You head to the right to work your way around. It takes some time, and you lose several valuable minutes, but then you get back on track and find the wall with the line of skulls.  You follow it back and soon find yourself in familiar territory.

You reach Tenvillah's living area ready for a potential fight, but it is deserted. However, Geebo runs to a box in the corner by the desk.

"It empty," he says, and you can see some scattered vellum writings nearby where it appears someone quickly went through papers in the box looking for the "vash'ke" writing. "He took it," Geebo says, and you notice the dead torch on the floor.

Then you spot a distant torch down the corridor from which you just came. It is moving away from you, and the glow is diminishing.

OOC: I was trying to figure out how to do a chase scene on RPoL where a two to ten minute chase does not turn into a month of real time waiting for everyone. So I am assuming everyone is going together (at the slowest person's speed) unless stated otherwise. I am also rolling for wisdom and saving throws as needed to guide things. I'll move things at about one major move per day as you give chase. But if you have any specific deviations or ideas, I'm all ears.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:38, Sun 14 June 2020.

"We cannot let them escape. Our very lives depend on it!" Kahan urges the others as he hurried his pace, wishing he could at least see their adversary to be able to do something to them to slow them down.

"Let's go!" Tahldar replies.  "If I falter don't wait for me.  I'll catch up as I can!" he adds.

OOC:  Tahldar's CON is actually decent so he should be able to run for a while.  But I propose we break into two groups if anyone can't keep up.

You give chase...

At first, you head back a bit, not sure which way through the labyrinth Tenvillah (or whoever it is) went. Then you see a soft glow far to your left and begin to follow. It is moving quickly. He must know you are on his tail.

The light bobs and turns behind the cavern as you follow, always just a little too far ahead. Finally, it turns south and you feel you are starting to catch up. It is also here that the skulls of the catacombs stop and the walls are normal stone tunnels cut from the mountain. After weaving through the tunnel, the tunnel turns to your right (west), and you find yourself in a small cavern.

You face west. There is an exit tunnel to the north that dead ends in a stream flowing from the mountain. There is another exit on the far west side that also leads north out of view. And there is the tunnel behind you from whence you came.

But you stand here in the cavern looking out over a large whirlpool of water in the center. A short broken foot bridge with about a 10 foot gap spans over the water. It is only about two feet wide and would take some skill to jump, but would be doable with a little concentration and effort if not too encumbered. There does not seem to be any other way to easily cross the violent whirlpool, which is over 30 feet across.

On the far side of the bridge, Tenvillah has turned and is standing looking at you. In one hand, he holds a vellum writing. In the other hand, he holds a torch ready as if to light the scroll on fire. A white rabbit is in a tiny cage looped to his belt, and a pair of ornate daggers are slung across his belt.

"Don't come any closer!" he yells across the whirlpool at you.


"By now, you know Tenvillah is dead. But you need this formula. And I know where you can find the Earthgold and the exit. You see, I traveled here quite some time ago, taking the form of an adventurer. After wandering in and out of these caves many times over the last few years since my companions' death, I found Tenvillah in the caves. He tried to attack me, for he had the Black Curse upon him. I killed him in self defense only. I have waited in the guise of this old gnome for awhile now, knowing his people would return and could help me. In my life, I have absorbed the memories and powers of sixteen people--elves, men, dwarves, gnomes, and drow. Unlike them, I did not seek the goblet. I sought something else. And I think you have it. Give it to me, and I will give you the formula, the earthgold, and the exit. I do not wish harm to you. If so, I could have killed you in your sleep. I seek not to harm, but only to bargain."

You notice how much better his Common is now.

This message was last edited by the GM at 05:33, Mon 15 June 2020.

Shae scowls at what she sees and hears. Her hands grip tight on her ancestral spear. It is not the druid way to engage in a standoff. She says, "How can we trust what you say is true? How do we know you won't betray us the moment we give you what you want? What is it exactly that you want anyway?"

As she waits for an answer, Shae will softly start an incantation, casting detect magic in the imposter's general direction.

Kahan looks around the room, then back to "Tenvillah". "Yes, what exactly do we have that a god would want? Shadowlocke, I believe is your real name? Has any of this not just been a clever illusion?" the priest asks, now skeptical of everything they've encountered up until this point.

Tahldar waits for the man, or god, whatever he is, to respond.  It's unclear to him what he may want, but he figures it must be something from the mushroom area.  That would be the only place he would not have had access to.

Shap began having some doubts after hearing Kahan "If this is all an illusion, could I be an illusion myself?", but she didn't dwell on it. She wanted to add something. "Why don't we make it a fair trade?. I could go there and let you make me your hostage, but you tell me the formula. Then someone else goes with the item you want and we finish the exchange?"

The imposter Tenvillah laughs heartily and then says, "If I were being untruthful with you, I could certainly impersonate Shadowlock. That trickster demigod has not been seen for eons, not since he built the place for the goblet. But I am not here to present guile. Indeed, it is not I, nor even Shadowlock, you need to fear. It is my brother."

He continues in response to the questioning, "What I want is this. You took some things from my companions. I want some of them back. I want the ring with the gold band and opal setting. I want the two vials that appear empty but are marked 'Not Air' on them. And I want the bottle with the lead stopper. They do not belong to you. You lose nothing in giving them to me."

He looks briefly down at the white rabbit to make sure it is still alive. Then he pulls a sack from behind his belt and throws it across the whirlpool to you. It has been weighted down with gold coins.

"Put them in there," he says, "and throw them back to me. Then you shall have what you need. Change out the coins for rocks, if you wish, and keep the coins."

Shae's soft spell is complete. She relays softly that detect magic could not penetrate the area, which means there is a powerful antimagic aura radiating from the former Tenvillah.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:23, Tue 16 June 2020.

Shae begins digging out the things he is asking for to have them ready, but she says, "If you are not this Shadowlock, then who are you exactly? Or what are you? And who is your brother?"

"Why do you want these so badly? What are they? You'll have to be more forthcoming with information if you want anything from us," Kahan adds as he finds the bottles and ring he is interested in.

He says, "If it please you, I will tell you more, but I am trusting you. My name is Dalharen Olathre. My brothers and I are abominations created by Tarimar from drow stock. One of my brothers here is called Che'alau Haklara. The two of us were rescued by a drow named Etag, who raised us in magic and taught us to embrace our abilities. You might call us dopplegangers or some other slur, and the drow have rejected us for our abomination. True, we can change shape and absorb any others we kill. Haklara and I rejected Etag and fled. I only sought to better our lives, but Haklara seeks to reunite with Tarimar as one of his generals."

He points to the items now held by Shae and Kahan. "Those items are my liberty and freedom. But if Haklara gets hold of them, they will be his transcendence and your destruction."

He looks down at the rabbit. It seems to be languid. "The time is nigh. I must depart. Please. Send the items over and will leave this for you." He indicates the formula. "I am desperate, I admit. I will tell you this. He points behind him to the west and north. That way leads to the exit from this place. You need only be able to survive where the white hare cannot and you can leave. This is why I need one of the items. Now you see I have been acting in good faith."

Tahldar listens intently but can't contain himself.  "Good faith?!?" he says incredulously.  "You murdered Tenvillah!  And now you want us to believe that once you get the items you want you'll actually leave the formula behind?"

"How about you join us and help us finish this quest to get the healing we need.  Then we'll give you what we want and you can go on your way."

Whispering to his group he adds softly, "Tenvillah said he was killed from behind.  If indeed he had the curse, was not of his right mind and attacked Dalharen, it seems unlikely he would have been stabbed in the back.  He lies."

Rolling Wisdom checks at -2 for everyone with WIS 15 or above...Not all were successful.

Geebo checks the white rabbit held in his own arms. It still seems alive and well.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:04, Wed 17 June 2020.

Dalharen is getting frustrated now. "I have given you information. You need this formula, and I need what you have. I am done discussing it. If I must wait to pluck them off your dead bodies once my brother is done dispatching each of you, then so be it."
He looks down at the dying white hare with concern.

"I give you thirty seconds to decide. I am not your enemy, but I am desperate. And yes, okay, I did slay the old gnome. I thought he was my brother. I thought my brother had taken his form and would kill me. I was mistaken."

Shae collects all the things in the bag and says, "I think he's telling the truth. And besides, what choice do we have?"

"I agree with Shae. We need the formula anyway, what's the worst that could happen?" Kahan asks as he places all the items inside the coin purse. He will let the others decide if they remove the gold coins from within or not.

"Mark my words this will end badly, though I see no other course." Tahldar says in resignation.

Shae gets the things in the bag to turn over as you talk. Then several things happen at once.

A shockwave goes through you from behind, shocking you momentarily as it continues up to the rock ceiling, which then begins a collapse above Dalharen and his zone of antimagic. Boulders and rocks fall on him, crushing him.

The torch is dropped to one side and the formula to the other, only to then be buried in rock. But then, even worse, the rocks collapse the side of the ground under Dalharen. His body, his belongings, and even the vellum, wax coated formula, fall into the whirlpool.

The formula begins swirling just out of reach in the whirlpool. If you don't retrieve it soon, it will sink into the center vortex.

You find that in the midst of this, you can hear Shae yelling, "Hey!" as she is spinning. The bag has been ripped from her hands and Geebo holds it, running back north the way you came. Geebo holds the bag in one hand and the white hare in the other. He is going fast, not looking back.

Kahan pulls out his wand of paralyzation and fires it at Geebo. "Borimer, get the formula! We need to catch Haklara before he gets away!" he commands, chasing after "Geebo".

By the time you have recovered from the concussive blast, which was paralyzing in its force, and by the time Kahan pulls out his paralyzation wand, Geebo is already out of sight in the winding caves.

By this time, the formula has also already made one or two revolutions in the whirlpool. It is about 6 feet inside the whirlpool's circle and two feet down from the ledge (about 8 feet total). You will have to swim to it or reach it by some other means.

Leo gives chase to see if he has any chance of catching Geebo.

Shapfren was torn by the quickly happening events. "The formula!", she ran and jumped into the pool trying to get the formula back.

Tahldar begins to cast.

OOC: Tahldar will cast levitate on Dalharen.  Assuming he won't be able to get himself out by swimming.

Shae sees Shapfren jump in and Geebo sprint down the tunnel. "The man with the white hare, not hair," she says as comprehension dawns. "Geebo has the white hare. The rabbit. He is the one we are supposed to beware of. That and whatever creature that is." She indicates the fallen doppleganger thing.

Shae runs off after Geebo.