7th Day of the Claw of Winter (February): DAY THREE
The Wererat Lair (22:00 pm):
Still not having found the Vampire Lair, Vicross is currently sleeping while Sir Ly is on guard duty, checking both the wooden door and the Secret Door for noises in the Boss Wererats room.
8th Day of the Claw of winter (February): DAY FOUR
Wererat Lair to Vampire Lair (02:00 am):
Sir Ly notices that Vicross had woken-up and he takes a brake to ‘Lays Hand’ on himself as he was hit many times in the battles with the Wererats.
Vicross: “First I will cast ‘Detect Magic’ on the item and once we know what is or is not magical, we can choose which to Identify.”
Sir Ly: “Agreed Wizard, this is your area of expertise.”
Vicross sleeps fitfully, twitching and fretting as if terrors perused him into the dark, hidden recesses of his scarred psyche. When he awakes some four hours later he has regained enough of his magical essence to begin ‘Identifying’ their haul.
Neither the beautiful Necklace of Rubies nor Gold found in the Priest Crypt above, the large Gold Medallion, 48 Quartz Eyes, nor the Gold and Silver symbol of Ilmater register any magical vibrations.
However, Sir Ly’s new Magic Shield found under the Old Kings Hill, the Mace found in the Priest Crypt above, Two-Handed Sword belonging to the Death Knight, broken Longsword wielded by the Wererat Boss, Elven Longbow found in the Electric Lizard cavern under the Old Kings Hill, Ebony bowl found in the secret Storage Chamber as well as the War Horse Pendant which called to the Paladin, all do.
It is revealed via Vicross’ ‘Identify’ spell that the Ebony Bowl is a:
Cup of Healing:
This item appears as a plane ebony wood cup.
Twice per day, the command word (Ilmater Heal) can be spoken, and any water inside the cup will be blessed with healing energy. If the entire cup of water is taken in a single drink, the imbiber will be healed 2d8+2 hp. If it is shared between two people, each are healed 1d8 hp. If it is split more than two ways, each who take a sip (up to 16 individuals) will be healed 1 hp each.
A second command word (Ilmater Bless) will purify any water placed into the cup, making it drinkable. Any non-magical diseases or poisons in the water will be removed.
Holy and Unholy Water are unaffected, as are Acids and Magical Poisons and Diseases. This power can be used unlimited times. When the command word is spoken by a Cleric of the Gods faith (Ilmater), the Cups healing values are doubled.
The broken Longsword also has ‘Identify’ cast upon it and the following is revealed:
Half-Blade:
This enchanted Short Sword appears as the base of a shattered Sword. The remaining blade is about 20’ inches long, and the hilt long enough to be held with two hands. Even though it is oversized, the blade feels light when held, and can be used effectively by anyone who can use a Short Sword.
The blade has a +2 enchantment, and if held in both hands grants the user a strength of 18/51 for 1d4+1 rounds (can be used 1/day, and the blade must be held in both hands or the effect dissipates).
The Longbow radiated 2 different Spheres of Magic abilities one is guessed as a +1 or +2 bonus to the Longbow the other Vicross fails to establish as he failed his ‘Identify’ skill on this item…for now.
But there is no more time to tarry and the pair decides to hide the Wererat bodies in the room of curious tools, the Embalming Chamber, that Vicross determines is were bodies were prepared for mummification. Sir Ly spots something glinting beneath a heavy tub and with some difficulty they recover a pair of Diamond Studded Earrings.
Vicross: “But how did they get to be here?”
Muses Vicross.
Sir Ly: “Maybe during the cleansing of the body the items were lost, a long time ago now.”
The various doors on this level are now either shut or left open, as they were found, in the hope that that the remaining vermin are caught off guard. They return to the Rat Bosses chamber and wait for the remainder to show themselves.
After many hour of Vicross sleeping and Sir Ly maintaining watch, various scuffling’s and toing and froing’s can be heard by the Paladin and then the unmistakable sound of the pit trap being reset. Still Sir Ly waits. Then finally, after many tense minutes, the Paladin swings open the door only to find a Wererat with a Short Sword behind the door, with another 5 more Wererats with Short Bows backing him up some 30’ feet down the corridor. After an initial moment of surprise, ferocious combat ensues. Arrows fly thick and fast, some aimed at Vicross the Wizard, who was still dazed from the effects of the ‘Identify’ Spell that he had cast and who is cowering behind the Wererat Bosses throne and mumbling:
Vicross: “Why, Oh why, Oh why?”
But none of the feral Wererat hit the hidden Wizard as by some unfathomable force, they instead veer straight for the Paladin Sir Ly, ignoring most of the known laws of physics.
As Sir Ly hacks and slashes at the Wererat, Vicross sends forth a rain of ‘Magic Missiles’ at the Wererat Archers. Finally the last Wererat attempts to flee seeing that he is the last, only to find itself the victim of the reset pit trap, Oooops.
Sir Ly’s generous assortments of wounds are healed using the Ebony ‘Cup of Healing’ and this day’s gift from Saint Cuthbert of his Laying on Hands.
Returning to the Hexagonal room called the Central Chamber; they notice that the door leading to the ascending stairway out of this burial complex was now open as was the one to the Wererat’s lair. The furniture that blocked the stairway down remained the same with just a small 2’ foot gap, enough room for a small creature or person to move freely in and out.
After very much procrastination and reluctance from the risk adverse Mage, Vicross Silverkin finally agrees to accompany the reckless Paladin, Sir Hector Ly, through the furniture blocked stairway, to see what lies beyond. Obviously apart from more dead, undead and Tombs which they had be warned of by the friendly Wererat.
The Vampire Lair (2:30 am):
Sir Ly is tasked again with leading the line and venturing down before the Wizard. It is dark and arduous with much more detritus below than could be seen from above, the Wererats must have thrown more of the non-valuable items which they found, they truly feared what lay below, the Vampire Lair.
Eventually the Paladin emerged half way down the stairway and follow up by the Wizard and his ‘Unseen Servant’ as they proceed into a rectangular room with two corridors leading off north to left and right and alone the top of the Lower Foyer, while dead ahead are a pair of large closed Bronze Doors.
Vicross wastes no time casting a ‘Knock’ Spell on the Bronze Doors within the Vampire Lair and hearing the satisfying sound of a lock clicking and the sound of a bar being dislodged. One of the heavy Bronze Doors is pushed open by the Paladin and an unlit corridor ends at another large chamber called the Guard Chamber.
Fearing a rear attack, Vicross replaces the bar that secured it and the ‘Unseen Servant’ remains by his side. Sir Ly pushes on into the Guard Chamber where it reveals a large rectangular room supported by many pillars. Immediately, now that Sir Ly’s ‘Flametongue’ was held out in front of him, the Paladin can spot the flickering shadows of many armed Skeletons suddenly becoming animated and moving towards the life-force of the Brightly Glowing hapless Paladin Hero trapped in the Vampire Lair.
Vicross urges the Paladin to hold the entrance way of the Vampire Lair.
Vicross: “Just trust me for once you lummox!”
As the skeletons shake, rattle and roll their way towards the Paladin, Vicross unleashes a triple charge from his ‘Wand of Illumination’. The resultant Sunburst flash is devastating and drops all 20 of the armed Skeletons.
Did I say all!?
From the darkness there emerges a Skeleton Warrior, sporting Armour and a Dark Scimitar. The grim scene is lit by the ‘Continual Light’ spell cast upon a sling bullet and held by Vicross’ ‘Unseen Servant’.
Sir Ly is hit by a ferocious blow while Vicross casts ‘Magic Missile’ attack which misses the Skeletal Warrior!
Vicross: “But how is this possible?”
Aha, the foul creature sports a Silver Circlet of some kind; no doubt of Magical Resistance thinks the mage.
And then ‘Continual Darkness’ must have been cast as all is Darkness….utter darkness which befalls the room.
Vicross counters with another continual light spell which he casts into the air and Sir Ly takes his cue from and smites the Skeletal Warrior with a heavy blow, if it were not for the ‘Continual Light’ the Paladin would need to pray to Saint Cuthbert for aid as he did not have the Blind Fighting Skill that some of the other had. The Skeletal Warrior, with his Silver Circlet, reels back into the pillared chamber, as he still taunts the Paladin to come and fight him.
Sir Ly moves forward and again for a second time ‘Continual Darkness’ is cast and the Paladin is once again at a disadvantage. The Skeletal Warrior then strikes at the Paladin in the darkness and Vicross is forced to cast ‘Continual Light’ once more and he does so from his ‘Wand of Illumination’.
Vicross then attempts to harm the Skeletal Warrior with his Spell of “Ice Wall’ which he aim to drop on the Undead Monster, hoping to crush the creature, but again to no effect as the shards of ice appear to pass over it.
Next as the Skeletal Warrior emerges from the shattered ice, picks up one of the dropped spears of the destroyed Skeletons and hurls it at the Noble Knight. It misses Sir Ly and he seizes the moment to move into great his foe within the Vampire Lair. The moment he does a reciprocal ‘Ice Wall’ form across the doorway, separating Wizard and Paladin from one another, the trap is sprung, nut by WHOM?
Vicross’ heart sinks as he realises he is alone once more!