Journal of Arcadius - Day 72

Praise be to Pelor! May his light grant guidance, protection, wisdom, and patience.

For all are called for.

We reached the mountains, in search of our missing friend the Priest of Thor. We found a tunnel entrance with engraved runes. Given our position deep in the wilds, and based on prior experience, we decided to leave a guard for the horses. Fflam was the natural choice, as there were also questions as to the effects of the magic of the tunnel upon his spider curse.

The tunnel inside was strange in form, with other, unknown tunnels rising straight upward over our heads, going into unknown blackness. Upon exit from the tunnel we came to a valley that seemed in another part of the world entirely... a tropical place reminding me, however slightly, of the river delta marshes in my homeland - or at least how they might have looked before all that land was cultivated.

Far across the valley was a temple, rising up in steps against a hill slope. Deep in the heart of the valley, smoke from a campfire rose above the trees. We decided to see if that fire belonged to the Priest of Thor. We set out across a dense and difficult jungle, coming to a stream where crocodiles lay on the shores. Strange indeed. It proved to be shallow and we crossed without incident.

On the other side we met a most odd creature - a gnome it seems. She is a bard, and is a most talkative individual. We spoke with her at some length and it seemed she had come here out of curiosity. Astounding! To take such risks lightly! She has much courage. She told us she planned to go to the temple. Thus, after resting for the night, we did so together.

Then, things grew even stranger.

At the temple itself, to our shock, was Alcander! His story of how he got there and what he had been doing was almost beyond belief, and I shall not attempt to relate it in detail, but at the last he had apparently been returning by sea, and somehow reached this valley by a different route than we. There were problems with the geography of this that could not at the time be reconciled. However, the gods move things as they will, so who could say?

The temple was laden throughout with fell magics and traps, however with the aid of Hrefna and Walter-Tupper, we were able to bypass them. In an upper room was a giant evil glowing gem, hanging from the ceiling. We went down stairs and came to chambers illustrated with tales of ancient wars among elves and other beings, one side seeming to be in the service of darkness. Finally, in a lower chamber we came to a room with 9 beds. Upon them lay human forms, bound with magic. Upon them were writs, in an archaic tongue, charging them with various crimes. The body on the middle bed on each side radiated evil. Alcander charged one and crushed its head with his bone club. Instead of the crumpled dust of an undead corpse, came the gushing blood of a living being! We begged him to stop, and reluctantly he did.

We then decided to examine the other bodies, those not radiating evil. They proved to be living beings, apparently humans and elves, in states of magic torpor or sleep. Praise be to Lord Pelor and to his own god, the Priest of Thor was among them! We quickly worked to unwrap the others and free them. At this time strange sounds began to emanate from above. Walter-Tupper crept, in his stealthy way, up the stairs to investigate. There he saw an undead thing, and we knew we would have to fight our way out!

I felt the light and power of Pelor well up within me! Undead things of darkness must be destroyed! We advanced up the stairs to face it. It tried to intimidate us into surrender or flight, no doubt for its own sinister purposes. Ignoring this we charged in line. Alcander struck it a terrific and mighty blow! Though I do not always understand him, I am most thankful that he was with us once more! The undead thing wielded TERRIBLE magic - first creating illusions of itself, struck down by Shaft, then blasts of cold that smote many of our party nearly unto death. It was only by luck that I was to one side, and escaped the attack.

Those of us who still stood, continued to attack it - assisted - with surprising and impressive courage by Walter-Tupper. At any moment we expected to face our dooms as the others had. We fought well that day. As before, Oda is truly a sight to behold in battle! Even more amazing was the deadly precision of Walter-Tupper. Two or three times he struck exactly at points of weakness, rending our foe's undead flesh. Indeed, it was he who struck the last and fatal blow.

It dissipated into smoke and shadows, laughing evilly as it returned, no doubt to the jewel of evil power. We grasped that the power guarding the temple were far from broken, while we were wounded and frail. We knew we must flee with the prisoners we had rescued. There would be no time to pause.

And so we did.

A long, frenzied run through the jungle. Drums beating in the distance and the sound of strange folk in pursuit. The prisoners were like daydreamers, walking where we guided them, but witless. Walter-Tupper and Hrogar became lost, but rejoined us. We ran throughout the night, finally reaching the mountains and the tunnel entrance at dawn. Through it we fled into the healthy daylight to find Fflam and our horses intact. We rode throughout the day, utterly exhausted. Hrogar's cart proved useful in carrying the still-helpless folk we had rescued.

When we finally returned to town, glad we were that there were rooms at the inn. We slept for many hours. In the morrow, praise be to the gods, the prisoners had largely regained their wits! We discovered that they were folk of several lands, some of them very far away, and all individuals of not inconsiderable power. It seems that the valley has other entrances, and that they open by some mighty magic to places both near and far. The valley holds rich secrets, herbs and other things useful to mages, priests, and alchemists! Some seek it, willing to risk the dangers.

It was then that inspiration came to me. All thanks to Pelor for I am merely his instrument! These folk, the former prisoners, had been wrongly captured and imprisoned by the evil in the valley. They had need of their own for what else lay within that valley. Perhaps they would be willing to help us? We composed a plan, which was presented by the ever-persuasive Hrogar. If these others would return to join us a month hence, meeting us in the valley, together we could, gods willing, wipe out the evil powers within the temple! They agreed. Time will tell who can or will be there when the time comes.

May they come. This darkness must be purged! It has some role in the greater evils of the world, I think.

I swear to thee, Lord Pelor, I will be there that day.

*A*