A Guildsman's Tale, Exploring Birch Vale - Part 8

A Guildsman’s Tale,
Exploring Birch Vale

Part 8 – 13 October 2022

The journal of Bori Ironhelm, cleric of Moradin and master of the forge.
Guildsman in the Explorer’s Guild.

Previous - Chapter 7b - Interlude

Return to the Jungle

It was the seventh day of our journey that we were ambushed by Bruin and his men, before being reunited with Omratin and Cydor and promoted to full Guildsmen by Erlathan. After we had travelled with the other members of the Shadow Council to successfully realign the portals, they gave us the rest of the eighth day for rest and relaxation with the dwarfs of New Mine, and we took full advantage of the respite and our hosts hospitality! Omratin did not disappoint - we ate and drank our fill for the day, singing songs and regaling each other with tales of adventure or stories of home. We toasted the memory of those dwarfs who lost their lives as slaves to Felicia and the evil Duergar with the vintage bottles Grimnir had swiped. Then later, once we'd forgotten we had already done it, we toasted them again. 

As I suspected, none of them had any knowledge of the dwarf slaves. They must have been from faraway lands - no less deserving of remembrance or justice of course, but it would take time to find out who they were. 

We returned to Cydor at the Ranger Station soon after dawn, as requested. The bracing morning air did wonders to clear our foggy heads. 

Day nine - (too) early in the morning

We made haste to the portal near Birch Vale so that we could transport ourselves to the fastness of Rim Watch, on the outskirts of the steaming jungle. It was just as we had left it. We stepped over the stricken corpse of the mad old guardian Spectator and on through the halls where we had stayed with the Lizardfolk. All was quiet.

Descending the steps, we arrived at the water that we had seen the Lizardfolk dive into just a few days earlier. Had it only been a few days? So much had happened, it was strange to think it still had been less than a tenday since we ventured forth... I digress. We stood in front of the water, prepared to dive in. Merla had been given the magical ability to cast the spell Water Breathing by Cydor, so she now did so, enabling all three of us to survive under the water for the next day if it took that long to reach the other side of it. I had exchanged my heavy chain mail for a lighter chain shirt of the type Erlathan said the elves favoured - it seemed more appropriate for this scouting mission and would make navigating the water significantly easier. 

Splashing forth, we made our way through flooded tunnels and stairways, twisting round corners until we saw light ahead and the corridors opened onto a larger pool of water. I cautiously surfaced and looked around, my eyes just above the waterline. All seemed quiet so I paddled forwards slightly, when all of a sudden an enormous reptilian claw grasped my head and lifted me up and out of the water! An enormous, bipedal crocodilian had picked me up as easily as lifting a child. I kicked my legs and thrashed my arms to no avail. Looking the beast up and down, I could see that it was ornamented with skulls, many resembling the foul Yuan-Ti, and it held a massive obsidian warhammer that resembled the weapons of the Lizardfolk on a much grander scale. Just before I drew my own warhammer to attack the creature, I remembered the whistle carved from a Yuan-Ti tooth that had been given to us by the Lizardfolk. Of course! We forgot to sound the whistle before entering the water! They told us it was to ensure their safe passage, perhaps it was to alert this beast to their coming? I quickly retrieved it from a pouch and blew a shrill note on it. Immediately, the crocodile beast dropped me back into the water with a splash and began to stomp off through the shallows and towards the treeline. I cursed myself for not remembering the whistle earlier.   

Day nine - into the jungle

Ahead of us, the jungle was thick. The crocodilian had disappeared into undergrowth too dense for us to follow and left no trace of its passing, which was a surprise for a creature of that size. There seemed to be one path forwards, some 30 feet across, where the vegetation was slightly less obstructive. Merla could see various game trails criss-crossing where the vegetation was more sparse. As far as we could tell, this path led from the rim and down into the huge caldera, towards the Black Pyramid. That would be the way to go, then.

We marched into the thick jungle 

We moved as stealthily as we could. Merla took the lead. Although this wasn't the sort of natural environment she was used to, she could move much more gracefully than either of us and her footfalls didn't make a sound. Grimnir and I had to be careful not to let her get too far ahead as even we would lose sight of her in the undergrowth! 

Suddenly, a black shape darted out from, apparently, nowhere. Its form was hard to make out as it appeared to be constantly moving, but it looked like a large, black feline with far too many legs and strange, writing tentacles on its back. I didn't have time to wonder about where it had come from, whether it was some beast from another plane that had found its way to this jungle or whether it was a regular hunting cat that had been warped by the magic emanating from the pyramid. It was on us in an instant, slashing with its claws and whipping its tentacles towards us. Every time we tried to hit the beast, it seemed to be somewhere else. Eventually, Grimnir managed to land a ringing blow on it that briefly stopped it in its tracks and made it possible for Merla and me to land more attacks on it. Once we were finished, this hell cat wasn't going to be dashing around anywhere. We left its corpse for the jungle scavengers.  

Some hellish black cat leapt at us from the shadows

Merla now moved like a ghost, barely disturbing a leaf as she stole through the undergrowth. We approached some boulders and she decided to climb on top of one to get a better vantage point to plan our route forwards. Suddenly, she was attacked by another feline form - though this one was larger and striped, and seemed much more solid than the previous one! It was a sabre-toothed tiger and it pounced on poor Merla, knocking her from the rock and pinning her to the ground. 

Grimnir and I were slow to react, being taken entirely by surprise, but we rushed to aid our companion as quickly as we could. The big cat leapt at me, its weight knocking me back but its claws unable to penetrate my shield or chain shirt. I could feel the hot breath on my face and almost taste the rank odour of rotting flesh. It was a relief when Grimnir's axe fell like an executioner's blade and separated the cat's head from its body. He helped to lug the heavy weight of the carcass off me and then pulled me to my feet. I was mightily glad of how sharp that axe was and of the enchantment I had weaved on it this morning. 

Day nine - time unknown

Moving on, we tried to keep our wits about us to avoid further ambush. The trees pushed in overhead, blocking out the sun and making it impossible to tell what time it was. All we knew was that it was hot and cloying under the canopy. Gradually, the mist that had enveloped us was dissipating and we eventually reached a sheer drop. From there, we could see out and across the jungle ahead, towards the barren land where the Black Pyramid rose like some ugly growth. 

We carefully tied a rope to a large boulder and descended the cliff, reaching the bottom with no incident. There were large, fresh footprints here, but nothing moved nearby that we could see. Still, caution was still the name of the game. 

Advancing onwards, we approached a pool of water. We all felt a great sense of peace and calm near the water and decided to have a brief respite. The source of this feeling became apparent when a huge maw and waving tentacles came splashing out of the water and an Otyugh attacked us! It must have been using its abilities to project a calm feeling that we picked up on, how could we have been so daft to fall for that? 

The monster was ferocious and kept entangling Merla with its tentacles. Grimnir and I managed to free her, but she was rendered unconscious from the tight squeeze of the Otyugh. Hack and bashing at it, we eventually drove the beast back towards the water. We could tell it was dead when the unbidden thoughts of safety and tranquillity had left our minds. Then we were able to help Merla to her feet and have a safer rest, feeling better for the fact nothing was influencing our minds. The only way forward was through the Otyugh pool, so we splashed onwards. 

An Otyugh attacks from the water ahead

Day nine - the chase is on!

There was little time to reflect as, just when we reached the other side of the pool, we heard an enormous roar from behind us. Some grey, bipedal shape was advancing towards us, looming over the trees around it. Though it was in the far distance, we could see it was huge. It sniffed the air and bent towards the Otyugh carcass. We could hear the cracking of bones and snarling of the beast even from this distance, and we realised that devouring its meal was not going to take this beast long. After that, we were likely to be dessert. We did the only thing we could in the face of such a monster. We ran.   

The monster saw us running and gave chase. There was no time for subtlety, no time for caution or stealth, we just ran as fast as we could away from this enormous predator. Ahead, we saw a looming cliff face and a crack between the rocks. It looked big enough for us to get through, but not our pursuer. We made for the gap as quickly as we could, climbing in with the beast close behind. Once it reached the cliff, it roared and scratched its long claws at the rock but could not reach us. We were safe, for the moment at least. 

Moving forwards between the rocks, we found that a glade opened out ahead of us. Perhaps we would be able to get through to the pyramid without returning to face whatever that enormous beast was that we could still hear bashing at the cliff behind us. 

All was quiet in the glade. There was a shallow pool at one end and trees all around the perimeter. Most disappointingly, there was no way out other than the way we had entered. It was a dead end. Behind the perimeter of trees was a rock wall stretching up into the sky. Perhaps the rock walls were climbable, but it would take time. With the thrashing sounds of the beast behind us, we knew that we would be in this glade for a while so we started having a look around. Suddenly, one of the large trees became to shiver and move, pulling its roots from the ground and lumbering towards us! It was an enormous treant! We turned, but the mossy ground beneath us started accumulating and growing into a huge shambling mound of vegetation! We were trapped, with a vicious predator outside the glade and these two monstrous plants in here with us! Was this to be the end of our journey?

A monstrous treant and huge shambling mound had
us cornered in the hidden glade

Day nine - friend or foe?

Before we were crushed between the two behemoths, a twinkling voice called out and a dryad stepped from beneath a tree. She resembled the one we had met in the grove beneath New Mine, so I was hopeful she would prove a friend likewise. I was prepared to let Merla talk to her, as I presumed she would also worship Mielikki, but she turned to me with her hand out. She could sense the power of the portal amulet that I carried and wanted to see it. Seeing no issue with this, I drew it from round my neck, but the dryad snatched it from me and disappeared back into the shadows! 

I looked incredulously at Merla, not that she knew what was going on any more than I did. What I did know was that we were still trapped in this grove, there was still a beast outside the only exit, we were surrounded by huge vegetable monsters and now our only method of returning home had been stolen by some jumped up little flower fairy! 

Grimnir hadn't quite worked out the implications of what had just happened, but it wouldn't take him long and, once he did, there would be no stopping him from using his axe to try and fell every tree in this grove, walking or otherwise. Fortunately, before that happened, a clear voice called down to us from up on the rim of the rock face. It was the dryad. 

"So, you want to know about the Black Pyramid do you? Then listen you well to the words of Incana, for I tell it true."

This Incana then proceeded to tell us a long tale of the Black Pyramid and its occupants. Some of her tale tallied with what we had been told by Erlathan - there once was a well-respected man named Dovoulad, who was considered wise and just. He had a companion, a paladin named Yarlin, and the two of them were chosen by the Council of the Wise to protect the contents of the pyramid - Dovoulad was to be interred at the apex of the pyramid, using death magic, while Yarlin and his descendants would be the living guardians for Dovoulads long sleep of undeath. One of Erlathan's tales of Dovoulad related to his use of death magic and its abhorrence to many of the Elven folk. I have to say that I agree with them on this, what Incana was describing sounded unnatural. It included Dovoulad having his heart removed so that his spirit could remain and power the pyramid. Can't day that I understood why a so-called 'Wise' council would do such a thing...

Incana told us that she had been cursed to remain on this island due to her love for Dovoulad, which led to them spending a day and a night of carnal bliss together before his heart was torn from his breast and body plugged into the pyramid as some sort of power source. Yarlin was trusted to protect the heart, but he was betrayed. He followed Dovoulad's instructions to recant his paladin vows so that he could marry and have offspring that would protect the heart through the ages, eventually meeting a woman named Selûne who he fell in love with. On the night of their wedding, Incana was watching from the shadows and saw Selûne reveal herself to be a pureblood Yuan-Ti. The evil creature slew the wedding party and poisoned Yarlin, paralysing him before stealing Dovoulad's heart from him. 

Selûne had assistance from another Yuan-Ti named Suyan, who she ordered to go and meet someone called Uskash. For her part, Selûne was to take the heart to someone called Nehshu. As Incana watched them leave, they said they would return to kill the humans so that Dendar could bathe in blood that night. The plans of the Wise were going severely awry.

Incana followed Selûne, who took the heart into the jungle and gave it to a huge abomination, half-snake and half-man. This monster took the heart deep into the jungle and hid it within a cave. The dryad took note of the location and returned to find Yarlin, slowly dying from the poison. He cried in anguish when she told him what had become of Dovoulad's heart, feeling that he had failed his friend. 

The noise of slaughter outside drew Incana's attention. She tried to rally as many humans as she could to defend themselves against the Yuan-Ti, but it was to no avail. The snakemen were far too numerous. She retreated into the hut where Yarlin lay, only to see the man preparing to fall on his dagger to kill himself. As he did so, he whispered a prayer to the demon prince Orcus, lord of undeath. Watching in horror, Incana saw Yarlin's prayers answered as he died and then was restored to undeath by the power of Orcus. She fled before Yarlin, rising as a dreaded wraith, stalked from the hut and began killing all in his path - humans and Yuan-Ti alike. By dawn, nothing lived nearby and the undead Yarlin entered the Black Pyramid. Since then, all his efforts to find the heart have been in vain, for its location was known only to the huge snakeman (who he slaughtered) and Incana. She returned to the cave cautiously, finding a hideous clawed monstrosity guarding the heart within, and blocked the entrance with rocks and vegetation, charging the treants to protect it from all who would disturb its rest. They say that the heart must be returned to Dovoulad one day so he may walk again and, as far as Incana was concerned, it seemed that she thought that day had come. She seemed to think that the evil spreading from the Pyramid was all due to Yarlin's undead presence and that it could all be stopped if Dovoulad was returned to life. 

Sounded easy enough. Her treants were going to take us to the cave, we would kill whatever horrid monster was in there, and return to her with the heart. What could go wrong? 

Of course, there were more complications. The Yuan-Ti had returned to the jungle, as we knew after our encounter with the Lizardfolk. Incana informed us that the Yuan-Ti had aligned themselves with Yarlin. She also said that he had spies everywhere in the jungle, so we would need to be careful. 

I couldn't quite shake the feeling that we were still not seeing the full weave of the tapestry yet. There were more threads to pull at, but how did this relate to Felicia and what we had already learned about the Pyramid? Unfortunately, we could not return for wise counsel with Erlathan or Cydor as this dryad currently had our only means of returning through the portal. We would have to go along with what she said, for now at least, and retrieve this heart. Perhaps then things would begin to become clearer.