Chapter 10 – Under the Sewers of Tilverton – Yaunti Lair

Greengrass – Myrtle 5, 1371 D.R.

            Well, you could say we were in really deep this time.  We had started on a mission to retrieve Artur Grossman from Tilverton.  From there we went to an escape through the sewers of Tilverton.  Then we ended up side tracked due to a collapse in a tunnel.  Next, there was a cave-in followed, almost immediately, by our hearty band falling through the weakened floor of the sewers.  This landed us a ways down in a cave belonging to three cloakers.  When we had left off, we had just defeated these cloakers and retrieved some half-plate armor for our dwarven paladin.  At that point we decided that resting was our best option.

            We appeared to be stuck in a cavern with only one other collapse worth attempting to dig through.  Some of us had scouted it the night before and now our full-scale excavation began.  As we continued digging we found that this was entering into a section of worked halls.  We had finally gotten a hole big enough to wiggle through.  We attempted to stage ourselves on the other side but our scouts had been detected.  The yaunti were coming.

            From the right, three yaunti warriors.  From the left, a yaunti abomination, a gal with dark hair, and a yaunti spell caster.  And we were well placed in the middle of it all.  The battle appeared to be well in our hands when, all of the sudden, both Xan and his wolf were both turned into snakes.  This was an incredible shock to our morale.  Cedar got off a Flaming Sphere on the warriors and had gotten Primula out of the way just in time to unleash a Lightning Bolt down the hall at the charging gal and abomination.  He dropped the gal but only injured the abomination.  Thinking quickly he hasted Oskar as he let loose with his ergosh on the abomination.  Shane and Primula kept the warriors at bay and finished them off with the Flaming Sphere.

            Oskar only felt one other source of evil in the place and it wasn’t moving yet.  We decided with Xan out of it we had better retreat and recover.  We crawled back into our cavern and kept watches all night long.  Xan and his wolf eventually were released from the magic and returned to themselves.  It was a terrifying thought that if they had hit Shane and Oskar instead the battle could have ended very poorly.

            After resting the night with no occurrences, we ventured out for the last evil in the place.  We took the long way around and found it to be a troll bound to the wall in cuffs.  It was attempting to chew its arm off to get free and had begun to chew faster after seeing us.  Most of the group immediately had at it with alchemist fire flasks and a Flaming Sphere burning it to charred bits.  It smelled horrid but was now destroyed.  We found some vials that Cedar said had contained troll blood but were now empty.

            Later, after we finished exploring the area, we found a gate area.  It was inactive but went somewhere other than here.  That was enough for us to investigate it more.  We found out that it required troll blood to activate explaining the captive troll and vials that were empty.  We had accumulated a sizable stash and, amongst it, a scroll with two resurrection spells on it.  We now had to use one of these spells to bring the troll back so we could escape the lair.

            Due to how dangerous it was going to be to gather the blood from the troll, as it would no longer be restrained, I suggested bartering with the troll.  I thought it fair that we would get enough vials of blood for all of us and he would retain his life.  Many in the party would have no part of it at all.  Primula was to collect the blood using her sanctuary spell to protect her while Shane, Xan, Oskar, and Cedar prepared to kill the troll.  I couldn’t believe they weren’t even open enough to consider it and would rather just kill the troll again.  It reminded me of the evil we hear about where repeated beatings and healings alternated are used for interrogation and evil gods that kill, raise, and kill things again just for fun.  I had a very big problem with this and took lookout position instead of having any part of it.  I had even told them I could probably talk to it as well.  Back to the kill first, ask later mentality.

            After acquiring the blood needed and the destruction and burning, AGAIN, of the troll, we used the blood to activate the gate.  One by one we all stepped through to find out what was awaiting us on the other side.  At least we’d be out of the sewers and above ground for a while.

The Songs and Stories of My Life,

Kerith of the Dalelands