Chapter Fourty Four – The Journey Back To Daggerford
Our Heroes are departing Barovia and heading for the illusion of safty, Daggerford.
Mirafir casts ‘Identify’ on the remaining items but fails dismally to discover the greatest power of the ‘Magic Lute’. More luck with the Gauntlets, which are revealed to be ‘Gauntlets of Climbing and Swimming’. Frimly tries on Thora’s ‘Gauntlets of Dexterity’ and discovers that the gloves add Dexterity incrementally according to the character’s existing ability also adding ‘Pick Locks’ and ‘Pickpockets’ skills.
The Heroes leave Barovia in Strahd’s carriage drawn by 2 of their own horses, passing through the Mists of Ravenloft. The countryside is beautiful. We come out into a large forested area – the mysterious realm is left behind – back in the Forgotten Realms!
But where can we be? Attempts are made to find out where we are, Galan send his forth his companion, Raven the Crow, to gage their location from the air. As the Ranger only has a basic range of commands, Galan calls out something in Elvish and Raven fly’s off.
Galan: “Sea.”
In the middle of a huge forest in the North-East of the Forgotten Realms with the sea far off to the West! Mirafir then flies up high into the sky to identify their location and find a path out of the forest. The party decides to leave the coach, splitting the load between them, and continuing by horse.
The party needs several days to finally get out of the forest. The journey is without incident. Unusually! Galan discovers that the season is winter – ‘The Drawing Down’ (December). The party left the Forgotten Realms in ‘Deep Winter’ (January). So how much time has passed? 10 months? 10 years? It is very quiet except for a few woodland creatures.
The party sets course towards the town of Secomber. Houses and Steadings are deserted and boarded up. In Secomber, security is heavy. What has happened here? At the gates, the party is challenged. Sigune hails them and explains where they have been and where they are going. The party are reluctant to leave their weapons with the guards and so only Thora and Sigune enter, leaving their weapons with the party which waits outside Secomber.
A contingent of guards returns, bearing the heraldic markings of the light cavalry of Waterdeep! What are they doing here? A week’s ride by horse from Waterdeep! Sigune and Thora enter the city without their weapons, which they leave with their comrades. Within the walls of Secomber there is large crowd of Archers and Knights and even a Wizard and a Priest. Sigune and Thora are checked and informed that almost a year has passed.
Guard of Secomber: “You are stout and true of heart and may enter the city.”
Traskar Selarn, the Commander of Secomber tells of all manner of enemies from the North and the East as well as stirrings in Dragonspear Castle! They including the commander of the guards, know nothing of Kelthas the Dread.
The party are all fed and watered, handed some messages for Duke Pwyll Greatshout before continuing to Daggerford. Many homes and farmsteads are deserted, yet there appears not to be any damage caused to them.
At Daggerford, the Adventurers see lots of unfamiliar faces among the guards on the walls. All the gates are unusually closed. The walls have been repaired and reinforced by Derval Ironeater.
Sigune: “Open the gates and let us in, the wind is bitterly cold this day.”
Militia Guard: “State your names and business here in Daggerford.”
Thora: “Lets us in young bloods or Sherlen Spearslayer will have you running around the walls all day as punishment, we are also members of the Militia.”
The party all show their badges, yet the guards are still unconvinced by our band of Adventurers. A young militia guard runs off to fetch Sherlen Spearslayer.
Thora: “Great evil has befallen the coast.”
Sherlen Spearslayer: “Then I believe that Frimly has returned to make all our lives that bit more….exciting?”
Sherlen Spearslayer: “We thought you were dead! The Duke and Bronwyn must know of your coming!”
Daggerford is full of refugees. There is a siege mentality. The Adventurers are requested to meet Duke Pwyll Greatshout and Lady Bronwyn.
The party find that Frimly’s quarters are now occupied, the Paladin’s and Cleric are welcomed back to the Church and their empty priest cells, Thora finds a small space in a crammed forge and Mirafir offers the Thief in his home. Mirafir’s mother’s home has been kept empty and clean.
In the evening, at the gathering, an Emissary from Waterdeep is also present, Bronwyn, Duke Pwyll, Sir Llewelyn Longhand and Gwydion pen Dafwyd the Duke’s Wizard all being present too.
There has been trouble with lots of monsters, and other beasts, and it’s been getting a lot more organised. Probably by the Evil that waits for us all within Dragonspear castle.
The Illusion of Dividing Up The Loot:
Each PC has 1750 GP after training has been paid for.
Except for Mirafir who gets more because of the Luck Stone!
The ‘Ring of Armouring’ goes to Mirafir.
Sherlen Spearslayer gets the Silver Spear (repaired by Mirafir) as a gift from the Heroes.
‘Moon-shaped Holy Symbol’ can be used for turning undead the Holy Symbol is consumed in a blast of intense light that deals 2d10 radiant damage to all creatures within 5’ feet of it…
Mirafir and Frimly go to see the Gnome Korbus, at Korbus’s Jewellery and Fine Ornaments, in Daggerford. He makes a big show of the items he has in his 5 drawers without showing us anything. He appears to have more items than normal due to all the refugees wanting to escape to a larger City.
For the Jewellery, and anything else we offer, he is prepared to pay just half of its value.
Eventually he puts three Rings, a Cloak, and a Belt with 3 Potions, a Tattered Hat with a , a Beaker and a Necklace on the table. Mirafir asks Korbus for permission to cast ‘Identify’ on the items to verify their authenticity.
He agrees and produces the following item to our 2 Heroes:
1st ‘Ring of Protection +3’: Don’t Know – (Korbus says Protection) 3000gp
2nd ‘Ring of Fortitude’: (Raises CON abilities +4 when rolling for System Shock, Resurrection Survival & Save Vs Poison) 1000gp
3rd ‘Ring of Spell Storing’ Clerical: SPELLS: Cure light wounds, slow poison, remove paralysis 2500gp
4th ‘Cloak of Protection +2’: Don’t Know – (Korbus says Protection) 2000gp
5th ‘Hat of disguise’: (height 25% weight 50% Male Female Facial features: Highly mutable etc.) 1000gp
6th ‘Beaker of Many Potions’: it dispenses 1 each per day, 2 times per week of potions ‘Water Breathing’ ‘Vitality’ ‘Diminution’ 2000gp
7th 3X ‘Potions of Extra-Healing’: 4000gp
8th ‘Necklace of Memory Enhancement’: The wearer is immune to all memory loss & can recall with absolute clarity any sight or conversation they experienced or any book they read within the previous seven days 2000gp
In the end he offers to sells us everything for what we have in jewellery. Frimly is unsure but says that they will return.
They leave Korbus and all return to the Castle. Korin Ironaxe, King of Illefarn, Lord Sir Llewellyn Long-Hand, Kelson Darktreader, the Wizard Delfen “Yellowknife” Ondabarl and many others are present.
The Training Continues:
Duke Pwyll Greatshout Daggerford: “How troubled the times have been!”
The Duke says in a loud voice. Mirafir and Frimly spot a 5’ high and ‘3 wide object in the corner of the hall, covered by a large cloth – Mirafir’s ‘Mirror of Mental Prowess’!
Lady Bronwyn Daggerford: “yet this night we will fill with merriment and danger.”
Duke Pwyll Greatshout Daggerford: “Indeed, we wish to see how you use the new skills taught to both of you.”
Gwydion pen Dafwyd: “Entertain us and good luck and may your training help you both! Before you go, you may only take 5 items. Use your spells.”
The Duke sits next to a pregnant woman who is introduced as the Duchess Kyrie Daggerford.
Our 2 Heroes choose their equipment, Frimly secretly concealing an extra item on his person, and move towards the covered object, which does turn out to be Mirafir’s ‘Mirror of Mental Prowess’.
Mirafir: “I see a corridor!”
Korin Ironaxe: “Who is brave enough to go first?”
Frimly: “I suppose it shall be me.”
Duke Pwyll Greatshout Daggerford: “Your task is to bring me back that which I most desire!”
The King of Illefarn produces an hourglass:
Gwydion pen Dafwyd: “You are on the clock!
Frimly enters the corridor.
Mirafir, following:
Mirafir: “This is a construct – a realm of the mind, if you will. To us it is real enough, but it has been created using very powerful evocations!”
Frimly: “I’m more interested in what the Duke wants. What could that be? What’s ‘e after?”
THE GAME OF ILLUSION:
The two Adventurers step through the ‘Mirror of Mental Prowess’ and the scene violently changes, a green field covered in wild flowers, a vast cavern, a dark forest and finally a stone corridor, all an Illusion?
Mirafir: “These scenes did not flash like this the only other time we used the ‘Mirror of Mental Prowess’.”
Frimly looks behind and can only see a blank wall, it must be an Illusion he thinks to himself.
Frimly: “The way back is hidden though, like it was when we used the ‘Mirror of Mental Prowess’ within Illefarn.”
Our Heroes proceed down the corridor. It seems strangely familiar, an Illusion of something they have done before?
Frimly, in anticipation of the challenges ahead uses one of his chosen items, ‘Slippers of Spider climbing’, to climb up the walls and out along the ceiling. Mirafir follows suit and casts the spell ‘Fly’ to maximize his mobility and ‘Invisibility’ to hide himself.
Mirafir can no longer see Frimly but the end of the passageway widens into a large chamber. To the left, on the edge of Mirafir’s Infravision, some kind of statue can be seen. Where has he seen this before? An uncanny feeling of déjà vu overcomes him and unnerves him. Flying cautiously into the chamber, keeping close to the wall, Mirafir loses all orientation.
Mirafir: “Where is Frimly now?”
Is it every Man and Elf for himself?
And then he sees it: A crowd of figures suddenly swarms around a lone figure, dressed in purple robes and radiating the clinging aroma of patchouli oil, Mirafir recognizes himself ensnared in the very trap that Kelthas the Dread laid for him in a time that seems almost beyond the reach of his memory. Frozen, the Wizard can but look on as the events unfold before him that wove the twisted web of Kelthas the Dread’s manipulative game of Illusion, smoke, mirrors and betrayal.
Within his mind, Mirafir suddenly hears the voice of his benefactor and ally in the Duke’s court, Gwydion pen Dafwyd:
Gwydion pen Dafwyd: “I’m counting on you, Elf! Do not let fear or surprise control you! My wager is at stake in this game!”
Mirafir’s hesitation is instantly dissolved by these words and replaced by an impotent fury:
Mirafir: “Damn your wager! Must we always be the pieces in some game or another?
Who’s next, Kelthas, The Duke, Waterdeep, Dragonspear Castle or the Gods themselves? Only when we can decide our own fate will we be free! I cannot change the past, which is now played out in mockery before me! But I can choose to spite the fate that has been absurdly determined.”
The Wizard turns away from the scene of himself being dragged helplessly to an audience with Kelthas the Dread, as unwelcome memories of that dire meeting flood his mind.
As quickly as the Illusion scene appeared, the protagonists vanish. The training construct appears to be based on, or even in, Illefarn…
Mirafir turns away from the scene that has played out before him and instead searches to the end of his vision. There appear to be some columns rising into the murky heights of the cavernous chamber.
Meanwhile, back with our Thief, Frimly was quietly making his way around the large room (80’ x 40’) at the end of the corridor from which our Heroes emerged. Frimly neither sees nor hears anything for him to worry about. The only thing of note is the huge statue in the centre of the room and all the upturned tables.
Frimly: “There is something familiar about this room, but I don’t recall the statue.”
Frimly, little knowing of the Illusion,is now opposite the corridor which they exited from and can see that beyond the first room is another, much larger than the first. Frimly’s second chosen item, ‘Lenses of Infravision’, allows the Thief to spot a large group of Goblins standing between large vaulted columns which hold up the vast ceiling (90’ x 60’).
In the corner of the room Frimly can see a doorway covered by flames. The flames are illuminating a small section of the vast chamber.
Frimly turns ‘Invisible’.
Flying forward, Mirafir can see glowing light coming from the vast chamber in front. The Wizard casts ‘Detect Invisibility’. He spots Frimly who is climbing alone the ceiling. Below him and some 10’ feet from the corridor, he sees a ‘Magical Glyph Trap’ suddenly activating. Glowing red heat from beneath several of the large flagstones. He flies as quickly as he can to escape their reach but is caught and singed by the flames. Mirafir loses his ‘Invisibility’.
The Heroes move onto the next chamber, a 30’ x 30’ foot room connecting the first to a second much larger chamber. Frimly takes to the high ground and climb forward along the ceiling, while Mirafir ‘Fly’s’ down the middle of the room. The Thief makes it to the edge of the room first, just in time, as the Wizard set off another ‘Magical Glyph Trap’. This time 4 holes open, about 1’ foot wide, in the corners of the floor some 15’ feet in from the walls. Both Adventurers manage to see a large, deep black, orange sized globe shot out and up from the holes in the floors, NOT an Illusion this time.
Frimly: “Move Wizard.”
Frimly manages to move out and up into the adjacent vast chamber, the edge of the ceiling providing some much need protection and Frimly suffers no damage.
Mirafir managed to avoid the first three of the cursed globes but was not so lucky with the last. All four of the globes, having been propelled at great speed directly upwards, shattered on the rooms ceiling causing both a tremendous bang and a blinding white flash of light. Mirafir was subsequently defend.
Beyond the fires in the vast room, a large group of Goblins can be seen by Mirafir standing at the front of a series of larger columns. They appear to be guarding three chests which sit at the far end of the vast chamber.
• A very large, solid, functional chest
• A shining, mechanical chest
• A smaller intricate looking chest.
Could this be tied to the Duke’s riddle?
Mirafir: “That which I desire most…”
Mirafir casts ‘Sleep’ on the Goblins standing in the middle of the columns. Initially it seems to fulfil its purpose, but the Goblins are suddenly instantly awake again, Illusion. As they do Mirafir spots two hideous multi-legged creatures have also entered the chamber and appear to be sniffing or tasting the air with their antennas, searching for the Invisible Adventurers.
Frimly can see and knows what these creatures are, Carrion Crawlers, as he encountered one in a tunnel and was paralysed by its antennas. They appear to be following the scent of the Wizard.
The Mage attempts to draw the creature and the Goblins away from the chests to give Frimly an opportunity to search them and put his lock-picking skills to good use.
The plan works and Mirafir is able to cast ‘Web’ on the same group of Goblins, catching a large number of them in the sticky web. The Wizard then flies over his ‘Web’ and down towards the 3 chests.
Frimly takes his cue from the Wizards actions and climbs around the chamber towards the 3 chests. The Goblins do not notice the Thief make his way to the back of the chamber. Mirafir cast ‘Invisibility’ on himself again and ‘Mirror Image’. The 2 creatures, now known to be Carrion Crawlers, feel the air again and make their way around the side of the vast chamber, avoiding the ‘Web’.
A burning door can be seen by the Wizard, and Mirafir opts to try and go through it. Of course he suspects a trap, and a riddle is posed:
FEED ME AND I WILL GROW STRONGER, GIVE ME WATER AND I WILL DIMINISH.
The Wizard throws a bottle of Holy Water into the flames, but it has little effect. He hears no sound of flame, feels no heat or smells no smoke.
Mirafir: “Its Just an Illusion.”
Suspecting an ‘Illusion’, he decides to take his chances and fly through. This course of action results in more burning injuries. All of the Wizard’s ‘Mirror Images’ dissipate due to the damage from the real Magical Flames guarding the opening.
On the other side of the flaming portal, Mirafir deduces that real Magical Flames have been covered by an ‘Illusion’ of fire that does not emit any effects that can be picked up by our senses.
Mirafir realises that he must keep his wits about him and be as cunning as his task masters back in the castle. But how? Conjuring an image of the castle hall in his mind, Mirafir casts the spell ‘Clairaudience’. Suddenly, he is able to hear the Duke, the King of Illefarn and all the others present as if he is sitting at the table with them.
Duke Pwyll Greatshout Daggerford: “Most amusing, yet I feel my wager is safe, your Wizard, Gwydion, lacks the initiative of the Thief.”
Gwydion pen Dafwyd: “That may be your Grace, yet there is some cunning in the Elf that may still aid him. Indeed, perhaps there is a little too much cunning at work here!”
Gwydion pen Dafwyd: See your grace, one of Delfen “Yellowknife” Ondabarl students is pointing out a Magical Emanation, Mirafir is Scrying on us, very clever.”
Gwydion pen Dafwyd: Clever, but against our rules.”
The last Mirafir hears from the banqueting hall is the sound of his Clairaudience being extinguished as the Duke’s Wizard cast ‘Dispel Magic’.
Mirafir rounds the corner, behind the doorway of flames, and is confronted by a black door with no handle. On it is the following inscription:
THE FIRST IS WHAT YOU COVET – THE SECOND IS WHAT HE MOST DESIRES – THE THIRD IS WHAT YOU SEEK
Suspecting that the corridor, which ran parallel to the first room and turned off toward it, leads to a secret door, Mirafir decides to investigate further before opening the door and attempting to solve the riddle.
As he proceeds down the corridor, a four legged creature merges out of the wall at the end of the corridor, a Jaguar. It is on Mirafir in an instant, disrupting his attempt to cast ‘Wraithform’. The large cat attacks Mirafir while Mirafir is able to fire a couple of ‘Magic Missiles’ to finally defeat this foe, but he has taken some serious injuries between it and the fire damages.
Back in the vast chamber, Frimly had made his way to the end of the room in order to get a better look at the 3 chests. As the Thief walked along the ceiling, the Goblins below did not scene his presence. Frimly took his time in examining the 3 chests to see if they were locked, trapped or to see if they bore any other clues.
The very large, solid, functional chest is not locked and Frimly searches it for traps, he finds none. There is no inscription on the lid of the chest.
Frimly looks up to see the two Carrion Crawlers at the corner of the room and Mirafir flying near to the chests. Mirafir ‘Fly’s’ back and the Carrion Crawlers also move back. As Mirafir ‘Fly’s’ back he spots a torch slowly moving towards his ‘Web’ coming from the area of their initial entry.
Mirafir: “Unseen Servant, blast you Gwydion pen Dafwyd you sheep shagger!”
The shining, mechanical chest is locked but not trapped; Frimly spends quite some time picking the lock. There is an inscription on the lid of the chest that reads as follows:
NAMES GIVE POWER, MAGIC TO CONTROL.
BUT WHAT IS BROKEN, BY NAMING IT?
Due to the ‘Web’ Spell being cast and the ‘Unseen Servant’ then burning the ‘Web’ away, the Goblin group in the bottom corner had moved around to the chests. Frimly had not heard them approach and it was only the ‘Silence’ that he was momentarily effected by, that alerted him to their presence, so concentrated on picking the lock of the shining, mechanical chest. His ‘Invisibility’ had been crucial at this point.
Frimly: “What just happened? They must have ‘Silence’ cast on one of them.”
Frimly: “But those Spell by Mirafir’s Sleep and caught in the Web are all unaffected by the Spells.”
Finally, the smaller intricate looking chest is locked. There is an inscription on the lid of the chest that reads as follows:
I AM WHAT MEN LOVE MORE THAN LIFE,
FEAR MORE THAN DEATH OR MORTAL STRIFE,
WHAT DEAD MEN HAVE AND RICH REQUIRE.
I’M WHAT CONTENTED MEN DESIRE.
Frimly chooses to return to the very large, solid, functional chest to open it. Still sticking to the wall, Frimly reaches over and opens the chest which, to his horror, is not a real creature after all, but a live creature. The first thing our panicked Thief notices is that his gloves/hands initially stick to the surface of the creature, luckily Frimly had taken his ‘Ring of Free Action’ and this allowed him to avoid being stuck to the creature, cunning. The second took our Thief slightly by surprise, as an appendage from out of the lid, or top of the creature, which then swung and hit Frimly. This action cancelled the ‘Invisibility’ making Frimly visible to all.
Frimly: “What am I doing here, this is to obvious and none of the chest hold anything apart from my attention.”
Frimly: “I need to see what mess the Wizard has gotten himself into.”
Frimly avoids the side of the vast chamber suspecting that the Goblins in those areas may be real. Frimly can see that the 2 Carrion Crawlers were searching the area as if they had lost their prey and so he headed for the Flaming Doorway.
Frimly: “He must have gone this way, through the Non-Magical Burning Fire… I hope.”
Frimly: “Oh Well, in for a copper, in for a gold.”
Frimly gingerly avoids the 2 Carrion Crawlers by sticking to the ceiling and then walking through the Flaming Doorway, upside-down. Frimly also take damage from what he can now fell to be real Magical Flames.
Back again with Mirafir, the Wizard moves to check the rest of the corridor before he investigates the door with no visible means of opening it. Mirafir, still ‘Flying’, makes his way down to the end of the corridor which turns back in the direction of the first room he entered. Mirafir stops at the corner of the corridor and looks down to find a short corridor ending at a small, 3’ foot tall door. The door look to have a handle and a key hole, but obviously much too small for our Wizard. Mirafir checks the corridor for ‘Invisible’ creatures or objects but sees nothing. Mirafir then turns around and ‘Fly’s’ back to the door with no visible means of opening it.
Frimly: “There you are. You look like what the cat dragged in.”
Mirafir: “As do you, Thief.”
Mirafir tells of his adventures and the layout of what he has searched so far.
Frimly: “Looks like it’s this door we need to look at then?”
Mirafir:” Indeed, you are most perceptive now that I have cleared the way of foes.”
Mirafir and Frimly enter the room and find it filled with Books of Magic everywhere, on the bookshelves, the tables and the floor. Mirafir’s eyes light up as he casts ‘Read Magic’ to better help him discern the values of these tomes.
Frimly: “What do they say Wizard, I can’t make out a bloody word.”
Mirafir: “That is because they are written in Magic Scripts, only legible to those wiser than you.”
The two adventures take their time in searching the whole room for ‘that which I most desire’.
Frimly: “I can see the possible value in an old book but nothing that the Duke could want.”
Mirafir: “You cannot comprehend the power that is contained in these ancient tomes, one more powerful than the other; with just the right book the Duke could take Dragonspear castle.”
Frimly muses to himself:
Frimly: “Too easy, we’re missing something.”
After much searching the Wizard comes to the same conclusion.
Mirafir: “The words on the door Frimly, the first line must speak of me. Let us leave this room and try again.”
Mirafir and Frimly leave the room and attempt to close the door shut. The door will not seal closed and just stands open a few inches. Mirafir moves back into the corridor just in time to see another creature appear, as if out of the wall. A two legged monstrosity suddenly appears, like a Turkey but the size of a large pony, with a long neck and legs. It dashes directly for Mirafir who prepares his ‘Magic Missile’ Spell to direct at the onrushing bird. Frimly hears the commotion and moves back out to the edge of the corridor.
A fight insures as Mirafir’s ‘Magic Missile’ and Frimly’s ‘Ring of Ram’ makes short work of this poor flightless chicken.
The pair then noticed that the door had shut closed again and so they both returned to investigate further. Again, as they reached the door it clicked open allowing our two Heroes access to the room. Within they found chest upon chests of coins, gems, jewels and other treasures. Helms of gleaming gold, shirts of the finest elven chain, bright shields, arrows and bows. They could also see many cloaks, gloves and many other wondrous items.
Mirafir: “If this is what you most desire, I was wrong. I was expecting it to be full of women of ill repute.”
Frimly: “It is the last that we want. Let’s leave and re-enter.”
Again our Heroes leave the room and again the door refuses to shut. They choose to spend the time investigating the corridor. Frimly picks the wall closet to the room of illusions to search for secret doors while Mirafir waits by the corridor to the room of Illusions.
Yet again are fearless heroes are confronted by another creature bursting out of the wall at the end of the corridor. This time they are faced by a Bison, an Illusion which has its head down and pawing at the ground and about to charge. Mirafir is the first to react and ‘Fly’s’ up to the ceiling, Frimly takes to the walls and attempts to be a flat to it as he can. The Bison, Illusion, charges but misses our two Ariel Adventurers.
Mirafir: “I’ll ensnare him in a Web and we can still climb over him and back into the room. It appears we need to confront a situation before the room resets itself.”
Mirafir catches the Bison in his ‘Web’ as the beast was turning around to charge again.
Then for the last time our dynamic duo enter the room of illusions. Within the room this time are two chests, one shaped like a castle made of strong oak and the other made of fine silverwork of the finest cherry wood. Frimly checks both chests to see if they are looked and if they are trapped or an Illusion.
Frimly: “Both unlocked and not trapped either as far as I can tell. In my humble opinion that is.”
Mirafir: “Then open them both up.”
Mirafir instructs the Thief as he gently ‘Fly’s’ up, back and towards the doorway.
Inside the castle chest Frimly finds a wooded rattle made to look like a small mace and wrapped with a blue ribbon. Inside the silver inlayed chest Frimly finds a matching silver rattle wrapped with a pink ribbon.
Frimly smiles to himself as he knows exactly what the Duke wants. He grabs one of the rattles and the other disappears, an Illusion.
Frimly: “That’s it, we’re done here. You just need to get us out of here, but which way? The flames or the tiny door Wizard?”
Mirafir: “I believe the door is our way out of here, come let us ‘Fly’ Thief.”
The Adventurers make their way to the small door at the end of the corridor and Frimly attempt to pick the lock on said door. He spends a long while, longer than he would have liked, but finally manages to unlock the door which turns out not to be another Illusion.
Door: “CLICK.”
Frimly: “All done the doors unlocked Wizard, now how do we get through it?”
Mirafir steps towards the door and tried to open it with no lock. The door is still locked.
Mirafir: “It’s not unlocked, I can’t open the door.”
Frimly: “Another test Wizard.”
Mirafir looks back on his training and goes back to basics; he cast ‘Detect Magic’. Mirafir then examines the door and can clearly see that the whole wall was radiating Magic.
Mirafir: “There appears to be an Illusion of a wall and small door, there is nothing there.”
Frimly: “No, I can still see the door.”
Mirafir: “Look again Frimly, concentrate and know that I speak the truth.”
Frimly and Mirafir both walk through the ‘Illusion’ and they appear back in the first room they entered, right by the dead-end corridor. Our two contestants slowly move down the corridor, expect a final sting in the tail, and stop before the wall.
Frimly: “Age before beauty Wizard.”
Mirafir steps though the ‘Mirror of Mental Prowess’ Portal, which is hidden from sight, and is closely followed by Frimly. Our two Heroes find themselves back in the Great Hall of Daggerford Keep.
Cheers can be heard and many drinking vessels are crashed together in celebration. After the two Adventurers are handed a drink and congratulated for their efforts, several other being emerge from Mirafir’s ‘Mirror of Mental Prowess’.
ILLUSION OVER:
Out from the ‘Mirror of Mental Prowess’ stepped Gorn and Kain 2 of the Dwarven Clerics of Illefarn and Dorus and Morri 2 of the Gnome Illusionists.
Gorn: “I have not had so much fun in many years and what an Illusion.”
Kain: “Ha, Ha, Ha… did you see the look on their faces when the saw the Carrion Crawlers, great Illusion.”
Gorn: “Oh look they follow us, all is lost….”
Following the Dwarves and Gnomes out of the ‘Mirror of Mental Prowess’ 2 Carrion Crawlers emerge. Dorus waves his hands over them and the ‘Illusion’ of the creatures disappears reviling 2 Golden Lions. Gorn waves his hands over them and they revert to 2 small figurines from thier Illusion.
Morri: “I thought that the Mimic had done for Frimly for sure when he touched it.”
Dorus: “Indeed and we now need to get rid of it ourselves.”
Much Illusion, mirth and merriment is had that evening and our two Heroes are join by the rest of the party.