T Lain - The Bloody Eye

By the time he turned back, Alhandra had also attacked the mobile mushroom. Where Jozan’s mace smashed the plant into a foul-smelling pulp, she sliced it into small tidbits.

Alhandra then turned to Qorrg and said, “There’s no question that they know we’re here, now. We need to be more alert from here on. I want you to stand guard behind us, every time we enter a room. Don’t worry about what’s in front. Leave that to us. Just make sure no one sneaks up behind us.”

Turning away from Qorrg, Alhandra saw Jozan walk into the adjoining cavern. The light glowing from his sun symbol illuminated the room. It was filled with tables covered with books, alchemical materials, and scroll cases, obviously someone’s inner sanctum. The paladin hoped these materials were dear to Calmet, but she didn’t have a great deal of time to think about that. Something was attacking Krusk.

Calmet’s homunculus flew in front of the half-orc and tried to bite the barbarian’s face. The one-eyed homunculus flitted from one side to the other, trying to poison Krusk with its bite, but the half-orc kept shoving the tiny creature away. Seeing the situation, Alhandra deftly stepped through the cavern opening and speared the little monster with the very tip of her sword.

The homunculus screamed, then tried one more time to sink its vicious little fangs into Krusk, so Alhandra speared it again. This time, as it fluttered off the bloodied sword point, Jozan stepped up and smashed the creature to the floor with his mace. When Alhandra saw that the nasty creature was still breathing, she followed with a calculated coup de grâce .

They looked around the cavern with a sense of awe. Shelves of spell and alchemical components, piles of scroll cases, worn and mangled tomes, and a host of manuscripts were scattered into every available space. A few sleeping furs were piled in one corner.

Alhandra was cheerful as she announced their triumph, “We’ve found his inner sanctum!”

Searching the cavern revealed a host of scroll cases with symbols of necromancy on them. Once more, Jozan regretted his inability with language, for many of the manuscripts and scrolls seemed to bear the characters common to both celestial and infernal alphabets. The adventurers had located an immense repository of arcane armament and were unable to use any of it because of Jozan’s aborted education.

One item that they found, however, was most interesting. It was a map unrolled on the writing table that showed the local region. The village of Scaun was circled. Jozan thought that the map might indicate the next target of the Black Carnival. Then he noticed the half-scroll beside the map. He unrolled it and realized that it fit underneath the regional map.

“I think,” ventured the cleric, “that this smaller map shows the configuration of the mine tunnels. If so, we’re closer to the heart of this matter than I’d realized.”

“What is it?” asked Alhandra.

“It’s the abandoned shrine of Scaun, the so-called Eye of Gruumsh. They couldn’t open it from the top without attracting unwanted attention, so I think they’re opening it from below.”

“What’s so important about the shrine?” asked Yddith.

“It was the center of Gruumsh worship, the old religion,” responded Alhandra. “In the old days, even humans gave their due to Gruumsh—a human sacrifice here, a food offering there, or a gladiatorial combat at the base of the hill. It was just the way it was before the southerners came.”

“It was where the avatar appeared,” stated Krusk. “He appeared on the solstice and led the assembled armies into their next battles.”

“That’s right!” responded Alhandra. “If you wanted to start a military campaign or lead a revolution, this was the place to start it. I had forgotten about the solstice part.”

Jozan looked as pale as Qorrg had in the grip of the otyugh.

“What’s wrong?” asked Alhandra as solicitously as she knew how.

“Today…” gulped the cleric, “today is the solstice!”

Krusk was disappointed as he watched Jozan rummage through the scroll cases. The cleric found two scrolls for curing wounds, but nothing else that could be helpful. Jozan explained that he only recognized the characters for curing wounds. He was sure there were useful scrolls in the pile, but he had no idea of their uses. Krusk debated grabbing some of the unidentified scrolls as back-up resources, but decided against playing with power he didn’t understand.

The four retraced their steps past Qorrg’s sentry post at the cavern mouth and into the shrieker’s cavern. There, both Krusk and Yddith retrieved their knives. Krusk looked at the kitchen knife that Yddith had brought and shook his head. He had fought with mercenaries all over the known world, but he’d met few with the courage of this little tavern maid. He smiled with approval and gave his own dagger to her.

“If you’re going to use a blade,” the barbarian lectured, “you need the right kind. This one will fly truer than a tavern knife.”

Both barbarian and barmaid laughed nervously as though sharing a private joke, and the group resumed its line of march.

Krusk took the point and Jozan backed him up. Yddith and Alhandra walked behind them, and Qorrg watched the rear. They edged by the pit trap once again and passed the shards of the gargoyle that had ambushed them. They were on their way to confront Calmet; they were confident; they fully expected to win.

As they reached the main tunnel, Jozan’s sun symbol dimmed and darkened. Krusk quickly started to light a torch when he heard Yddith speaking. The cavern was bathed in a pale, green glow. The emerald faux eye was glowing and Yddith was smiling.

“Don’t worry,” she said, “I can’t see out of that eye, anyway.”

As amusing as Yddith’s comment was, Krusk saw Jozan and Alhandra glance at each other with worried looks. Krusk was beginning to think the emerald necklace hadn’t been such a fine gift, after all.

As Jozan studied the map of the tunnel system etched on the half-scroll, Krusk led the party toward the unholy shrine of Gruumsh. The map told them when to turn left instead of right and which side of the forked intersections they should take. Since it did not indicate any traps like the pit trap that had almost claimed Krusk, the half-orc kept prodding ahead of his step with the end of his bow.

As he turned the next corner, Krusk also discovered that the map didn’t prepare them for the horrific creatures that awaited them.

Krusk faced one monstrosity with tentacles flailing from its head and another with claws like a gigantic crab. The monsters were waiting at the junction as though they expected the adventurers. Krusk didn’t even pause, but nocked an arrow and released it at the tentacled monster before the others even rounded the corner. The arrow flew as true as Krusk had ever shot. He was certain that it would pierce one of the creature’s eyes, but the arrow clattered against the wall on the far side of the creature as if the monstrosity had never been there.

As the barbarian fired the next arrow, Jozan stepped up beside him. The cleric’s crossbow bolt and Krusk’s arrow raced for the creature with the tentacles, and both missiles missed in exactly the same way. They were aimed precisely for the heart of the target one moment, then passed through it harmlessly the next.

“It has some sort of magical protection,” suggested Jozan. “We’ll have to move in.”

No sooner had Jozan finished speaking than Alhandra rushed between them and closed on the smaller monster. Krusk followed her and reached the creature just as Alhandra parried its hammer blow and nicked it with a thrust of her sword. Not realizing that Alhandra’s success had been a lucky shot, Krusk moved on to face the clawed monster. He didn’t know that when the paladin hit the displacer construct, the sword didn’t land where she aimed it.