The ShadowGate

Entering the tower, we found evidence that it was some sort of military outpost. There was strange writing in several place. It was some form of elvish, but those in our group who know the elven tongue could not read this script. Ciris could make out a few words, and deduced that the tower was called "The ShadowGate."

In the first true room we entered, we found wine bottles with more of this strange writing on them. We also found furniture with odd spider web designs. A drow outpost perhaps? I think this made us all nervous. Kreon had warned us repeatedly about to wickedness of the dark elves. The next room was some sort of barracks. Ravenna searched around and believed that whoever left the place did so hastily. And it was not too long ago, for there was not much dust on the few things left behind. Another barracks contained hammocks of unusual design--they looked like spider webs. All signs point to drow--I hope none remain!

The last room was very different. A round room (the others all contained straight walls, not curved), some sort of circle was etched on the floor. There was also strange writing, but different from the other writing. After all of Kreon's talk about the evil drow, not much could have made me more nervous. But Casis deciphering the script and realizing that the room has some connection to a demon prince (dare I even write the name down?!) has filled me with trepidation.

I do not like this place.

But we need to find some information. Any information. Something to point us in a direction. And if we can't have that, we need to find a place to resupply our ship so we can journey elsewhere for clues.

We will explore more of the tower shortly. But then we must return to the ship so Katalla does not leave without us.

---

Demogorgon. That's the name of the demon prince. I can not resist the urge to document my journey fully. I only hope that merely writing down the name does not bring ill fortune upon our brave little group.

The Tower

We found a large tower rising up out of the water. A very large tower--perhaps a thousand feet across? We circled it in the boat and found two landing spots, on opposite sides of the tower.

The tower is made of some black material. Of course, it may just look black in the sunless world. There is even a small jetty by one of the landing areas (the first one we found). There is an opening in the side of the tower, flanked by two statues. The statues look like a very stylized representation of humans, but the figures have six fingers on each hand. Odd. I guess they do not depict surface-dwelling humans.

We discussed what to do. Leave or explore the tower? Our biggest concern was, naturally, the kobolds. We can not trust them, yet we must if we are to explore the tower. We can not take the children with us, yet we can not trust the kobolds with their safety. And even if they do not harm the children, they could just start rowing away!

Katalla volunteered to stay behind with the children. She has my mace for protection (apparently, she brought no weapons of her own; I let her keep it for I had obtained a magical mace from the bugbear slain during the fight on deck). We kept the lock on the hold to protect the foodstuffs and gear, and then bribed Dreck to keep the kobolds in line. The greed in his face was obvious as he stared at the 20 silver pieces we gave him. We promised him more upon our return, if the boat and humans were well taken care of.

Nervous at leaving the (relative) safety of the boat, we nonetheless set off. We told Katalla that we would return in three hours times as this is just a brief scouting mission. If we can not return in three hours, Fharlanghn help us!

A Sign

Last (night?) while on watch, Ciris saw something. Flashes of light off in the distance. Different colors, he said. I think green, then red, then green again, but I can't remember. Then, someone (I think Katalla, but I was sleeping and don't know who saw it first) saw something fly overhead. Something very large. It seemed to come from the direction of the light flashes, flew over the ship, and continued away in the opposite direction.

Since it was time to start rowing, we decided to row toward the flashes of light. It is the only thing we have seen off in the distance, and none of us knows the route Kreon was planning to take.

While some of our group helped with the rowing, some of us tried our hand at fishing. Whedan "taught" Enzo and myself how to fish. We did catch several fish--disgusting things with bulbous white eyes. We gave some to the kobolds right away as a reward for keeping their end of the bargain. They ate the fish (raw!) right away.

Enzo and I did have a chance to capture a large wing (perhaps from companion to the creature who flew overhead a few hours before?), but Enzo thought we should not risk our only net to catch such a "prize." While I was disappointed that we would not get to examine the large wing floating in the water, I feel Enzo's decision was very wise. There may be more to that fighter-boy than I first thought!

Later, when I was rowing, others kept fishing. We at least will have some "fresh meat" for the kobolds.

And then we spotted something. The sign led us to something, but we're not sure what.

Death in the Endless Night

"Some journey" is right.

Last night (or was it day? you can't tell down here), Kreon was killed. We were sailing along, when suddenly, three monsters appeared on the deck of the ship. They were man-sized, but had disgusting gray skin, strange bulbous eyes, and several tentacles dangling from their chins. It was easy to recognize an illithid from Kreon's descriptions, even though I had never seen one before.

I don't know exactly what happened; somehow they stunned us and much time passed. When I regained my sense, Kreon was dead. Two of the illithids were gone and the third one was dead. But a large fur-covered beast was also present. This bugbear (I later learned that's what it was) attacked us. Working together, we were able to defeat the monster. Although Aesa did take some severe damage, Fharlanghn's blessing were able to prevent her death. Whedan even joined in the attack, using his father's dagger. (Though he did not strike the foul beast, he did try; Enzo gave the lad much praise for his efforts.)

There was also a large fist made of fire, circling the boat. It eventually dissipated. Ciris somehow knew that it was not Kreon's magic. With the illithids all dead, we have no idea who formed the fist.

After the bugbear was dispatched, we examined his body and the illithid body. Both were wearing a strange amulet (which Ciris said was not magical). I wonder what the amulet means? It looks like a diamond placed in front of triangle, so that the top of the diamond overlays the bottom of the triangle.

Then we had to deal with the kobolds. We don't trust them, but one of them does speak the common tongue, so we were able to come to an agreement with them. (Really, I guess the agreement is with him--we call him Dreck--but as long as he cows the other kobolds, we have no complaints.) We agreed to share the good food with them, if they would keep rowing. We also agreed to help with the rowing.

The kobolds keep insisting on fresh meat. Though it sickened us, we immediately gave them the body of the bugbear. They devoured it very quickly.

We searched the ship's hold, really just to inventory our supplies. We managed to take a lock off a chest (well, Ravenna managed it) and use it to lock the hold so the kobolds don't steal the food or other supplies.

The kobolds will row hard, and we will help (just two of us at a time). We will keep moving across the Sunless Sea. We don't even know where we're going (not that one needs a destination; the journey itself is reward enough!) but we have food to last only one week.

Teleportation Blues

A high ranking member of the Order named Kreon will be leading us to our hideout.

He cast a powerful spell (some sort of teleportation) and we were whisked away, ending up in some large underground cavern. The spell made me nauseous; I really didn't like it. Then Kreon took us to a very odd boat waiting on the shores of what he called the "Sunless Sea."

It is a strange little boat. Kreon said that it was "liberated" from a race called Drow. These evil beings are elves who live underground; they delight in tormenting and enslaving other races.

It is a strange little group on the boat. Kreon has brought along his two children (Whedan and Kassie)....and then there are the kobolds. Nasty little yippers, Kreon keeps them in line through powerful magic. All they do is row and sleep.

There is also a woman, who appears to be sleeping, in a large glass box in the hold. Whedan said her name was Artera.

Finally, there are the six....well, I don't really know what to call us. Refugees, I guess? There is Katalla (a potter), Ciris (an arcanist like Kreon, only not as powerful), Ravenna (who likes to chat and is a bit of a pack rat), Enzo (who constantly practices fighting moves), Aesa (an intimidating women from the northern barbarian tribes), and me. Six humans, sailing across the Sunless Sea with enslaved kobolds providing the muscle for rowing.

This is turning out to be some journey!

Another Journey Begins

What a strange request--hide underground (for who knows how long) to avert a war? Huh?

That's what The Order wants us to do. Twelve complete strangers, chosen through vague divinations. One of us is, according to some Hextoran prophecy, the "chosen one." And while the "chosen one" lives, the forces of evil will not invade our lands.

Well, it's the least we can do.

Besides, this journey should prove very interesting, indeed!