Setting Out

The next morning, Sack wandered back into the Ghetto of Chattels, and entered the Tavern of Nines. The interior was smoky and dark, and the patrons tattered and miserable in the main. Huddled around tables or slumped at the bar, they were drinking unappealing-looking ale from tarred leather jacks.

Approaching the bar - kept by a grubby-looking half-Fae with sharp, weaselly eyes, he produced a golden coin and placed it on the bar with a soft click that sounded deafening in the sudden silence. By signs he indicated that drinks for the whole house were on him, to much approval; there was clearly enough for the whole clientele to drink themselves senseless. As the patrons eagerly came forward to claim his benison, he studied them, but Jalvan was not among them. Waving farewell, he left and headed back for the safe house.

Meanwhile, Hildraft had returned to the Street of Lies, the only place in Nindolen where worship of other deities than Lolth was permitted, and gone to see the resident Priest of Kord, Guntrun Shatterhand. Renewing his faith in the temple, he spent some time with the older dwarf, before returning.

Kobort had spent some time making arrows to Sack's requirements; the more abtruse features of his new portable laboratory would take more study.

Silustriana performed the introductions, unfazed by the apparent sudden appearance of Sack, and revealed the visitors as the Matriach of High Clan Tormtor Verdaeth, and her First Advisor, the priestess Belafon.

Seating herself with dignity, the Matriach proceeded to explain the situation in a little more detail. The magical artifact causing the Kingmaker effect was, she said, almost certainly a Sancrist Crystal, a gem of immense rarity and great magical focussing power.

Verdaeth continued, explaining that Clan Eilservs had somehow managed to persuade the insular and hostile Aboleth of Melaskos, the lowest known realm of the Underdark to guard the crystal that was producing the Kingmaker effect. That crystal was the objective the heroes must reach if they were to avert the disaster that threatened both the surface world and the Underdark - in her opinion.

"It'll break easily?" asked Surya. "Yes," replied Verdaeth, "but you don't want to do that. If the crystal is destroyed, the enchantment woven with it will endure for decades before it fades; long enough to accomplish its' task. It must be brought back here, where our magi can reverse the magic safely."

"It must be destroyed, once that is done," insisted Sack and Surya. "We though rather to use it in vengeance on the Eilservs," said Verdaeth. The heroes made it clear, though that they would not go unless the crystal was to be disabled on neutral ground, and was destroyed immediately afterwards. Moreover, Surya demanded to know why they should trust her. Where did her loyalties lie?

"High Clan Tormtor." she answered at once, proudly.

"So what can you offer us as guarantee?" asked the Tellaran.

"What would convince you?" she asked rhetorically. "Only one thing; myself. I will place myself in your custody as a hostage during the crystal's disenchantment; if Clan Tormtor play you false, you may slay me."

"Won't they simply abandon you?" asked Hildraft. "No!" she answered with a chilling smile, "I have ...events.. planned for my successor if I am unseated untimely." This satisfied the companions - for the moment - and the deal was struck.

"Will you go with us?" asked Surya, half sarcastically, "or send the mages so the crystal can be disarmed on the spot?" "No," she replied, "this is not my sort of thing, and the wizards who will be working on the crystal would not survive the journey. However," she gestured to Silustriana and Launcivos, "these two, noble and mighty members of Clan Tormtor, will accompany you on your quest - if you so wish." The group accepted - if only so as to have extra targets to spread the damage.

She went on to tell them more about their destination. Melaskos was the lowest known realm of the underdark, a vast pocket in the bedrock completely filled with the water that eternally poured down from realm to realm elsewhere in the subterranean lands. Its' full extents were a mystery to the other peoples of the underdark, for it was controlled by the Aboleth, an ancient and evil race of bottom-dwelling aquatic creatures. Part reptile and part fish, they were masters of illusion, capable of dominating utterly the weak or unwary, obsessive collectors of the dark and shadowy sort of lore that even the Fae Mhor would shun - which lore was believed to be passed from generation to generation by some form of group memory - and haters of any creature that walked on dry land.

Their realm could not be reached by airbreathers, so Verdaeth proposed to supply the heroes with rings enchanted with Water Breathing. She also revealed that, because of its' powerful nature, the Crystal could be detected by the correct magic at distances of four or five miles, and so she was providing another ring attuned to Sancrist Crystals and enspelled with Locate Object.

However, the Sancrist Crystal would certainly not be submerged, wherever it was; it would not operate properly, and the rumours of its being defended by "fire, water, steel and death", pointed to its' being in an air pocket of some sort.

All being settled, Verdaeth and her entourage - less the two who were joining the quest - assembled and left the way they had come.

The Quest then set out without further delay. There was one incident, however. As they walked through the streets towards the South Gate, a band of bugbear mercenaries came into view, homing in on Surya and pointing him out to each other. "That's him!" they heard a smaller one at the back saying. The goblinoids halted in front of the group, and the leader squared up to Surya. "You killed one of my men," it accused in a deep, gravelly voice.

"Yes." answered the Tellaran. This seemed to confuse the bugbear slightly; maybe he'd been expecting denials. "How?" he asked, contemptuously; "you only little Human!".

"Don't judge on size alone," warned Hildraft. The bugbear made a great show of gazing around, then pretended to spot the dwarf 'below his notice'. Then he gestured to his followers, who spread out. "Prepare to die, then, little Human!" he rumbled. Then he paused, and looked at Launcivos and Silustriana - clearly assuming them, as the Fae Mhor, to be the ranking members of the group. "Lord; Lady." he muttered, making a gesture of respect, "this between us and the scum only," Silustriana glanced at Surya, who shrugged, while Hildraft turned purple at the accidental use of the Dragonfolk's name for his people. She nodded to the bugbear, and everyone except Surya and Hildraft backed off.

Going back to back, the dwarf and the Tellaran faced off against the six bugbears, all seven feet high, as the latter drew their massive swords and charged. Drawing both his swords and confronting the leader, Surya unleashed a blizzard of sword cuts that knocked the hairy monster back on his heels, but then the pair found themselves fighting for their lives as the battle-hardened monsters fought back, slashing and snarling. Soon blood was flowing on both sides, Hildraft in particular bleeding from a nasty head wound. Finally, however, the last bugbear fell, and the two leaned on their weapons a moment to catch their breath.

Lounging against a wall, the wizard Launcivos applauded sardonically, a smile on his face as ever. "Congratulations, gentlemen," he drawled. "I begin to hope that we may even survive..."