By Brian P. Clausen 6/6/99
Oxander quickly learns their language and begins negotiating for a guide to the surface. He learns that the Skaven have tunnel routes to many different kingdoms, including the "big land" which is apparently a reference to the Empire (they do not, however, know of the party's homeland, Barsaive).
Aliou converses with their leader, Squee-awk, in the tongue of earth elementals after learning that the Skaven have an affinity for stone elementalism. Aliou offers Squee-awk stone elemental coins in exchange for a guide and also to be able to see what it is that they have of great value that he is detecting at the town center.
Squee-awk agrees to the bargain and takes Aliou through huge crowds of Skaven to the center of town where stands an interesting structure. Squee-awk explains that his people were created by the Slaan and that this structure was already here when his people first arrived. It looks like a rounded pyramid with four nine foot tall rat-like creatures standing like statues at each of the rounded corners. Squee-awk visits each corner, eating something from a pouch and concentrating as if undoing a lock (as with Reshape Object) each time. When they get back to where they started from there is an open doorway. They enter and pass through a maze to reach a copper bowl full of impure oricalcum at its center. Apparently the Skaven leaders get power over the elements by eating small chips of this material. Squee-awk then leads Aliou back through the maze (which is now completely different) to rejoin the party. The party returns to their house for an unenventful sleep.
The next day "Guide" the Skaven leads the party through a long series of passages that gradually rise towards the surface. During their trek Aliou studies the prize they rescued from the elemental mine, the Seventh Book of Harrow. He translates to the best of his ability a section that he believes discusses the construction of kaers, but confusingly it keeps referring to the use of Orichalcum to create gates. Unbeknownst to him, part of his pattern responds to these readings by creating a very tiny gate within the spellcasting portion of his own pattern.
Finally after a long travel they reach what must be the foot of the flat mountain in which Aurum the dragon lives. There the party experiences some trouble with stone-switch doors under tremendous pressure because of the water of the dragon's lake. But with the help of the level three water elemental still with them and a rod of teleporting loaned to Aliou by the dragon, the party finally reassembles in Aurum's presence, their blood oath fulfilled.
Aurum receives the book from Aliou and after explaining how dangerous it is decides to keep Aliou in a small force field-like area for observation. There he eventually notices the growing astral gap in Aliou's pattern. Aurum explains that as this gap grows, Aliou's spells will actually be easier to cast and more effective. Casting will become a mixture of pleasure and pain. At some point, however, a psychic Horror will notice the tiny opening into astral space and invade Aliou's pattern. Aliou will then cease to be Aliou anymore. The dragon puts a magical "plug" into the hole as a temporary measure while he reads the book to learn of a permanent fix. He suspects that going through a larger gate will close down the smaller gate.
Oxander is flooded with orders for improved armor and weaponry and begins smithing. Pole begins training.
Demek, being a cavalryman, is very concerned about his horse which he left back at the tower with the apprentices Tian and Brianna. He seeks the help of Nethe and Aliou in going to their rescue. Aliou accompanies them, despite feeling certain that a trap awaits. Upon their arrival at the site of the tower they find that it is no longer there. Huge wheel ruts imply that it has been carted off whole for use by the Horrors. All the entrances have also been smoothed over and even replanted with grass. But Demek is certain that his horse is in the elemental mine.
Aliou has some magical porters dig into the hill. The porters uncover a portion of an iron wall and then freeze as the Horror runes on its surface activate. A baleful, blinking eye appears in the iron and watches the rescuers. They decide to rebury the wall and try again from the top. Conscious that they may have activated a signal and that even now some Horror may be working its way towards them, the small party works under mounting pressure. They break into the cavern and get very close to the horse, only to find that it is behind a second iron wall.
With some difficulty they manage to break through the second iron wall. They reach the horse, which appears to be standing there all alone. There is no sign of their trainees. Demek notices that some strange creature has affixed itself like a parasite to the horse's flesh. Demek attacks the creature and the horse begins to shudder. Finally Demek kills the thing and it falls off. Aliou casts Metal Wings on the horse and they quickly exit the cavern. Fortunately, nothing is waiting there to attack them.
They look at the horse, unsure of its health. Nethe studies it astrally and is shocked to learn that some terrible creature is co-habiting the horse's brain. Nethe relays this to the other two. Everyone looks at each other for a moment.
Finally Nethe faces Demek and says, "It looks like you're going to have to kill your horse, Demek."
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Copyright © 1999-2000 by Brian P. Clausen. All rights reserved.