Rosia Lightfoot's Journal - Part 12

The Owlbear charged at us, screeching in a terrifying manner. Oren ran out to meet it first, and swung his Dwarven axe in a mighty blow. The fiendish thing struck back at him, grabbing him in a powerful bear hug and crushing him. This was bad news for Oren, but also for the Owlbear, as it allowed us to strike at the creature more easily. I used my shield spell for the first time before engaging the creature, but it turned out to be unnecessary. I tried to strike at the monster's vitals, but I was unable to land a blow. This did have the fortunate side-effect that it did not notice me, and therefore did not attack me! Anyway, the others soon had the thing finished off (without a great deal of help from Curbag's orcs - I think they are worse than the kobolds!) and we rested for a few moments next to the brute's carcass.

We didn't linger for long, the stench was foul and we still feared attacks from darkmantles in this exposed area. We decided to move to the north, at last I persuaded the others to look for the chapel. They agreed, but did not commit themselves to closing the vortex I saw in my vision. We found some rooms filled with the bodies of darkmantles, orcs and kobolds. This was apparently where the first owlbear had appeared, and it had made short work of these creatures. I almost felt sorry for them, but I think they would have shed no tears if the tables were turned.

Near these rooms we discovered a large chamber, whence came a pulsing red glow. I went ahead to scout, and found that it led to the room from my vision. We had found the chapel! There was a large rent in the air where the glow came from, and dark figures were moving inside it. This must be the vortex, I thought, and went to tell the others. We entered en masse, and began to look around, seeking for a clue as to how to close the vortex, and whether or not we should do it. Isaak's arcane knowledge came in handy again. He was able to tell us that we could close the portal by throwing some living being from the material plane through it. We suggested using rats, but this would not do, we needed an intelligent being. Our eyes fell to the orcs, who just about met the last criterion, but Curbag would have none of it. Oh well, I suppose they have stood by us, after a fashion...

Whilst we were talking a person suddenly appeared out of thin air at the south end of the room. He fired off a salvo of magic missiles at Isaak, which left him reeling and close to collapse. As we turned to look, there was no doubt in our minds that this was Longtail! He had a long rat-like snout and ratty legs and a tail! But he was more or less human sized and shaped. He wore robes, and had a strange pair of goggles over his eyes. Oren ran in to attack first again (he is very quick off the mark for a Dwarf!) and cut a huge slice into our foe. However, the wound healed almost immediately, despite the fact that Oren was using the magic sword we had found in the armoury. Something strange was going on here, perhaps more magic by this apparent sorcerer?
Longtail pulled out a wand from his sleeve, and blasted Oren with it. A spray of coloured lights shot out and Oren was left holding his hands to his eyes, apparently blinded and stunned, his weapon dropped at his feet. Curbag and Quercus moved in to the melee, but the cowardly orcs ran off and left us to it! I knew we couldn't trust them. Isaak was badly hurt, and could barely move to safety behind a pillar. I also took cover behind a pillar, to prepare myself for battle. I cast shield on myself again, and was getting ready with my crossbow, when I saw what was happening to the others. They were striking at Longtail, and also doing little or no damage. I used one of the scrolls to cast a magic missile at Longtail, but it didn't do much good. Then Longtail zapped Curbag and Quercus with the colour spray and they too were left helpless in front of him. In the meantime Isaak had been experimenting with the potions we found earlier. He tried one at random, and it made him vanish in to thin air. I heard his voice, telling me that he was retiring to safety behind a door to the south. Clearly he was invisible, I wish we had more of those potions! Anyway, this left me as the only active member of the party! I decided that discretion was called for here, so I pulled out my smokestick (which I had been saving for an emergency) set it off, and lobbed it next to Longtail. This didn't slow him down much, as he made himself fly out of the smoke cloud using his magic, but it gave me time to conceal myself behind a pillar. He flew round the room, looking for me, but couldn't spot me as I was concealed in the shadows. Meanwhile I cast my True Strike spell, and jumped out when he wasn't looking and shot him in the back with my crossbow, hitting him right between the ribs. But to my horror the arrow just popped out, leaving him unhurt! There was nothing I else I could do, so I fled to the south, following Isaak through the door.

Meanwhile, the others were coming out of their stunned state. Oren recovered first, and charged out of the fog. As luck would have it he was running straight at Longtail, who had followed me and now hovered in the air just outside the southern door. Oren grabbed his legs, then grappled him to the floor, holding him fast. In the short corridor on the other side of the door, I found Isaak slumped on the floor, unconscious. There was some strange creature standing on his body, a small thing with wings and sharp teeth. I fired at it with my crossbow, but it vanished into thin air! I had a choice now, I could help Isaak, or I could join the others in trying to subdue Longtail. I thought that it would do Isaak no good if we all died, and that Quercus could do better than me at healing anyway, so I waded in to stab at Longtail. Now Curbag and Quercus were joining in the grapple. Between the three of them, they kept him pinned to the floor and made him drop his wand, and ripped off his goggles. But the strange creature I had seen in the corridor appeared again, and began trying to bite Oren. The bite was not hurting him much, but he cried out in pain when bitten, clearly the creature's bite was poisoned. I reasoned that the thing must be Longtail's familiar and started to attack in instead, as I didn't seem to be able to hurt Longtail. I swung at the tiny monster with my sword, but it was too fast! So instead I drew my daggers and threw them at it, my aim with them being much better. The second dagger finished the creature off, and Longtail snarled in anguish, but kept on fighting...

During this time, Quercus had lost his grip on Longtail, so he instead went to help Isaak, healing him and bringing him back to consciousness. Isaak saw what was happening, and immediately released that we could kill two birds with one stone. "Throw him into the Vortex!" he shouted, and between them Oren, Curbag and Quercus began to drag Longtail kicking and screaming towards the swirling rip in the fabric of reality. Longtail was not quite finished yet, though, and he somehow called a horde of dire rats to help him. They came flooding through the northern door towards us. I picked up Longtail's wand and tried hard to remember the command word he had used to activate it. In a flash it came to me, and I zapped half of the rats into unconsciousness. By this time the the others had managed to get Longtail to the vortex, and then threw him in. There was the sound of a mighty voice speaking in a strange forbidding language, and Longtail vanished into the darkness, screaming.

However, now the vortex began to close, and a powerful wind moved through the chapel, drawing those near to the vortex towards it with hideous strength. The remaining rats were sucked in, and Oren, Curbag and Quercus struggled to keep their feet. Fortunately Isaak and I were far enough away not to be effected. Oren and Curbag were making headway, when suddenly Quercus lost his footing and was swept through the air towards the rapidly closing vortex. Oren and Curbag caught him, but could not stop his movement completely, and as the vortex finally snapped shut, Quercus' leg was caught inside it, and was severed at the knee. When the vortex closed a wave of energy spread out from it, and we found later that all the doors to the east had opened, as well as doors to the north, allowing us access to new areas of this vast complex.

We propose to rest now, to search out Longtail's lair and find out what we can, and to fashion a new leg for Quercus out of wood. He is healing well, but he will find it harder to move now. He seems to be taking it well, his faith in Pelor is strong, and who knows, perhaps Pelor will reward him with a new leg one day?