Session 40: A Candle in the Dark
General Summary
Battered and limping Adalon pushed into the main chamber with Ismaril close behind to overwhelm the remaining Kobolds. Indalell would cut thru the miners as Ayrien took aim at a fleeing Kobold, her arrow piercing its throat and dropping him. As quick as the ambush had begun it was over. The scales would take a moment bandaging wounds and checking among the dead. A'lar would pick up the lead kobolds staff, looking over the fire staff, finding it still coursing with magic.
With several Kobolds escaping Indalell and Ayrien would begin to track them as the path turned north and west. The tunnels before them would open to a massive cavern, excavated revealing the remains of a great Civics room. Around the walls of the great room the scales would stare in awe as the remains of massive mosaics covered every inch of stone. The images though decayed and hard to discern details showed great humanoids herding massive reptilians creatures, building a great city, expanding. The next would show Dragons soaring over head destroying the reptillian herds and attacking the Humanoids, presumably giants. The next showed a great Giant wrestling with a great giant. The last showed the giants great city being destroyed while pleading with and weeping before a great being of light. As the Scales studied further Ayrien would offer, "If this is the Age of Wonder, I think that is Ilmaren before she left the spirit realm." Longwei would frown, "Why would the Giants be pleading with Ilmaren, that doesn't seem right." In the back of the chamber they would find an ancient and magical fountain, whose water seemed to mend ailments, Adalon and Ismarils twisted ankles feeling better after drinking.
Indalell and Ayrien would track the Kobolds and find that the tunnels looped back to the ambush and pushed on into the caves. As the exploration continued A'lar would find a new chamber, this one barely finished in it excavation, but here a great female statue stood looking down and sorrowful to the remnants of an altar, but held in her hands was a great candle that flickered and lit the space. As the other scales arrived a great sense of sorrow and sadness would overwhelm the group. As this sorrow pulled down upon their minds, A'lar would again try a more uplifting song. Ismaril would join him in this song lifting the despair of the statues power. Ayrien would study the altars remains, "This is Ilmaren," and with that would offer up an ancient rite to the goddess of Creation, long departed in the world. Indalell trying to keep distance would fire an arrow to snuff the candle but its flame would not be doused. Adalon would reach forward and take the candle, feeling no heat he would pinch the wick and end the flame which gave no heat. The prayers and songs offered would lift the despair of the statue of Ilmaren, Adalon would relight the candle whose light would wash over the scales and fill them with healing energies.
The Scales moved further on now thru unlit tunnels, Ismaril and A'lar towards the back of the procession moved off in various tunnels different from the rest. Ismaril would travel south and find the living quarters of the Kobold workers, now devoid of habitants. Here a great chest would be found and countless artifacts and cultural treasures of the former inhabitants of the city. Ismaril would begin to load the items into her bag of holding un aware of the others explorations. A'lar would round a corner and spot Elarae in the distance working upon a great vault door while several Kobolds wearily stood guard. Casting invisibility he would move forward and send a phantasmal killer towards the Kobold Mage that had escaped earlier. The Kobold would scream and collapse its heart stopping in fear. "Give it up Elarea!" A'lar would shout hoping to end this conflict. "You will destroy everything! Just Leave me be!" he would shout back as he summoned a great cloud of putrid gas around A'lar. Gagging on the noxious fumes A'lar would cast invisibility again and attempt to flee. The Kobolds would pursue, A'lars hasty escape making his invisible state more obvious then he would like.
The rest of the Scales having lost Ismaril and A'lar would be unaware of eithers actions as they entered the north east part of the tunnels. Indalell would look about, "These tunnels look far less used." And as he said this, the giant mushrooms around the walls would shutter and come to life, great spores of hallucinogenic fungi would fill the room. Seeming unaffected by them the remaining scales would move forward defending themselves, Indalells blades cutting one mushroom down as 4 more lurched forward. Ayriens bow would let fly as Adalon attempted to defend their right. Longwei would begin to deliver heavy kicks and blows with his fist, finding that breaking a mushrooms nose or spleen was more challenging then a mortals. The clouds of spores grew but with little effect, but the Fungi blows also carried a great poison. Indalell and Veara would soon fall to the fungal onslaught. Adalon and Longwei with fire support from Ayriens bow would put down the violent mushrooms allowing them to stabilize both their fallen comrades. Soon after this would end, Ismaril would wonder upon the scene, "I found the treasure!" she would frown down to her wounded companions. A panting A'lar would arrive from the west, "Ya? Well," pauses catching breath, "I found the Curator, and a vault door." A wounded Indalell would grunt hauling himself to his feet. "No time to waste!" A'lar would begin to motion them to follow.
