eath nd isguises

Darkhawk, Trimus and Ako were quite shaken by their experiences during the test and refused to discuss what had happened with Grabthroat. Lovax and Cambris. This made that days journey very awkward with Grabthroat leading the way, his brows furrowed and shoulders hunched. Lovax and Cambris brought up the rear, the former excited by the events Cambris more apprehensive.
That night they camped a few miles from the ruined city. The night passed quietly except for strange howls and animal calls from the ruins echoing across the still night air.

The day dawned hazy but warm and the friends were in better spirits as they entered the ruins of Ardelphia. It was as Rintrah had described, completely razed to the ground. Empty shells of buildings with charred timbers and shattered stonework suggesting that massive fires had swept along the cobbled streets. Walking east from the west gate they kept their eyes open for what might have been the more affluent areas of the city, the sort of places a mage may have lived. The going was quite tough, buildings had quite often fallen outward into the street creating scree slopes of shattered tiles. During the afternoon, in what appeared to have been an area of large warehouses, they noticed a wide slimy trail snaking across the street.
"A giant snail?" suggested Ako kneeling by the thick gooey secretion. His musings were disturbed by the fluttering of a large number of small wings. A swarm of dark black birds with long proboscises swept out of a derelict building.
"Stirges!" shouted Cambris and drew his weapon.
The dark cloud swept down and grasped hair and armour with their talons as they tried to insert their feeding tubes in a patch of exposed flesh. Grabthroat yelped as one pierced his neck. Reaching back he grabbed and crushed the bird before it could start to feed. Ako was having more trouble with the one on his shoulder. Blood was already starting to stain his white tabard by the time Trimus slashed the bird in two with his dagger. The agile stirges were difficult to hit. Cambris, Lovax and Darkhawk were reduced to swinging wildly with their blades until they hit something. It was only a few moments however before the last of the stirges was killed or driven away. Entering the building from which their attackers had emerged revealed a stinking, untidy nest.
"They collect gems like magpies do." stated Cambris as he started to poke around in the fetid mass of damp soiled straw. "Yes! I thought so." The fighter knelt gingerly and plucked from the debris almost a dozen gems, mostly chunks of carved jade along with a piece of topaz. "I imagine these came from one of the ruins hereabouts." He added as he stashed the gems in his pouch.

They continued along the street for another quarter of a mile or so until Grabthroat called a halt. The wan rays of the sun had glinted on something golden within a bare husk of a building.
"Coins!" smiled the dwarf and made his way towards the doorway. Trimus shook his head but followed the others inside. Scattered amongst the fallen timbers, broken furniture and chunks of tile the glint of gold could be seen. Not only that but sticking proud of the rubble could the seen the hilt of a sword, the butt of a spear and what appeared to Trimus to be a wooden scroll tube.
The dwarf and the mage stepped carefully over the shifting stones towards the scroll tube while Darkhawk and Ako headed towards the weapons. As Darkhawk stooped to pull the spear from the debris Ako started chanting a spell. Emerging from a doorway in the rear wall were two semitransparent figures. Ako raised his hand and ordered the shades to depart. To his relief they shimmered and drifted back through the doorway.
"Hold on a moment." Said Trimus as Darkhawk returned to the spear. The mage raised a wand and uttered a short string of staccato syllables. "The spear, the sword and this tube are magical." He stated with a calm authority.

Lovax and Cambris with Ako leading followed the drifting forms through the broken doorway into a room some twenty foot square, whose roof was almost intact. In the deep shadows they could make out nothing but the bones of animals and the remains of a long cold campfire. Another doorway beckoned in the east wall. Again with Ako taking the lead they went on. Inside they found a smaller room seemingly untouched by the devastation that had blighted the city. Hovering in the corner were the two shadowy figures, now with no where else to flee they turned and drifted towards Ako, Lovax and Cambris. Knowing that he had no other option Ako swung his mace while Lovax and Cambris did what they could with their swords. Only Ako's enchanted mace seemed to have any effect, the swords seemed to pass through the hazy forms as if they were smoke, but they did enough to keep the shades from touching the cleric and draining away his life force. Sweat broke out on Ako's brow as he continued to swing his mace. Each blow seemed to make the figures more indistinct until eventually they faded away completely leaving the room smelling fresher, like a hillside after a thunderstorm. Glistening on the floor was a fine broach of gold and silver wire which Ako examined briefly before slipping it into his pouch. The three returned to the main room where they found Grabthroat and Darkhawk had collected a large number of the gold coins in a sack. As night was beginning to fall they decided that this would be a good a place as any to rest. Darkhawk and Lovax built a fire with some of the broken timbers and they slept soundly with all but Ako and Trimus taking turns to feed the fire and watch the shadows for movement.

The next morning they continued to move on through the ruins. Occasionally Trimus of Darkhawk would climb one of the less ruined buildings to take a look across the cityscape but neither could see any sign of anything that might hold a clue to the location of the Nidus. Towards late morning they heard the harsh voices of orcs. Motioning for silence Darkhawk and Grabthroat crept forward. They could see a small group of orcs searching through a ruined warehouse, lifting large lengths of timber and levering blocks of stone aside. Darkhawk turned and waved the others forward. As the burly fighter stood to engage the orcs another small band emerged from a building behind them and attacked Ako and Lovax with whips. One of these caught the cleric around the ankles, entangling him and dragging him to the floor. Lovax swung his sword and severed the orc's arm just above the wrist causing the orc to run screaming in pain down the street.
Trimus started to prepare a spell but was halted by a net flung from atop the ruined wall. His arms entangled in the heavy cords prevented him from completing the incantation. Another rope flung from the opposite side of the wall just missed Grabthroat who spun round and hit the orc with a crossbow bolt that flung his assailant from the wall. The dwarf knelt beside the struggling Trimus and began cutting him free. Lovax, Cambris, Ako and Darkhawk were driving the other orcs back, already a number of them were lying, still upon the road. The last four turned on their heels and ran away from the four fighters. Lovax made to follow them but was gripped about the arm by Darkhawk who pointed at a pile of rubble to the left. Crawling over the heap of fractured stones, attracted by the smell of blood, were four giant scorpions, their claws clacking together like castanets. Trimus pulled himself free from the last remnants of the net and cast a spell. Instantly a huge cloud of smoke and fire billowed up from the midst of the scorpions. When the smoke cleared two lay shattered and smoking, the other two were limping round in circles with missing legs and cracked, leaking carapaces. Lovax and Darkhawk finished of the squealing beasts with well placed stabs with their swords. Grabthroat and Cambris meanwhile searched the bodies of the orcs and collected together a large number of copper pieces which the dwarf put in his pack.
The continued to walk east until night fell. Again they camped in the shell of a ruined building and listened to the howls of the wild beasts that now occupied the once great city of Ardelphia.

Early the following morning after another unsatisfying meal of hard biscuits and dried meat, washed down with rain water the companions continued walking along the weed and shrub encrusted road. After an hour or so of difficult walking they emerged into what must have been a large market square. Taller trees ringed a cobbled space with a pool or fountain at its centre. Time and the orcs had taken its toll on the statuary that once surrounded it. Heads and plinths lay scattered around, covered in lichen and vines. Trimus climbed one of the larger, more sturdy trees and looked around. A little way off to the south east he spied a white tower that appeared to be less damaged then any other buildings they had seen up till then.

Finding a route that led towards the tower was difficult. After a number of dead ends and snaking alleys they arrived at a tall wall, encrusted with vines. Ivy and other climbing plants. To their horror they began to notice humanoid bones caught up within the plants as if the plants themselves had bound the creatures to the wall. Shivering slightly the companions walked around the wall until they came to a gateway. The gates themselves are missing and the pillars are a little unstable. A brick path, clear of weeds leads up to a flight of stairs and on to a door in the side of the tower. The tower itself seems to have suffered little from the ravages of time. More humanoid bones can be seen scattered amongst the ruins of the garden. A bell rung in the distance, probably within the tower itself.
"Sorry." Apologised Darkhawk. "That was my fault." He shrugged red faced and pointed to a bronze bell-pull. As the sound of the bell died away there were signs of movement within the bushes. Instinctively all went for their weapons, and Trimus considered his spell casting options. Emerging from the shrubbery was a man sized statue, carved from a buttery stone with freshly uprooted vines and weeds trailing from his limbs. The statue approached the gateway and opened the non-existent gates. A deep rich voice with a heavy Darakonian accent came from the statues stone lips. "How may I help you?"
Stunned into silence for a moment no one answered, then Ako replied. "We want to see your master, we've come for the Nidus."
Grabthroat slapped his forehead and muttered under his breath. "Oh futtucks!"
"Take us to your master." Added Darkhawk, a threatening tone in his voice.
The statue repeated its message while two other statues appeared at the door to the tower.
"We have an appointment with your master." Trimus lied as convincingly as possible.
The statue by the gate bowed and indicated with a sweeping gesture that they were to proceed into the house. The two stone guardians at the door opened the doors and stepped aside to let them past, closing the door after the companions had passed through.

Trimus and the others found themselves in a semicircular entrance hall. The marble floor and oak panelled walls spoke of ancient opulence. Strewn around on the floor were bones, many bones. The bodies of humans and non-humans intermingled. Large blast marks on the walls and floors indicated that a battle had been fought here long ago. They began to search the bodies, carefully as not to anger the dead but looking for any clues that might confirm that this was the resting place of the Nidus. The human bones wore what must once have been rich brocaded robes stitched with occult symbols and sigals. Lovax knelt to examine one of the bodies and started to rise after finding nothing of value. As he did a smoke like form began to emerge from the shrouded body. The smoke slowly took shape and revealed the image of the mage as he must have been in life. Young, with unruly blond hair, blue eyes and large ears. Somehow the image starts to scream, quietly at first then gradually louder and louder. Ako raised his hand and tried to turn the creature but to no avail. Grabthroat lobbed a vial of holy water at the solidifying mage but this also seemed to have no effect. By now the screaming was causing all in the room great pain. Lovax, who was standing closest to spirit collapsed blood spilling from his ears. Darkhawk and Cambris grabbed Lovax and followed Trimus, Ako and Grabthroat through a pair of stout oaken doors into a room beyond.

To Be Continued ....

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