Horror in Hilldale Caverns (28 Patchwall 586 OY, 10/4/99 RL) While Camen, Jos, Axel, and Fingle were resting, they saw a very badly damaged tradesman approach their asteroid from overhead. It made some uncontrolled maneuvers near the gravity envelope, then headed towards town. Soon thereafter they spotted a hadozee gliding down towards them. As it landed nearby, it changed into a human, who introduced himself as Shinshi Dorobo. After some discussion, they agreed to allow Shinshi to join them. They made him swear an oath to Pholtus not to betray them, then Camen played the aldo while Fingle and Shinshi danced to honor Pholtus. (No, they had no clue as to Pholtus's tenets.)

Towards day's end, as ominous thunder rolled down from the mountains, they re-entered the caves. Shinshi scouted ahead and spotted a skeleton standing in the corridor. When it became aware of the party's presence, it ran ahead to signal another skeleton in the "swimming-pool" room. That other skeleton disappeared down the tunnel to the lower caverns. The party found the stairs in the "pool" had been replaced by a pile of stone rubble. In the tunnel they found some barely visible runes traced on a wall. Axel copied them down, but could make no sense of them.

They went towards where they had encountered the ghouls before. The rocks in the rock fall trap were mostly gone. Through the crack that the rocks had covered they found a rotten chest full of rusty daggers. They determined that someone was waiting in the cavern where Jos had been attacked before.

They burst in and found 3 ghouls reinforced by 5 skeletons. The party attacked with ferocity and coordination. Jos cut one ghoul in half, and the other 2 were soon laid low. The skeletons took slightly longer, only because no one paid them much heed. During the battle Camen fought off a wave of magical fear from an unseen source. However, just as the battle was ending, magical darkness blanketed the party. Eventually everyone found their way out on the far side, except for Fingle who retreated with depleted psychic energies.

As the party advanced deeper into the caves, they were sniped at by the unseen sling wielder. Shinshi picked up a sling bullet, and found it was a rune-engraved sphere of lead. They squeezed their way into the cavern where the sniper had been. From a side tunnel stepped several skeletons, followed by a gaunt figure bearing a battle axe, dressed in grey-green robes. He exchanged some words with the party, threatening them in the name of "Maglubiyet." Then he attacked.

The axe wielder and the skeletons fought Camen and Jos only briefly before the remaining ghouls ran out of the dark cavern and attacked the party's flank Additional skeletons spilled from the tunnel the other skeletons had come from. The axe wielder attempted several spells on Camen, but one was avoided by dodging his black-energy-wreathed hand, and the other by being hit while casting. At this point, the party decided another fighting withdrawal was in order.

Axel led the retreat. As he approached the darkness sphere, he heard a loud popping sound, and was splattered with bits of foul flesh. As Axel brought down the darkness sphere with a spell of his own, he found Fingle: lying on his back paralyzed with a headless ghoul corpse lying atop him. Back at the battle, Jos was the last to face the undead force before he was yanked back by the party through the exit crack. They fled together, carrying Fingle with them.

While Shinshi covered their rear with his bow he spotted a human adventurer approaching. Axel heard them speaking and turned back to chase the stranger away with an acid arrow spell. Soon afterwards the sling sniper returned for a few shots.

Camen was in the lead when they reached the faint runes in the tunnel. As he passed them, he was struck blind by the magic glyph. They conferred briefly and Axel took the lead. A step further and he was paralyzed by another glyph. They gathered up their paralyzed team mates and pressed on as fast as possible. They reached the surface without further incident just as the sun was setting.

They rested in Hilldale for the night. The paralyses wore off, but Camen remained blind and sunk into depression. The next morning they set off for town. It was only a half day's travel, but they returned to topside, where it was night time, so they arrived in the Miraburg town at midnight. Camen settled into Keesha's Roadhouse to drown his sorrows, but Axel went to rouse Angus Brightlash, the priest of Pholtus. Angus was dismayed that one who need his aid was in a den of iniquity like Keesha's, and managed to get Camen back to the shrine. There Angus cured his blindness, and Camen first sight was of the brilliantly lit holy disk of Pholtus. He was deeply moved by the experience, and spent the rest of the night being taught and ministered by Angus. Fingle returned to the Dardak to meditate, and the others took rooms at the Firevine Guesthouse.
 
Last modified: Wed Jul 21 17:03:54 MDT