Chapter 3: The Dark Fortress

"You do yourself an injustice, Grimbly! See? You’ve done it.

I worry that we’ve spent too long down here already!" Belvedere warns. Better for them to keep on the move, lest the banshee summon her minions to their location.

Xaka, who has been struggling to break the bars open, gasps, "Gah!" as the hands come forth once again... she slaps at the hands to keep them away, but they grab her hair and pound her face over and over into the bars as she struggles to get free.

"Arrrr!" cries out Kendral frustrated as he dives below one hand, dodges another, and jumps over the next. They keep coming and he keeps vigilantly working to avoid the hands.

"Grabby, grabby, gahhhhhh!" Katie shouts, ducking and weaving *again* and beating at the grasping hands with Nutbuster.

"You surely expected something!" the skald sings as he dances about while the others get grabbed on all sides!

Looking around at his companions after the latest barrage of hands Kendral asks, "How's everyone feeling? I got a healing potion here. After all that, I hope at least one of requested artifacts is hidden down those stairs. But with our luck the mistress of this place has a pet dracolich down there instead."

"I feel alright, Kendral. Maybe Xaka needs some help."

"Who has a light so we can see where we are going and what more we might be up against? I have a lantern too but nothing to light it with. I can lead and look for more traps and unpleasant surprises."

"I've got flint in here... somewhere." Katie pulls of her pack and rustles around a bit. "Ah hah! There you are! I've got some torches too, if we need them," she adds as she hands Grimbly her striking stone.

Xaka drinks the last pine sap concoction that she was given earlier, feeling her head feel a little better after those mean, mean hands. She summons a light ball and had it float above her head. "With this we can see just fine "

Grimbly gets his lantern going and leads the way. "Thanks, Katie." Holding the light up, he looks down the stairway.

"I like as much light as possible Xaka if it's all the same. Those old rusty sconces might light too if we're lucky. Are we going down then? Have we all agreed?"

"Alright then Grimbly, I'll add some more to the light supply." says Kendral as he summons another floating light ball nimbus as well. "Yeah, we can light those sconces as we proceed. I say let's go down. We should at least discover why it was locked and trapped with those hands."

"Probably means theres something important down there," Katie adds with a mischievous grin, then catches herself. "Of course that could be bad too...."

"Down we go then!" With plenty of light now and Grimbly's keen sense of traps, he confidently picks his way down the steps, turning occasionally to make sure the others are behind him.

"Let's hope it's something good, Katie! Good and of great value."

Katie gives Grimbly a bright smile and a little laugh. "If there is, I'll find it."

"Now this is what they’ll sing the songs about! The brave troupe, having come face to face with the witch, or what have you…" the man laughs, knowing how the tale would change to suit the teller "… they descend into the earth to plunder her riches! I can hear the cheers already!"

"You presume you'll survive. I know I will, but you, I'm not sure about, Belvedere," she laughs back. She follows behind the others, keeping an eye over them and ready to charge headlong into danger as needed.

The Stairs

With all this light, you find taking the trouble to light any dusty torches a waste of time. As the party finishes the first flight of stairs, an apparition of a comely, yet hideous woman in noble attire, appears to impede taking the second flight of stairs. This time she is translucent, barely visible except for her shining eyes.

"Soul Bearers...."her voice an echoing whisper as if she's speaking from the depth of cave. "I give you the courtesy of warning you.....this time I am prepared. Are you ready to walk these halls for eternity....as...another....servant? If not...do not enter the door below. Instead flee my home before Sol sets and darkness returns."

Your soul weapons begin to flicker their color.

Belvedere inspects the tricket he had been gifted; the wand from their employer.

"Well, the time for doubt was days ago, wouldn’t you say?" he mentions to the others.

"Brave Sir Belvedere goes forth!" he boasts, before walking towards and then through the odd apparition!