Chapter 12: The Emerald Enchanter

It has been two weeks since the encounter with the undead at the manor. In that time much has happened.

Tyrrian has fallen ill with a strange malady. The nuns fear evil humors have settled in his lungs. He is young and strong and all believe his recovery will be quick.

Alex asks Bulls Zi to train the monkey “jack” in some thief skills.

Sally has begun to sway some twenty odd villagers to follow Mesha as their primary deity.

Alexander has cast some magic that has a mercurial effect of growing wheat. This has helped the farmers get back crop lost to the cultists. He is also coming to grips with his newly bonded patronage to Sezrekan.

Farhoud has become a trusted member of the group and joined the Warrior class.

Brother Beavis has begun brewing an ale at the White Horse, called Losborsts Hearty Pale.

The reformation of a new town militia under Mordacity has helped repair the overall village morale.

  The attack by the handful of faceless ones as they escaped the undead has been causing Lars to wonder if the Cult of Palimdybis has been truly destroyed. He sends Garrotte and Calis to scout out the old ruin along the coast that sits between the Manor and the Tegel Lighthouse.

The two report that it appears to be nothing more than a very ancient ruin. Weed choked and unlikey to be more than a den for rodents. The party decides they should still form a team to go there and make sure the place poses no threat in any way.

  The following morning Bulls Zi, Alex, Sven, Sally, Lars, Alexander Ballistic, Garrotte, Calis, and Faroud set out in the wagon to the ruins. At the last moment Lars thinks it would be best to take the “Magic Boat” from the fishing village and approach the ruins from the beach as there is no direct land route to get there except crossing unknown terrain.

  A couple of hours later the party climbs up from the small beach and nears the ruins. When they get within thirty feet the ruins waver and disappear! “A massive illusion!” exclaims Alexander, “The power needed for such a thing is intense!”

 They stand before a squat cyclopean structure some sixty feet in height. It is topped by a temple-like second story. Directly ahead is a large silvery door of unknown metal, the only apparent entrance, flanked by two man-sized statues seemingly carved from green crystal. The group approaches with Alexander in the lead.

“The green hand!, I forgot about that one we found in the manor.” He mutters to Lars.

“Well, it’s still in that chest. I think.” Replies Lars scratching his chin.

Bulls Zi steps away from the group and walks along the base of the structures east side looking for any windows or balconies.

Meanwhile, Alexander decides to get a closer look at the metal door. Sven follows him as they slowly move closer to the doorway. Suddenly the two statues move, brandishing weapons and block the door. Alexander moves back wary of setting off any other magical defenses. He cries out some “command” words and phrases in a few different languages to no avail. Finally Alexander steps forward palms up and says “May we enter here?”

In response the green warriors swing weapons at him and barely miss! Instantly Sven is lost to the battle lust of the Chaos Axe and charges the foes!

Bulls Zi has decided that he can easily scale the sixty feet to see what may be on the roof. At this point he some 30 feet up the side when he loses his grip! A last ditch effort to save himself fails and he falls impaling himself on his very own javelin he stuck in the ground when he began his ascent. As his vision goes dark he hears the faint sounds of battle from the front of the structure.

One of the green warrior statues is very rough and poorly sculpted, as if it were an early work by the artisan, the second is of exquisite detail and could even be said to almost be truly alive! As Sven takes the brunt of the attack upon himself the rest of the party attempt as best they can to aid him while being wary of his berserk state. A few minutes of battle sees the rough warrior fall and shatter as 6 large emeralds fall from its chest cavity and scatter upon the ground. The concentrated efforts of the group fell the second green warrior who surprisingly turns back into a mortally wounded man! As he expires he gasps “Thesdipedes knows the word….”

As the group ponders the significance of this, Alex the cleric wonders where Bulls Zi has gotten off to and goes looking for him. Sven is healed by Sally as the battle with the guardians was very taxing for him.

Upon discovering the impaled body of their companion Alex calls out and the group move his body to the wagon. Going back to the Silvery door and discovering it has a large keyhole some attempts to pick it are made. First up is “Jack” the monkey who was being trained by Bulls Zi. After a few minutes Lars tires of waiting for the monkey and waves him off so a real thief can try.

  The door is opened and a twenty foot wide hall is revealed. It is about fifty feet in length and the walls are adorned with bizarre mosaics portraying a green wizard fighting demons, casting spells, and various other deeds. Once again with Alexander and Sven in the lead the group enters the strange edifice. A weird clattering noise and a cool breeze swirl about the group. Tiles fly off the wall and form into a large golem that now blocks the party’s progress. A couple of attempts at communication come to nothing, so Sven steps up and offers his hand in a gesture of friendship. He gets a golem slap to the face for his trouble!

The party expends a great amount of effort in battling the mosaic tile golem, Alexander casts an awesome display of Alexander’s Arcing Axes (magic missile) to great effect! A second and even third mosaic creature battle with the group, before they realize the trick of destroying the tiles so they cannot add to the mass of an existing golem. Sorely tired and with a few lost spells amongst the Wizard and Clerics, they party discovers a doorway that had been hidden behind the tiles.

to be continued.....