Journal of Arcadius - Day 155

Victory at a Price

After futile efforts to explore the remainder of the keep, we realized there was only one way left to go... down, into the depths of dark well of water. Whatever was down there, we were in no shape to fight it, being short of both spells and health. We decided, despite the risks, to rest for the night at the keep.

There was also the matter of the abominations, the pseudonatural creatures summoned by the evil ones, for the purpose of sacrifice it seemed. I deemed that such sacrifices must not be allowed to continue, for whatever they were to achieve, it was an evil to the world. Moreover, these things belonged not in the world at all, and would be best sent back to their own vile plane. The others seemed less clear on this matter, but nonetheless I spent a part of the night dispatching the pseudonatural abominations.

Our night was otherwise uneventful.

In the morning, we investigated the depths. First, Jacob flew down with a set of ropes attached. Alas! The ropes did not hold and one of them fell into the waters below, sank, and was lost. In any case, it proved that the surface of the water was too far down to reach with such ropes as we had.

Thus, Jacob flew, carrying us down one by one. I was first, and illuminated by the light of Lord Pelor, saw something vast, dark, and moving in the water. The others followed and we prepared for battle.

Swimming down into the water, we encountered a thing like a gigantic squid, with dark choking tentacles. It was evil, and seemingly of malevolent intelligence. It was a fierce battle, with many of us caught, freeing ourselves, and then caught again. Jacob and Chris did much harm to it, while we armed with weapons helped as we could.

However, the battle seemed to go against us.

Most of us were gravely hurt, Chris was running low on powerful spells, while the thing fought on. At last, in a bold and desperate move, Ragnarr called upon Pelor and summoned a fire elemental... yes, a fire elemental, there in the watery depths! He summoned it forth near to the thing, and as sheltered by its bulk from the rest of us as could be devised.

It was devastating.

The unfortunate fire elemental, may Pelor have mercy upon it and honor for it, came apart in a spectacular explosion, the shockwaves of which ripped both through the squid thing and through us. Its vast noisome body absorbed most of the blast, but we suffered as well. Chris was knocked unconscious, and Grungar was gravely wounded, only to be brought to the very door of death by an attack of the creature moments later.

The rest of us fought on, striking as we could, each in our way. The thing, in its pain and wrath, seized Jacob and dragged him downward. However, this proved to be a mistake, for he with desperate fury launched one of his eldritch blasts straight into its body, slaying it at last. Truly, Jacob showed glorious courage in that moment!

We then explored. There were several passages leading out from the lair of the thing, one of which proved to have much treasure. More importantly, directly below the thing was a vast black mirror-gate, of the kind we have seen elsewhere. We considered passing through it to strike foes on the other side, but realized we lacked the needed key. Unable to use the gate, we knew we must smash it, and THAT was a job for Grungar.

He did so with enthusiasm.

As the gate cracked and was destroyed, shockwaves of instability flashed out from it. We sensed the keep beginning to shake and crumble around us. Wasting no time, we swam upwards, and were transported out of the water one by one by Jacob. From there, we made use of a mobile platform in the complex, intended for meats for the pseudonatural beasts, as a means to lift ourselves to the surface. We escaped moments before the entire coral keep crumbled into debris.

Praise to Lord Pelor, and to the gods!

Let the dark ones know, let those who would deal and treat with the horrors from outside know, that there are those who will resist, who will fight them! Though the war be long and this be but one battle, this battle at least is won.

*A*