The party emerges intact and runs through the room with the cage traps.  A concussion-like quake rocks the room, sending the cages flying through the air, off their tracks, and crashing to the floor.  A deep crack in the wall behind you opens up, and fresh lava begins pouring through.

The party runs down the hall to the fork and continues to the Temple Hall.  The mountain is shaking more and more, light tremors and heavy ones.

[Here is a reminder of the Temple Hall:]
TEMPLE HALL
Carvings and writings on walls behind statues.  Same statue as in treasury room on rotating dais.  Same riddle above the statue.  Dead carrion crawler and mutant orc in center of floor.  Loose tiles in middle of north wall lead down to where the Oracle was located.

Footprints in dust leading east to the fork, then the orcs went to the right and Gillimar to the left.

Floradine says, "I don't think we ever solved this riddle!  Did anyone ever solve it?"  He looks expectantly at Joseph, who was separated from the group with Illborn at the time.

REMINDER ABOUT THE RIDDLE:

The Allevian Tongue†
Three Words Of Power‡
Two Of Them Arigalm And Bartigalm ¤

All Who Pass Must Name The Third Word In
€The Allevian Tongue€


The old tongue†

Allevian†

Has but three initial†

Eight composite‡

Twenty-four¤

ALLEGARTALLEGALA
AREGALLAARIGALMA
ZURALMAAZUGALMAA
ZURALLABALLEGART
BALLEGALABAREGAL
LABARTIGALMBARTI
ZURBARALMABARZUG
ALMABAZURALLAMAL
LEGARTMALLEGALAM
AREGALLAMARIGALM
MARTIZURMARALM
AMARZUGALMAMAZU
RALLA


AND KALLAD'S COMMENT:
"I remember a little about the language," Kallad says. He writes out the symbols for Shae. "† is a semicolon; ‡ is a colon; ¤ is a period, and € is a quotation mark."

The three words of power are Arigalm, Bartigalm and Marigalm. Are they not?" Shae says looking expectantly at her companions, "The same words used by Shanjalae to release the sceptre from its holdings."

Rathyl glances back at the lava, his eyes wide and his nostrils flaring.  Looking to Shae, Rathyl grunts.

"That didn't work for us last time," Floradine says.  "Remember falling into the pit with the spider for answering incorrectly?  I think there's some other trick to this."

The druidess involutarily shivers at the mention of the spider.  "Please don't remind me Sir Knight." she says with a half smile before becoming more serious, "We don't have time to sit and work this out, lava pours into this room as we speak." she casts a quick glance at the concern Rathyl, "If no-one knows the answer I say we resought to using the last of the staff's power."

Joseph remembers Illborn solving the puzzle.  "The third word in "the Allevian tongue," substituting quotation marks in, was the word 'tongue' itself."  That said, he places his hands in the statue's and says the word "tongue."

As Joseph steps forward, a gush of lava spouts from the hole in the ground with the ladder leading down to the room where the Oracle was.

Joseph says the word, and the dais begins to spin.  The party jumps on behind him, turning with the statue and rotating into the treasury room.

More tremors shake the chamber, almost making you lose your balance.

Treasury Room:




You remember the ruined treasury room, the product of the rust monsters.  The creatures all seem to have fled, and to leave you will need to scale the rubble to the cave system above that collapsed into the temple.  Still untouched except by time are a chest and crate on the south wall.

OLD DESCRIPTION OF ROOM:

This room once held treasure beyond comparison, enough for a king's ransom. You know this because the treasure is still here all around, stacked in piles between pillars. Swords and armor litter the floor, and coins of ancient make cover the floor almost as copiously as the rubble. Two huge statues stare down at you from the northern wall, also clad in fancy armor. The only problem with the treasure is that it now has no luster, no shine whatsoever. You can tell by looking at it that it is worthless, turned to rust and eaten away...by something.

To the north and south stand two large ornamental doors with archways. Directly in front of you against the far wall is a huge dais. A huge, ten foot tall statue in bas relief sits at a throne carved out of the far wall. Its two hands are thrust outward and lie palm open and turned up in supplication. The figure is that of some sort of deity looking kindly down at those who enter the room. Something is written on the wall above the bas relief.

On the north wall next to the door, a torch is set in a slot. To the south, two more torches lie in slots on each side of the door. The torches are lit by some magical light that does not burn or flicker like regular fire.

You notice many smashed wooded boxes and--yes, you recognize it--a sarcophagus or two. At first glance, it looks like the boxes/coffins have been plundered, but at a second look, you see that the corpses themselves have been, not plundered, but eaten, by the looks of it.  You see a wooden chest to your right and a larger wooden crate, each aged beyond time with wood rotting and cracked.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:10, Wed 24 Sept 2003.

Shae looks likes she is about to hug Joseph when he comes up with the answer, but as there is little time she jumps on the dias with the rest.

Surveying the treasury room, Shae suddenly says, "The rest of you keep going. Floradine and I will put the chest in our portable hole."

She looks to Floradine, a blush rising to her cheeks at her presumptuousness, "That is, if you are willing to help me Sir Knight.  If not, give me the portable hole and I will catch up."

"Yes, yes, the chest," Floradine says.  "How could we have forgotten to check it before?"  Then he adds, "And the crate too."  He helps Shae put the chest and crate into the portable hole and then follows the others up the rubble.

Rathyl grunts upon entering the room and stops as Shae begins to speak.  His fur starts to turn red as his hair and himself start shrinking.  Leathery wings sprout from his back and his stubbed tail elongates to nearly twice his length.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:03, Tue 23 Sept 2003.

A perfect smile breaks across Shae's face when Floradine accedes to her request. "Thank you," she says quietly as they go aboutloading the crate and chest into the hole.  She does pause long enough to watch Rathyl transform, her golden eyes undreadable but intent.

"Whilst you are in no way able to answer my question now Rathyl, I would be most interested in knowing from which Clan you have come. When we are safely out of here perhaps."

Rathyl changes into more of a winged, lizard-like creature while the party scales the rubble.  Lava blasts up through the trapdoor underneath the statue behind you, and you make double time scrambling up the rubble before the flowing lava can reach you.

At the top, the party runs down the corridor and into the grotto room with the watery pool on the left and the path on the right.  The electric lizard creatures in the water eye you curiously, but they are distracted by the rubble falling down around their heads.  The party safely moves around the path past the gelatinous cube corpses and into the hall beyond.

You move quickly down the corridor to the cavern with the giant chasm.  A skinny path still leads up around the chasm to your left, while other paths snake in and out of stalagmites.  The stalactites above you vibrate in an unstable manner at each shake of the awakening volcano.  You must pick a path across to the other side out of the four paths making their way across.  There is still a clear patch on your right from which sprout the two northernmost paths.  The body of the native still lies in the center of the room.


This message was last edited by the GM at 22:17, Wed 24 Sept 2003.

Rathyl leaps over the rubble, using his wings to assist each jump, and then glides along after the party.  At the grotto room, Rathyl peers back in the direction of the lava and trilling sharply.  Staring about the room for a moment, Rathyl chirps and bounds into the air, flapping a few times to gain speed and altitude.  He flies a few feet from the wall along the left path.

Floradine says, "We took the center path before, but I'm not so certain that is the best route with the instability of the mountain.  We could go to the right."  He watches Rathyl move to the left.  "I wish we all had wings at this point," he mutters.  "We could go left and at least avoid the stalactites.  What do you guys think?"

"Let's do left!" Shae answers Ellid watching the cavern ceiling with apprehension, "And let's make it a quick dash."

Scooping Shanjalae up into her arms, the druid starts down the left path, running as quickly as her legs can carry her.

The party follows to the left, and Rathyl flies over the chasm area.  You watch as the clearing area seems to tremble and move when a melting icicle falls on it.  Then it curls up.  You are thankful you didn't walk over the waiting trapper.  Stalactites and icicles fall from the heat and the rocking of the cavern as the party inches along as quickly as they can to the left.  Because it is the only place without anything overhead, it is the safest route, and you quickly advance forward.

The party moves down the halls to where the bodies of mutant orcs still litter the floor in the bowl-like area.  You move quickly up to the shelf and then down the hall to the right.  The hall to the left has blown with fire and is in flames.  You remember the leaking gas that made you weak and move forward.

You get to the winding areas of the grotto where you had to wind through the giant stalagmites, and you follow the familiar path back to your waiting ropes.  At points, you see lava pouring into the crevices and spouting up through what you thought before were harmless potholes.

You climb up to where Alodar had lain in wait and then squeeze through the narrow opening as explosions rock the caverns behind you, filling the air with steam and smoke and heat.

You run through the further caverns and make your way finally up to the giant underground lake.  This is where you must pause.  The two boats remain on this side of the lake, but this time, the lake monster will not be a concern.  For the circular lake is now spiraling down in a giant whirlpool.  To your left, water is falling in a waterfall.  The swirling of the giant whirlpool makes your heart jump, but you estimate that you might be able to steer the boats along the far edge of the wall, riding the wake to the other side...if all goes well.

You remember that three people can fit in each boat.  You figure that the quakes have opened a fissure underneath the water, thus forcing a whirlpool.  You can only hope that this water is not as acidic from the poisonous lava as the last water that Floradine touched.

Breathing heavily from her run through the caverns the druidess shakes her head at the scene before her.  With the roar of the waterfall and lake transformed into a whirlpool her brow is furrowed in concern.

"It just gets better and better doesn't it?" she says with a grim smile, "I don't think we have any other choice but to attempt the boat crossing. Strong arms are going to be needed on paddles, so I suggest we break the group up accordingly."

Her golden gaze shifts to her companions, "Shanjalae would best go with Father and Garanon. I however,..." she holds up her stump as indication that she won't be doing any paddling, "will rely on Ellid and Joseph."

She pauses a moment longer in thought.

"We go across one boat at a time, with a rope tied to those crossing, with the other end held by those on land.  That was if anything untoward happens we might have hope of drawing them back." she looks tenatively at each of her companions in turn, "Does this sound like an appropriate plan?"

Floradine takes a look at the teleportatoin staff and then at the swirling lake.  "How far do you think it is across?" he wonders aloud.  "Could we use the staff to help ourselves?  If not, I agree with Shae."  Then he looks around.  "But we have our new...uh...visitors, Fire and Rathyl.  Fire should go first before me.  Rathyl, it looks like with wings you can fly across.  Can you carry someone maybe?"  He looks at the odd lizard-like creature for an answer.

[Please note:  Experience points have been updated.  Check to see if your statistics have changed and let me know of any changes you want to make.]

[The lake is 90 feet (30 meters) across.]

Shae eyes the water critically after Sir Floradine's suggestion.  Her face is a mask of disappointment when she turns back to face him, "I think the water is too wide for the staff.  Damn! It would have made things a lot safer."

"With the addition of Fire," her golden gaze flickers to him, "We will need to make two trips."

"I guess Floradine and I will be making two trips.  Let us hurry before this gets any worse." Joseph comments as he prepares the ropes they need for the crossing.

Rathyl trills lightly as he walks over to examine Shanjalae.  He circles behind her and raises on his hind legs, hooking his front appendages in Shanjalae's armpits.  Giving his wings a few flaps, Rathyl attempts to lift the girl into the air and stay in place a few feet above the ground.

As the party searches, it realizes that it used the last of its rope other than a fifty foot length.

Rathyl tests his flight and finds that it is difficult, but he can probably manage to carry Shanjalae across the swirling vortex.  However, the adults would probably be too heavy.

So first group gets in the boat:  Garanon, Kallad, and Fire.  You tie the fifty foot length of rope to the boat to at least help as much as you can.  They push off, rowing to the left of the clockwise rotating whirpool.  This will put them dangerously close to the waterfall, but there is little choice.

The small boat is quickly caught in the current of the eddy.  The three riders try to row along the outside...but the current is extremely powerful...they cannot get to the outside of the rotation fast enough and the boat goes directly into the waterfall...

The boat is pounded by water but is still moving with the current.  The three passengers are still all safely aboard.  Pulling back on the rope will only pull the boat into the inside of the current and closer to the inside of the vortex.  The three are still rowing, but the boat is almost filled with water, making it heavier and pulling deeper into the current...

As the current pulls the boat around, it comes within about ten feet of the far side.  The boat is moving quickly, and there are only a few seconds to think.  Kallad grabs Fire and hurls him toward shore.  Fire lands, sopping wet, on the far shore.  Then Kallad looks at Garanon and nods.  With Kallad's help, Garanon also jumps toward shore.  He lands just short but grabs on and pulls himself up to the far side.  The boat is being carried around to the far side of the current and will soon be moving away from shore and toward the center of the giant whirlpool.  Kallad jumps...but with the unstable boat, he does not land far enough.

Garanon reaches out for him...but the two cannot reach.  Kallad slips just out of his grasp and moves in a circle back toward the far shore...but closer--in fact, dangerously close--to the center of the whirlpool.  He is struggling just to keep his head above the heavy current and swim toward shore, but he will not have the strength to do it himself.

[As Kallad comes around toward the near side of the whirlpool, he is about 20-25 feet away from the shore where the party stands.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:45, Mon 29 Sept 2003.

Throwing down anything weighing him down, Floradine jumps into the water but close enough so he can get back on shore, relying on his great strength to help him against the current.  He tries to grab Kallad as he floats by.

As Floradine throws himself into the water to save Kallad, Shae runs to the water's edge and throws herself after the Paladin. Grabbing his arm in a tight hold, she turns her attention back to Joseph holding out her stump for him to grab a hold of.

"A human chain, we need to make a human chain," she yells, obviously not willing to lose her father or one of her dear friends.

Rathyl hisses loudly and drops the girl where he'd been flying in place with her.  Flying out over the water, Rathyl circles Kallad a few times before getting close enough to dangle his tail down for the man.

Floradine jumps in, followed by Shae.  Joseph grabs Shae's stump, holding them together as the current pulls them off slanted to the left.

Rathyl sets down Shanjalae and flies out toward Kallad.

Meanwhile, Kallad is stuck in the current.  He reaches out for Floradine's hand...and misses.  He is pulled further around.

Rathyl reaches Kallad, and Kallad grabs for the tail.  He manages to grasp it, and Rathyl tries to pull him with the current as much as possible toward the shore...but the current is too strong with the weight of Kallad, and Rathyl is instead dragged under himself, wings flapping and struggling against the water.

Both are pulled down out of sight under the water and toward the waterfall.  Rathyl resurfaces a moment later on the far side of the waterfall, bobbing for air.  He is being dragged in the current as Kallad was.

Kallad resurfaces after that, further around the vortex of water and closer to its center.

Rathyl screeches loudly as he turns to swim with the current for a moment before launching out of the water and flying back to shore.

Rathyl launches himself from the water, flowing with the current.  He lands safely on the far side next to Fire and Garanon, shaking the water from his form.

Meanwhile, Shae and Floradine are having difficulties hanging on, and Kallad will not come within reach of them on the next pass.

Behind you, from the caverns you just exited, you hear a loud rumble, which picks up to a roar.  The walls seem to shake from the sheer volume of the sound, like the amplification of rolling thunder a thousand times over.

It is the sound of the volcano erupting from deep within the earth.

With Joseph's aid, Shae begins to pull herself and Floradine back to the edge of the cave.  Torrents of water splash and foam around her as she looks out to her father, helpless against the might of the whirlpool and with no hope, short a miracle, of anyone of them saving him.

"Kallad," she cries in hopeless frustration, "Father!"

Rathyl jerks his head toward the cavern entrance as the rumble erupts from within.  Leaping into the air, he flies to the other side and snatches up the girl and flies her to the other side.

As the party watches helplessly, Kallad slides down into the whirlpool, his arms extended, reaching for help.  Then he is engulfed and sucked down into the depths of the volcano.

The continued rumbling grows to a deafening level.

Rathyl rushes across the water, picks up Shanjalae, and cautiously carries her over to the far side.

Floradine watches in disbelief as Kallad is pulled into the center of the whirlpool.  He sets a comforting hand on Shae's shoulder while looking back anxiously at the tunnel behind.  "Too many have died on this journey," he says.  "His sacrifices will not be forgotten."

Then Floradine urges Shae and Joseph into the boat and across the swirling whirlpool.

The druid barely seems to notice the touch of her friend's hand upon her shoulder as she stared at the swirling torrent of the whirlpool.  Tears stream down her face unchecked as her body is wracked with heavy sobs of grief.

"His sacrifice should not have been!" she replied with grief driven anger to the Paladin's words, "None of our companions should have made that sacrifice!"

At Floradine's urging she moves towards the boat, her gaze no longer on the whirlpool but on the small form of Shanjalae on the other side of the lake.

"She's all I have now....." she murmurs before her voice trails away and she dissolves again into tears.

Shae, Joseph and Floradine hop on the canoe and slide into the current.  Floradine and Joseph, both exceptionally strong, find it not too difficult to row outside away from the waterfall and then pull the canoe up onto shore on the opposite side.

The party now stands, everyone but Shanjalae and Joseph dripping wet, in front of the long tunnel that will eventually lead up to the center of the crater.  All that is left of the party is Shae, Joseph, Floradine, Rathyl, Fire, Garanon and Shanjalae.  You have little time to mourn the deaths of Kallad, Illborn, Nohm, Xelan, Rasal, Arnhargt, and Alodar--seven deaths in your party within the volcano and seven remaining.


This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 06:26, Wed 08 Oct 2003.

Unfortunately for Shanjalae, she doesn’t remain completely dry as her sister sweeps forward and scoops her up into her arms.

Holding the young elf close, tears still running down her face she whispers, “I’m sorry,” before raising her head and continuing up and along the tunnel.

Shaking his head, Floradine says, "I should have used an oar or my sword.  Maybe I could have saved him if I had just taken something long enough."  He follows behind Shae, his two handed sword ready.

"There is no point in that line of thought my friend. " the druid looks back over her shoulder to look back at Floradine with swollen red eyes, but at least she'd stopped crying. "You did your best, we all did.  It was Kallad's time to walk the Great Blue Path.  It is in that belief, as hard as it is, that I resolve his loss."

Rathyl gives a low trill and shrugs his wings.  He stares at Shae for a moment before walking along in the rear.

Fire catches up having gotten separated in the previous segment.

"I thought I was done for I did.  At least I've found the group"