Strange bedfellows

We have found our way below Ptolus by the same means that the drow used, we believe.

As we made our way through the sewers we encountered a troll. We were somewhat constricted in the narrow sewer tunnels and had to scramble to find ways to get into a position to attack. Deathspank was quick to engage it and held it at bay while the others manoeuvred. After a small amount of time it was surrounded and succumbed quickly. It was my first opportunity to see my companions in battle and I give thanks to the Lightbringer for their skill. They have clearly seen many fights and worked together quite effectively while I fumbled for ways to help. I can only hope that as I come to understand them better that Lothian will show me the best ways to help them help me in my mission.

Moving on we came to the Giant&rsuqo;s Staircase and aptly named it is—each of the steps is some 40’ high and we had to use ropes to navigate them. Deathspank seems quite agile and was able to bring up the rear and recover our ropes.


When we engaged the troll I had invoked Lothian’s blessing to flood the area with light so all could see what they were doing. It came in useful as we reached the base of the staircase because we had entered a cavern on a scale with the steps. Even my blessed light only served to demonstrate the vastness of the cavern.

Off to one side is a ruined tower and there is also a river running through the cavern with a bridge crossing it. We went to explore the tower and discovered a huge being of flame trapped within. The others rushed to attack it, which was somewhat over-zealous for my liking—it posed no threat to us, being trapped in a room of the tower from which there were no exits large enough for it to pass through, and through which we didn’t need to pass. Still, I trust in the instincts of my companions but by the time I can find a way over the rubble to get into the tower many of my companions are already injured by the thing which seems to be able to strike with impunity while we can barely affect it.

I call upon the Lightbringer to restore all my companions but the results are less than impressive—I must lead our group in prayer to Lothian that he looks more favourably upon us in future.

Janne was rendered unconscious but Igbot managed somehow to get him clear of the battle and I was able to get back to him and restore him. Strangely, some of his wounds seem to have been caused by frost...

Before we could think about rejoining the battle we heard a cry of victory and moving back into the fire creature’s room we saw that it had been vanquished. I called upon Lothian many times to restore Janne while Igbot searched the room, but there was nothing there of interest—we could only speculate how the thing came to be in that room or what its purpose might be.

In the floor outside the room there was a heavy trapdoor. Deathspank strained to pull it up but the combination of weight and the ravages of time made it a task beyond even his bulging muscles. A couple of the others also tried but nobody could move it. Eventually we struck on the idea of running some rope through the ring in order to allow more than one person to try and the trapdoor reluctantly came free.

We entered the tunnel beneath and followed it a great distance before rounding a corner and coming face to face with some reptilian creatures. We tried to show that we were open to talking to them but they immediately prepared to fight and we responded in kind. Four of the six went down immediately—Deathspank was like a whirling blade of death! The two remaining creatures joined hands and a bolt of lightning shot forth from them. The damage was not considerable, but I wonder how much more sever it might have been were there more of them still standing...

The others were vanquished quickly and Damien was able to identify them as a race called Kuatoa, or something like that. They are an evil race and so I am pleased that we have cleansed the world of this small group. There was some discussion as to whether we should attempt to recall the spirit of one of them to extract information about the drow but we decided against it.

We took a side passage and follow it for over an hour before we finished at a river and had to backtrack. Even my blessed light faded, so long had we spent following this passage. We checked the main passage as well but it to seemed to go far further than we had anticipated without any sign of leading anywhere so we decided to return to the corpses of the Kuatoa to seek some guidance. I sat in prayer to request the power to recall the spirit of the dead, and also to speak their language.

The Lightbringer smiled upon us and forced the spirit of one of these evil creatures to return and answer our questions. We were able to find which passage led to the drow fortress, though it was many days away and we certainly weren’t provisioned for such a trip. I could pray to Lothian to provide us sustenance, but perhaps that’s not the best use of Lothian’s blessings.

Janne shared his rations amongst the group and we rested before starting back to Ptolus. As we passed through the massive cavern we decided to spend some time to see what else might be here.

I was surprised when we crossed the bridge over the underground stream and found two dwarves standing guard. They were initially unfriendly but we managed to talk them around and they eventually offered us shelter and information regarding the drow. It was interesting to find that it was they that had summoned the fire creature to guard the tower. They were not impressed that we had destroyed it but appreciated our honesty in admitting it. Janne offered to compensate them for the cost of arcane materials required to summon a replacement and we suggested that they actually put it somewhere effective this time.

They were aware of the elven woman that had escaped from the drow, and raised questions regarding the reliability of the information she had provided given that she is the only slave to have ever escaped. Not that anyone doubts that she believes the information she is providing is true and useful, but the drow may have somehow fed her deceptive information and let her escape.

While we have to wonder at the truth of that information, it is all we have and I can only trust that if we exercise some caution the Lightbringer will safeguard our mission.

The dwarves have also helped us to re-equip, saving us a trip back to Ptolus and now we prepare to voyage to the drow fortress, which the dwarves tell us will be a journey of some six days each way.

May Lothian guide our steps.