Lost Trails Chapter 17 The Great Befoulment

[Lord Skybolt]

During the rest he talks to Raen about preparing useful spells . On Raen saying if the Evards spell may work against dragon, Alain agrees with Kats reasoning on how the spell would work against a dragon as well as his knowledge of how that spell actually works since his spell casting vocation is of the type to educate its members in spells that they will eventually learn how to cast in the future on the battle field . He does think there maybe a need to cast water breathing spell on the group or an individual to go after the dragon in its den as it maybe just stay down there to heal over time until back to full health and then come after the group when done . He does advise the group that he has several spells that ignore and resistance to spells period, but at least one take a while to cast in combat but allows escape from it effects period if he has the time to cast it .

[kintire]

Kat dismisses the touch as a small fish or a floating bit of goop. She is more worried about peering into the gloomy water as she edges into the danger zone, apparently casually searching for a den but in fact ready to move at the slightest hint of anything emerging. Nor does she entirely overlook the possibility that the thing may already be in the pool, casting occasional glances back out across the surface, seeking ripples.

Her nose wrinkles at the smell, but frankly it is not much worse than the smell of her home district on a hot day, and the cool water around her provides relief from the heat. As she "Finds" the entrance and begins tracing it curiously she allows herself to shift out into the tunnel mouth...but not far. She can't move as swiftly in water, and she does not wish to get too far from cover

[ewancummins]

Kat suggests boating to the islet and digging down.

Getting there across the foul water is easy enough, as the party has two boats.

The dreary little island seems quite abandoned, not so much as a crow perched in one of the dead trees or a mouse scurrying in the sickly weeds.

The party discovers a partially filled pit, suggestive of an earlier attempt at excavation. Digging it out proves much easier than making a new deep hole, but with only one spade--Rowan packed it in the longboat-- it takes time.
Some remain on lookout while others work.


With much sweat and toil, the group manages to bore down into a low cavernlike space inside the island , an earth walled chamber with a flooded floor. Poking an oar down to check depth, they find it's about a foot deep with a hole in the middle that drops much deeper--too deep for the oar to reach.
The hole is just big enough for one person to slip through.
It is very dark down there at the bottom of the flooded cave, at the shadowy bottom of the pit.

[kintire]

Katrin pitches in with the digging, though she is showing signs of discomfort, soaking wet from her excursion into the water, now sweating heavily as well, and not much in the way of drying in the humid swamp air. She seems also to be slightly distracted when Tonio is digging.

Once the excavation is completed she eyes the hole unenthusiastically

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid this hasn't got us much further" She speaks quietly "I was hoping that the cave went above the waterline."

She frowns

"I might be able to slip down there quietly, but I wouldn't be able to see anything. We could drop that waterproof light down?"

[ewancummins]

After a glowing branch has been dropped down, Kat hops down the pit with a splash. Crawling around in the low ceilinged, flooded chamber, she carefully searches the water....


And brings up something small, hard, round, and dully gleaming. Rubbing mud and grit from the little disc, she sees she has uncovered a solid gold coin, with a crowned woman in profile stamped on one face and a coiled serpent on the other.

Feeling on, she reaches the lip of the opening in the submerged floor.
Carefully probing the hole she finds it opens into a flooded tunnel that drops down out of sight . Certainly too small for the dragon but any of the party, even Sir Clive, could worm through. One would have to hold her breath...unless she had that water breathing magic Klokulf claims he can perform.

[kintire]

Kat straightens up and glances at Klokulf, speaking in a low tone intended to carry to her companions alone

"I could sneak in this way, if you can make me breathe water. But can anyone make me see in the dark? I'll not be much good sneaking in with a light.

[ewancummins]

Kat straightens up and glances at Klokulf, speaking in a low tone intended to carry to her companions alone

"I could sneak in this way, if you can make me breathe water. But can anyone make me see in the dark? I'll not be much good sneaking in with a light.

…



Unfortunately, none of Kat's comrades have such magic.



The group has daylight left to discuss its plans...


Alwina huddles close to Klokulf, whispering in his ear-
"I'm afraid. It's down there, I'm sure of it. Waiting and watching in the dark..."
She shivers and presses closer to the priest of Bane.


Tonio wipes mud from his brawny arms and shoulders with a piece of canvas.
He turns to Sir Clive and says, "If Kat goes, I'm not scared to go with her, Boss. "
Despite his brave words, the young servant's face looks uncharacteristically pale under its sheen of sweat and his sword arm quivers.




Rowan shakes her head, eyes wide.
"My job was to guide you here, not dangle myself like a worm on a hook for the monster to gobble up. I've done my duty to Master Cadorna."


Theophilus cowers behind a dead tree, casting frightened glances into the mist over the black lake.


The Unicorn snorts and skitters sideways, tossing its mane. It settles, fixing its gaze on the ranger woman, but does not speak.

[Lord Skybolt]

"I will go as well to help with some ranged Spell attacks as I can ."Alain says to Kat .

[ewancummins]

Katrin splashes and sinks down the shaft first, followed by Tonio with the flameless 'torch' and Sir Clive--his armor stored away by magic. Alain slips in after placing a few items in one of the boats.

The explorers worm through the tunnel and sink down into a large cavernlike space, dark as an oubliette but for the wavering green light Tonio carries.
Submerged completely as the explorers are, small sounds of movement takes on a strange quality, deeper and weirdly distorted.


Even if one If them holds his or her breath until the lungs burn, it takes a strong effort of will to cough out air and suck in the foul-tasting water.

But the spell works perfectly.


Kat does her best to scout the flooded lair, but she's having some trouble swimming.
Good thing she cannot drown, now.


Too late, Kat spies something out of the corner of her eye, a huge, long shadow detaching from the wall!

Hissing through the black water, a line of acid slashes across most of the group, leaving burned survivors in its path.

Kat, at least, has swum clear.

And Tonio still swims with the magical torch upheld.

Sir Clive's armor appears on his body and he reaches for his huge killing blade. The knight gets to his feet, the weight of the steel holding him to the muddy floor.


Suddenly a black cloud falls over the magical light, extinguishing it totally.

Absolute blackness fills the watery lair.





The heroes think they can hear sounds of something big swimming, but it's hard to say from which direction, given the strange acoustics down here.

Where is the dragon...

[ewancummins]

In the dark and flooded chamber, confusion and fear reign.


Alain kicks frantically for the access tunnel...

and bumps into something moving above him, something huge and scaly!



Kicking back toward his unseen allies in the blackness, he catches a glimmer from above...


KLOKULF, coming down with a light spell, sees something shift below him in the murk, but too late to kick back up the tunnel.

Jaws close over his left leg. Yellow eyes gleam evilly from the wyrm's skull-like visage. The priest pounds and kicks at the beast.

It suddenly rips loose, as if it had bitten an unexpectedly foul-tasting or sharp-edged object, taking his torn boot with it.



…
Alain dimly spies the dragon's bulk, gliding over him, backlit by an eerie glow.

[Lord Skybolt]

Alain in Desperation Swims about 15' away horizontally from the dragon and casts an Orb spell at it .

[ewancummins]

Alain in Desperation Swims about 15' away from the dragon and casts an Orb spell at it .

The monsters abruptly fans its wings and in a great swirl of water speeds by, down and toward on edge of the cavernous chamber, into the darkness...

[ewancummins]

Sir Clive swings his huge sword but doesn't get close enough in time.

[ewancummins]

Alain swims back up the shaft the party opened, seeking Benn for healing.


As his head breaks water, he hears Alwina scream.

Scurrying up the hole, he slides onto his belly in the tailing of the hole and looks up to see the dragon looming over the little island, claws sunken in the sandy water margin. Meela's arrows fly at it, bouncing off its black armor.
The scaled head draws back and the fanged mouth opens, acidic saliva dripping. The monster inhales, mist swirling into its flared nostrils...

Raen, crouching nearby, rattles off a formula and black rubbery arms lift from the water and seize the wyrm.

Caught in the black tentacles, the dragon snaps its jaws shut and thrashes, breaking free like an enraged fighting bull bursting arena ropes. It somersaults, spalshing head down to dive back under and out of sight...

[ewancummins]

The creature vanishes into the water with a great splash beside the tentacles, avoiding them in its descent.

Alain chants, targeting his next spell right over the splash zone.

The water , not yet settled from the dragon's wake, boils with green stones that appear inches above the surface and plunge downward in a spray of foam.

As everyone catches his breath, the tentacles writhe on like appendages of some evil octopoid horror of the deep.


Alwina races to Alain. She grabs his arm. "Klokulf?"

Assured the priest was alive last time Alain saw him, the woman calms down a little, but still casts worried glances at the shaft mouth.


Everyone remains on alert for the reemergence of the dragon.
It could easily slip away, maybe come back for another surprise attack with the cover of the mist over the lake and the failing and feeble from the sun--which appears only as a dull pink blue in the overcast sky.


No one comes back up the shaft.

Minutes pass.

Alain thinks he spots lights dancing under the water, but then they are gone.

A cautious trip down the hole reveals the submerged to be abandoned.

More tense minutes go by...

And then Benn spots steel glinting in the murk.
Sir Clive walks up from the water, mud dripping from his steel armor, runnels flowing from his helm. He tosses something black and long on the sand before his comrades. Steaming ichor hisses where the scaled mass fell.
The dragon's severed head.


Klokulf splashes out after the knight.
Alwina runs to him.


Katrin staggers up from the water, with Tonio helping her ashore.
Once she's on dry land, Tonio kneels and pukes water in long racking sobs.

Rowan pops out from cover to stare at the grisly trophy the knight brought up from below.


END OF CHAPTER