himself I call upon Corellon to heal him. His wounds start to close and the wolf has difficulty continuing it’s feast.

I launch another Orb, a red orb this time. It hits the wolf which yelps as it lurches back in pain. Recorder hits it one last time and the glow of its eyes fade to black.

We wait for Khalid to start moving again, and when he does Verr’Sza hands him a Potion of Healing.

With his strength recovered Khalid leads us further into the dark hallways. Jaheira’s summoned war dogs follow us with barely a growl. Khalid spots a gelatinous mass the colour of ochre moving around as he enters a room. We recognise it instantly, another of Mur’Neth’s kin.

It is mindless and carnivorous, so we will have to fight. As we move closer to engage we are flanked by another jelly, this one green like the leaves of a mustard plant. Khalid rushes to distract the mustard jelly, and Verr’Sza draws his swords and springs at the ochre jelly.

Khalid is hurt fighting by himself, but Verr’Sza is able to throw him another Potion of Healing with grace. The rest of us send bullets and missiles smashing into the ochre jelly. It’s hard to tell if the amorphous blob is being hurt by our efforts.

It becomes apparent that it was working when I strike it with a bullet that pierces through to its core. The mass seems to dissolve into the ground, a viscous liquid now seeping into the dungeon’s stone floor.

We turn our efforts to help Khalid with the mustard jelly. It poisons one of the war dogs before they are returned to whatever plane Jaheira summoned them from.

The jelly takes a beating, or whatever the equivalent is for a body with no form.

White sends an Arrow of Flame into the slime and fire explodes inside the mass. White’s every movement is deliberate, and his aim is unerring. It’s often hard to read the barbarian. If he is feeling any semblance of fear he isn’t showing it. Knowing the dread that fills this place, a warrior like him is exactly what we need right now.

As it melts away it reveals the remnants of another ill-fated soul, their journey cut short by these ruins. Their flesh was all but consumed, and their bones only told of their harsh fate.

Their armour, some splint mail, was in surprisingly good condition, a rare find amidst the decay.

Beside the armour lay a bastard sword, its blade unmarred despite the inferior iron so common in the Coast.

They carried with them a Potion of Mirrored Eyes. Something we can use if we ever encounter basilisks again.

Further rummaging revealed a small leather pouch with a chrysoberyl gem. I don’t know how valuable this is, but I’m sure we’ll find a trader who will tell us.

He also carried a protection scroll that somehow remains intact. We don’t know what it will protect us from, however.

The most intriguing find, however, was a spellbook inscribed with the name Karlini. I can’t make heads or tails of it, nor can any of the others. Recorder says it looks like some kind of Gnomish script, but she still can’t decipher any of the text beside the name.

I stuff it into my pack for now and we move on. This room is a dead end so we have to double back on ourselves. Another corridor leads away from the stairs that took us down into this place. As we follow it we hear the clash of steel on steel and the howling of a wolf.

We come to a room where we find two of Recorder’s former companions trying to retreat back from a vicious vampiric wolf. Fear and desperation grips their faces as they swing wildly at the wolf, as it snaps its jaws trying to latch on to a limb.

Khalid and Verr’Sza rush in to help the pair. The wolf sets its sights on the nervous half-elf and tears into him. As its teeth sink into Khalid he becomes paralysed, unable to move. I respond to the situation with a Chromatic Orb.

The Orb strikes true, but the wolf won’t let up on Khalid. White strike the beast with an Arrow of Fire. As its blood-red fur burns Verr’Sza tears into the beast, cutting it open.

The two survivors stand there for a moment, breathing heavily, their eyes locked on the wolf’s corpse. They’re broken, shadows of the people they once were. The horrors of this place have stripped them of hope, leaving only fear. But still make one simple request of us.

They won’t be of any use to us. We will have to continue to the necromancer’s lair on our own. Their reaction makes me feel uneasy. What kind of monster is waiting for us there?

Recorder’s expression shows relief at their survival clashed with the guilt of having left them behind. She opens her mouth to speak but hesitates, the weight of the moment rendering her silent. What words could make amends for her flight from the ruins as they were left behind to suffer?

We wait for Khalid’s paralysis to wear off before we continue into the depths. When he is able to move again he closes his wounds with a Potion of Critical Healing.

There is a dead body here, one that has been here for a while. Recorder says it isn’t one of her former companions.

We search the corpse to find around 100 gold, as well as 6 darts that we cannot identify.

There is also an enchanted dagger on the corpse.

As well as a potion that will allow the imbiber to use magic in zones of silence.

We find another potion on the corpse, this one granting the rage of a barbarian like White.

We also find another gem, this time a skydrop gem from the stars.

We leave Hawk and his friend behind and follow the corridor they came from. There is a larger chamber here, with two small doorways leading out. Khalid picks the one on the left and we follow him down. We can hear clicking and chittering down the corridor, the sounds of loud insects.

An unnatural chill clings to the damp corridor. Cobwebs hang like curtains from the jagged ceiling, swaying gently in an unseen breeze. Thick webs start clinging to Khalid’s boots, and the scuttling of countless legs echo from the shadows, growing louder with each step. He turns a corner and faces a huge spider already crawling toward him.

The room is infested with spiders that emerge from the webs to join the hunt for their prey. Smaller spiders scurry around, some crawling along the legs of the huger spiders. This must be a nest.

Khalid raises his shield, leading the charge into the spider-infested chamber, while Cat and Verr’Sza flank him to prevent the arachnids from encircling us.

Recorder hits one of the spiders and pierces it’s carapace. Lightning glows around it as it collapses to the floor.

Another spider emerges from the nest as sword bounces on chitin. Jaheira manages to knock the head off one of the spiders.

Verr’Sza cuts another one open with his Kundane. No more seem to be crawling out of the webs. This two are probably the last of them.

Recorder kills another of the spiders and Khalid thrusts his Varscona through the last. The sounds don’t cease, however, and we realise the nest is still full of many smaller spiders. Khalid spots something glowing in the webs. Small spiders crawl up his hands as he reaches in to grab the stash. He’s rewarded with two Potions of Healing and 85 gold.

The room is silent save for the skittering of smaller spiders retreating into the shadows. Khalid shakes the webs from his hands, his expression grim. I thought the undead minions in the dungeon were enough, but there are slimes and spiders and other creatures nesting in these ruins. I dread what else may be lurking in these dungeons.

There are only small cracks in the walls in this chamber where the smaller spiders are hiding. Another dead end. The necromancer must be down the other corridor leading out of the larger room. We turn back, and a nagging thought lingers. Are we truly prepared to confront the necromancer or are we merely offering ourselves as a sacrifice to these dark chambers?