#44: The Darkness Below

A chill wind blows in off the sea, cutting through us as we stand silently on the beach, Moonmaiden resting in berth behind us.  Arcon and Raganok Tunterhorn kick stones and shells impatiently beside me as I stare out over Fireshear, waiting for the others.  Before long, I recognize Bonie’s light, rapid steps interspersed between Audric’s more predictable slow, heavy footfalls.  Looking over my shoulder, I see Vonn trailing behind, his robes dragging in the sand, and Lom beside him.  Even though we’ve shared the cramped quarters of Moonmaiden these past weeks, we haven’t all been together at one time in a while, and it is welcome indeed to be once again in the company of such stout allies and good friends.

Reflecting on the approaching autumn and the race to repair Moodmaiden against conditions which will force her to remain berthed for the long winter, we make ready to head into Fireshear to search for Selben when we are greeted by a messenger bearing a summons addressed to the “Most Valorous Archguard”, signed mysteriously with an “R”.  Though cryptic, I take the “R” to stand for Revenant, though it’s unclear if that’s indeed the source of the communication.  The melted wax insignia, a pair of crossed axes, smells of Mirabar.

The Gallows is an establishment of which we were unaware—most of the businesses and lodging houses of Fireshear are private and our business in the small town has not been extensive, however, so that is no surprise.  As our business seeking out Selben takes us into Fireshear anyway, it makes sense to follow up on the mysterious lead as well.

The skies are overcast, obscuring the morning sun.  The village bustles with its usual activity, predominantly miners and shopkeepers, and many of the faces remain unrecognizable to us.  While we enjoyed an initial period of notoriety upon our arrival, that seems to have faded, and we are provided little in the way of special attention.   Preparations for winter are evident, and traders visiting Fireshear from Icewind Dale to the north are likely making their final trips before routes become impassable.  Though the streets remain unfamiliar to us, finding Whalebone Street and the Gallows presents little obstacle.

The façade of the building is weathered, the venerable construction showing the appearance of having withstood many harsh winters.  When we knock upon the great wooden door, an iron panel slides away, revealing a pair of eyes within.  Peering through the narrow opening, we make their owner out to be an armored guard, so we present the letter, requesting an audience with its sender.  The guard accepts it, pulling the heavy door open, granting us ingress and leading us down a dimly lit corridor.  We are led to another heavy wooden door in a corridor with many others like it, the guard knocking upon it with a gauntleted hand.  A muffled voice responds, “Enter.”

The room beyond is a furnished bedchamber, and inside are two dwarves—one of them being Revenant, along with a third individual slumped into a stone chair against the wall.  He is presumably human, but it is hard for us to tell.  Both legs have been severed above the knee, the stumps bound in dirty cloth.  One of his arms was taken off at the elbow, bandaged in a manner similar to his legs.  The man bears heavy scarring on his face, and a heavily crusted bloodstained cloth is wrapped around his head.  So thick is the crusted blood that removing the bandage would likely be problematic, if not impossible.

Revenant draws out a long dagger from a sheath at his side, and the man in the chair locks his only visible eye upon the weapon.  It’s not a threatening gesture, but everyone is clearly on edge.  “Speak, if you will,” Revenant commands.  “Tell us what happened in the mine.”

The wounded man speaks intelligibly, but his voice is weak and stammering.  “It came from below.  The bridge was severed… scores of men were ushered to their doom in the depths unseen... darkness, then blood, everywhere.  Screams, pain, blackness, death…”  His lucidity seems overwhelmed by recollection of whatever it was that happened, and he nearly swoons.  “Death,” he pleads, “take me soon!”

“Thank you,” Revanant says, then he steps forward and runs his knife across the man’s neck.  He slumps forward, dead.  There is an awkward moment of long silence as we try to make sense of the situation.

Revanant breaks the silence, turning to us.  “This was the only survivor of a terrible attack, several days ago.  As you can see, he preferred death himself.”  An explanation follows, Revenant providing what little details he has about the survivor and the slaughtered mining expedition.  No further details about foe that wreaked such carnage is available.

I seize a pause in the explanation to ask what I feel is an obvious question.  “How did this man escape, and how was he retrieved?”  Revenant explains that a mining company opened a mine high in the peaks; this man was discovered by a replacement team of miners, rescued and returned to Fireshear.   “That’s where you come in,” Revenant says grimly.

Revenant outlines a plan for us to accompany a new venture of miners and engineers, our group serving as vanguard to encounter and deal with the unknown threat.  Upon successfully removing the threat, he offers our group a small ownership stake in the mine, five percent of any proceeds.  When Audric and Vonn ask for more details regarding payment, Revenent explains that the mine is believed to be a lucrative source of silver, copper, and other minerals.

“What more does the man remember of the attack?” we ask, disturbed that we were not able to question the survivor ourselves, though cognizant of the pain he must have suffered and his desire for eternal rest.  Revenant explains that the man could provide no more information—whatever happened occurred quickly, and the devastation was near total.  The original company had been in the mine a month before the replacement company arrived, so the attack could have happened days or even weeks before.

The “severed bridge” he spoke of is a reinforced rope bridge needed to cross a large chasm within the mine.  Our task is to guard the engineers as they assess damage and make repair to the bridge, so that the mining company may once again access the ore beyond.  “How long did the original construction of the bridge take?” I ask.

Revenant reveals that the bridge required a fortnight to build—not knowing the extent of the repairs needed, it could take equally as long to replace, though there is a chance that it could merely be a matter of setting new ropes across the chasm if the bridge is otherwise intact.

“Are there maps of the mine?”  we ask.  Revenant reveals that the mine was fairly linear, which is a relief—having spent time in the branching paths beneath Dagger’s Deep where we encountered the behir, I have no desire to enter another similar maze.

“Were there any other problems in the mines?” Audric asks, referring to goblinoids and other known denizens of mountain caves.  “That,” Revenant explains, “is unknown.”  If there were threats in the mine of that nature, they were handled by the original company and their guards, and no word returned to Fireshear of any such trouble.

Having extracted what information we could from the encounter, we beg pardon to excuse ourselves while we talk it over, unsure if we are able to commit to the task.  If nothing else, it bears a conversation with Dame Azurris regarding the timeline for repairs to Moonmaiden ahead of its eventual departure.  There is also the matter of risk and reward, though we have no desire to discuss that within earshot of Revenant.

Fortunately, we are able to easily gain audience with Dame aboard Moonmaiden, and he reassures us the ship still requires a month or more of work—and even at the accelerated pace of repair, he’s still not certain he’ll beat the winter.  As Revenant’s endeavor should take no more than a few weeks, depending on the condition of the bridge, there seems little danger of Moonmaiden leaving without us.

Vonn, who has been quiet until now, seems disinclined to become entangled in such a dangerous task.  Though he has been our companion now for several weeks, little is known of the necromancer’s motivations, though his aversion to the potentially dangerous mission is perfectly reasonable.  Audric, for his part, seems intrigued by the possibility of a positive resolution for the miners, who will surely be sent to make repairs whether or not we accompany them, and a lucrative resolution seems especially appealing. 

As our funds have suffered from several weeks without gainful employment, we agree to seek another audience with Revenant.  “Besides,” I mutter, “I haven’t killed anything in weeks.” 

We find Revenant in his chamber as we left him, though the mutilated body of the survivor has since been removed.  He seems glad that we returned, eager to come to an agreement.  “How many miners perished?” Vonn asks, pointing out how thorough the slaughter must have been.  Revenant reveals that there were thirty miners and guards in the original company.

“More importantly,” I interrupt, “how do we get paid?” As we plan to eventually depart Fireshear, the issue of actually collecting in the case that we are successful seems worth discussion.  Revenant explains our options—if we return having successfully liberating the mine from threat and repairing the bridge, we’ll have documentation of our ownership stake. 

“You could stay, if you like, and hope to live off proceeds from the mine” he explains, “or you could come back in five years and hope to be rich.” He also explains that we could potentially sell the rights, and Revenant says he would leverage his contacts in the town to negotiate a fair price for our stake.

“What’s your level of investment in this mine so far?” I ask, curious how much the dwarf stands to lose should this mission, and any others like it, fail.  Revenant grins but is elusive and provides little in the way of a substantial answer.

Vonn and Audric decide to negotiate a better deal with Revenant, asking for a larger stake in the venture, Aurdric pointing out that without our help, the mine is completely without value.  They submit a counter of eight percent, nearly double what Revenant was initially offering, and the dwarf offers compromise, increasing the ownership stake to six and a half percent.

“Seven and a half percent,” Audric counters once again, “and you know you don’t have a better option.”

“No deal,” is Revenant’s surprising reply.  Unable to find compromise, Vonn and Audric leave the negotiating table, unwilling to settle for less.  I take their lead and we leave Revenant’s company, having left without concluding a deal. 

Privately, I speak with the Tunterhorn brothers, explaining in broad strokes the details of the mission.  “I will pay you what was promised, and we can consider our arrangement successfully concluded, or I will offer you an additional fifty gold each week in the mine to accompany us on this endeavor, knowing the danger.  The Grunwaldan warriors do not disappoint; they accept our offer and seem almost insulted at the prospect of shying away from danger and concluding our original agreement.

Having nearly forgotten the task that brought us into Fireshear in the first place, we return our attentions to tracking down Selben, knowing that he would provide another capable ally.  Fortunately, he finds us first, catching us off guard.  He appears as if out of nowhere, his robe mud smeared and dirty, as is his face—smeared with mud, soot or blood, it’s impossible to tell.  The mage’s fingernails are caked with the same unidentifiable detritus, and Selben refuses to speak of where he has been these last few days or what he may have been up to.

Reunited, we decide to return to Moonmaiden and go about our nightly routine, though secretly, I’m hopeful that Revenant will see reason and seek compromise.

We awaken the next morning, noting the potential for serious rain and inclement weather over the next several days.  No messenger arrives from Revenant in the morning.  After discussion, we decide to wait until dinner—all factors seem in our favor, but we decide that we will delay until the evening, at which point we will return to Revenant and accept his offer.  Though we wait impatiently, no invitation or runner is forthcoming, so we return to the Gallows and prepare to assent to Revenant’s compromise.

We see that the room has been cleaned, Revenant sitting alone at his table poring over a stack of parchment.  Audric approaches, asking flatly, “When do we leave?”

Revenant grins again, a wicked gleam in his eye.  “I’ve already found somebody else.”  After a pause though, he continues.  “But you’re better.” 

We clasp arms, closing the deal.  “Meet outside the Gallows first thing in the morning,” he commands, “everything will be prepared.”

The following morning, we meet a crowd gathered outside the Gallows.  It is a mixed crowd of men and women, human and dwarves, though most bear the rugged look of miners or craftsmen.  We are provided formal introductions to two members of the group—Clanden, the lead engineer, and Vicus, his assistant.  We are to accompany a single cart drawn by a sturdy mule, suitable for the rugged mountain passes as we ascend to the location of the mine.

With little fanfare we depart, hoping to stay ahead of the weather.  It remains reasonably clear, the sun finally piercing the veil of clouds that had been so oppressive these last weeks.  We head northwest from Fireshear, finding a steady rhythm as we traverse bits of bumpy road interspersed with overgrown trails.

As we travel, Clanden shares what he knows of the mine and the fate of the previous venture.  It is a cave perched upon a rocky precipice—we’ll have to climb to enter, leaving the mule and cart below.  If all is well, there should be ropes, pulleys and ladders to assist with lifting supplies to the cave.  The entrance leads into a cavern wide enough for two men to walk abreast, though it narrows quickly into a tunnel of perhaps a hundred yards, a shaft which leads deep into the mountain, through which we will have to crawl one at a time.

When asked about the size of the shaft, Clanden replies, “Even a dwarf cannot stand.”  It seems that the attack occurred deep into the mine beyond the shaft, as most bodies were retrieved after having climbed back through.  The majority of the fallen were unaccounted for, likely perishing before they could retreat through the tunnel mouth.

I broach the uncomfortable topic discreetly, “What was the nature of the wounds?  We saw one survivor who had lost several limbs but could ascertain little.  Were the wounds from rending, cut clean as if by weapon?”

Clanden reveals that the wounds were animalistic, savage, rending.  Limbs and gore were strewn about.  He explains that beyond the shaft is a natural cavity, across which runs… or ran… a rope bridge.  Running water can be heard below, but the height is several hundred feet, too deep and treacherous to navigate.  The miners had been working on the far side of the chasm.

The mountains surrounding Fireshear aren’t extensive, instead being a smattering of peaks among lower hills. Our travel the first day is easy, quiet and peaceful, as is the first night.  We build an open camp with a large fire and set watches, though the night passes uneventfully.

The second day, we recognize a subtle transition into more mountainous terrain, following a beaten trail that has been used by mining companies for decades.  Lom seems comfortable, the trail easy for him to follow, and deep into the second day we come upon the peak where the mine is situated and find everything much as Clanden predicted it would be.  Tools and gear litter the area, and nothing seems out of order—certainly no clue of the carnage that is said to lie within.

From the edge of the cliff, perhaps fifty feet above, dangles a series of ropes and pulleys, rigging to help lift supplies from the trail into the cave.  Climbing up and down the cliff, as long as the group is not under duress, should not be an issue for anyone.  Audric volunteers Bonie to ascend first and I brook no argument, as she is easily the deftest climber among us.  I volunteer myself to ascend second.  She nimbly climbs the ropes and ladders, peering around for signs of danger, and finding none she waves for me to follow.  Once atop the precipice, there’s an eerie sense of quiet, and my stomach turns in anticipation of what we may find beyond.  I start to notice dried streaks of blood, tattered cloth… subtle signs that something very wrong happened within the mine.

With the sun waning and the unloading of supplies underway, Clanden explains that companies would typically split up during the night, lookouts atop the precipice, the others with the gear below.  We decide that we’ll leave the Tunterhorn brothers to guard the engineers while we clear the entryway, making sure it is secure and free of danger before we post guards.

The rest of the group hauls themselves up, Selben nimbly scaling the cliffside by virtue of his powers—beyond arriving safely at the precipice, he’s able to scout the immediate area, checking for any obvious signs of threat or alternate openings, but finds no source of worry.  Striking torches, we enter the cave—Audric and I in front, Lom and Bonie with their bows behind, and Selben and Vonn bringing up the rear, torches in hand.

One thing becomes apparent immediately—there are no scavengers present.  As we progress, the stench of decay assaults us, and at one point we find ourselves stepping through a string of sticky entrails.  Signs of slaughter abound, remnants of those that survived the initial attack but that perished before reaching safety outside.  At the end of the cavern we find the shaft, a menacing black maw which leads deeper into darkness.

We bring our various magical abilities to bear, raising what defenses we can while scouting the area for signs of the supernatural.  As those so gifted among us do their work, Bonie and Lom stand guard at the precipice, watching over the bustling engineers and miners.  Selben wanders the cavern with a lit candle, poking about the bits of remains that litter the floor as if on a grim scavenger hunt.

We find no indication of any imminent danger, and having made what preparations we can, we decide to camp for the night.  Audric and I decide to the take our rest near the shaft, while others split watches either atop the precipice or with the men and women below.

We awaken the following morning ready to attempt the shaft.  Instead of crawling through the cramped opening, Selben uses his magic to alter my size—when he is done, I stand just over half my previous height.  It takes a few moments to become accustomed to my new dimensions, though the alteration allows me to move more freely within the confines of the tunnel.  Audric crawls behind me as I lead.

Even with my new diminutive frame, the tunnel takes several long minutes to traverse.  When we exit, we find ourselves on what appears to be a cliff or ridge on the near side of a large chasm.  Another such ridge can be seen in the flickering shadows beyond.  The ceilings of the natural cavern are high, perhaps thirty feet, and strewn about the area are discarded tools, a mine cart full of ore… and bits of slowly decomposing corpses.

The actual corpses are gone, but fragments of limbs, spatterings of blood and drying entrails abound.  On the other side of the chasm, we see more signs of carnage.  The anchors of the bridge that once went across the chasm are still intact, but the bridge itself hangs limp, having nearly been severed in the middle, left hanging by only a single rope.  The chasm is perhaps fifty feet across, making the task of repair a treacherous one.

We usher Clanden and the others through the shaft to evaluate the damage to the bridge.  I explain an elaborate plan to magically assist the critical first repairs, and Clanden seems hopeful that it will work.  Given the danger of the task and extent of the damage, Clanden says that he will conduct the repairs himself, while others assist and act as runners.  The rest of the company will stay behind with Arcon and Raganok to guard them.

As our plan requires magical preparations, we decide to retreat back through the tunnel for another night while the engineers eagerly discuss their plans to conduct repairs, bringing the required equipment into the cave.  In the deep hours of the night, I find myself meditating on the nature of whatever creature it was that caused so much death—surely nothing of the natural world. 

The next morning, we repeat our trek through the shaft, bringing magical defenses to bear as we peer through the darkness, wary of ambush as the others clamber through the tunnel bearing tools and other gear.  Selben imparts the same ability he used to deftly scale the mountain to Clanden, in hopes that it will ease the man’s steadfastness while he reinforces the bridge.

We all watch eagerly as Clanden begins his work, hugging the remaining rope as he pulls himself delicately over the middle of the chasm.  A few minutes into the endeavor, there is a sudden sound, a whoosh of air as if something has flown towards or over us in the dark.  I focus on the far side of the chasm, senses bolstered by magic, but don’t detect the threat in time.

A black form swoops up from the chasm, directly to where Clanden is working.  Time seems to slow as we see his limbs fly from his body in a spray of blood—his arm severed, his guts exploded and he falls into the chasm, a scream barely managing to escape before he disappears into the dark.  Above the bridge is a leather-winged creature with corded muscles, its form black, barely visible in the torchlight.  Roughly man-sized, maybe larger, there is a sense of imminent, unworldly danger.  The creature swoops again to attack.

I call upon Malar for a blessing as we ready ourselves for its approach.  Lom and Bonie let arrows fly at the creature, though if they have any effect at all, it is unapparent. Vonn, who had conjured a spectral limb with his necromancy to assist in the bridge repairs, uses his powers to impart it with magic—a dim blue aura surrounds the floating hand, and it radiates supernatural cold.  The cavern ceiling explodes in a cloud of glittering motes which cling to the winged demon’s supple form as it dives towards us. 

It recoils when it confronts a globe of unseen force, having crashed into one of my abjurations.  It changes course, recoiling before it gathers its senses and with a snap of its wings, returns to the ceiling of the cavern above.  Lom strikes the creature with an arrow, and while his aim was true, the arrow does not penetrate, betraying the creature’s probable immunity to mundane arms.

There is a moment of panic as we fear that we may be outmatched.  Remembering our encounter with the behir, I set a similar plan in motion as the others ready themselves for attack.  The creature shrieks unnaturally as its assaults are once again deflected, its frustration echoing within the cavern.  Audric raises his enchanted sword and cuts deeply into the demon as it flies by.  At my side, Vonn manipulates his conjured hand like a necromantic marionette, though unable to match our enemy’s speed.

I herd the group behind me, ordering Bonie back through the tunnel, knowing that she can’t aid in this battle.  I voice the words of power to form another abjuration, a hazy, draconic form of mist forming between us and the demon.

As it dives once again to attack, I am overwhelmed by an assault on my senses.  A feeling of emptiness overtakes me, forcing me to my knees as the attack threatens to swallow my consciousness.  Unwilling to leave my friends to face such danger alone, I fight back against the effect, managing to pull myself to my feet, the words of an incantation upon my lips—one that will force the creature to attack me once again.  I look up just in time to see it dive towards us, a shadow filled with fang and claw.

I roar out a challenge, invoking Malar as my allies raise spell and weapon to defend against its attack.  The ethereal mist strikes out at the demon as it approaches, and as it did with the behir, the demon is rendered motionless by the spell.  Instantly we fall upon it—Audric and I striking with our enchanted weapons as Vonn unleashes a volley of arcane bolts into the creature.

Unable to move or defend itself, it is quickly torn to bits by sword and sorcery.  As the creature dies, my head reels and I lurch forward, overwhelmed with nausea as the demon’s mental attack dissipates.  I spit bile from my mouth, then start laughing—a deep, satisfied laugh.

Reveling in the kill, I step forward and cut the demon’s heart from its chest.