[Completed] - Quirin/Dwarves III - 5 April, 1 VC

[Keehnelf]

April 15, 1 VC - 8:20am

The party heads, newly cleaned and refreshed, toward the entrance to the labyrinth. The passage is broad, perhaps fifteen feet wide, with walls reaching almost twenty feet to either side made of a dark, smoky granite. The stones of the walls are fitted and precisely-cut, but not polished. On the right hand wall just inside the entrance, a series of large runes has been added to the stone in washed-out and sun-faded chalk. It looks like dwarven lettering, which unfortunately no one in the party understands.

Looking ahead, the floor of the labyrinth appears to be constructed of large flagstones, dotted with lichen and sometimes mossy, with grass and other weeds sprouting up through the joints in the stone as well as through self-made cracks in the pavers. The overall impression is the courtyard of a long-abandoned castle or parade ground, without menace or sign of violence. The passage continues straight for some forty feet before reaching a T intersection that leads to the left and right.

The party edges its way forward, not entirely sure what to expect, and approximately halfway toward the intersection a loud but calm and aristocratic female voice suddenly echoes over the small valley: "I don't know what you have come here for--probably, it has already gone. I just wanted to let you know that I've released an owlbear into the labyrinth, and I will release a similar creature into the maze every fifteen minutes until I see your ragged remnants depart my property by the main entrance. This is the only warning you shall receive." The air grows quite still almost immediately after.

[Spartakos]

Galen looks dumbfounded to hear the voice, but soon recovers his aplomb. In a loud voice, he calls back, "We cry your pardon, milady...we did not know this lonely place was still inhabited. We are but seekers after knowledge and fortune, come from Vaul to investigate the mystery of this tower. Who are you, and how long have you dwelt here?"

If we don't get any answers, I'm for backing off.

[Keehnelf]

There is no answer after a minute or so.

[KingOfCowards]

My first reaction is similar to Spartakos, we should probably get out of here instead of fighting monsters in the labyrinth. But are we sure she is telling the truth? It seems pretty unlikely she is holding a menagerie of monsters in the tower and would go through the trouble of releasing them every 15 minutes. Could this be an illusion?

Bertram looks back at his group, wondering if they have any ideas. When they do not hear an answer to Galen's response, he backs everyone up to before the T and re-enters, to test whether there is some type of trigger to get the voice to talk.

I am fine witb leaving if this does not work.

[Keehnelf]

To clarify your position--you had only made it halfway to the T when the voice rang out. Let me know this affects your planned movement.

[KingOfCowards]

I have not heard from any others, so I think we will back it up to before the dwarven runes. From there Bertram will go halfway to the T intersection as they did before to test whether the voice recites the same message again.

[Keehnelf]

He hears nothing.

[KingOfCowards]

Alright, I'm down to leave unless someone really wants to fight an owlbear and gods know what else while we try to navigate the labyrinth.
Bertram shrugs and walks back towards the rest of the group.

[hedgeknight]

"What's an owlbear?" Krysta asks, with a confused look on her face. "I've never heard of one before...that I can remember. But...from your reactions, I can tell it's not a good thing, right? I'm for leaving. I have no more spells for the day anyway."

[GTan_Baq]

"What's an owlbear?" Krysta asks, with a confused look on her face. "I've never heard of one before...that I can remember. But...from your reactions, I can tell it's not a good thing, right? I'm for leaving. I have no more spells for the day anyway."

Abi says, "I don't know what an 'owlbear' is either but, if it is being released to chase us away, it can't be good. This must be a wizard tower and from everything I have seen here they do not want to be disturbed. I'm all for leaving."

[Keehnelf]

April 15, 1 VC - 8:40am

The party agrees that discretion is the better part of valor, and exits the labyrinth as a group. They are perhaps thirty feet outside the entrance when the same aristocratic female voice echoes over the valley, "I appreciate your intelligence. Good luck on your journey. Petition directly with Gervan if you seek an audience."

[KingOfCowards]

"Does anybody know who this Gervan is that she talks about? Maybe someone in town knows. So, do we all in agreement to head back to Vaul?"

[GTan_Baq]

Abi says, "I know nothing about this Gervan, but yes we may as well head back to Vaul. There isn't much else we can do out here."

[Spartakos]

Galen frowns and appears to think for a time. "I like this not. This mysterious woman says she will give no other warnings, but then gives us a semi-friendly goodbye. Yet does not respond to polite inquiries? I also know nothing of Gervan. Methinks we need further information; at the least, maybe we can find someone who reads dwarvish to take a look at that inscription."

"Lets head back to Vaul. We can regroup, resupply, perhaps do some research in Vaul, if there is any information to be had, and plan our next venture. And don't forget we still have that map we recovered from the hobgoblin, and the knowledge we obtained about the east...the Duke may find it of interest."

Does heading back work for everyone? Does anyone have an alternative thing they'd like to try first?

[hedgeknight]

"We've learned some things from this venture and lived to tell about them. I'm with the rest of you, my friends. Let's head home."

[GTan_Baq]

Abi takes out her quill and some parchment and writes down the dwarven inscription. Maybe someone in town can tell us what it means.

[Keehnelf]

It seems the consensus is return to town--what direction will you head from the entrance to the valley?

[Spartakos]

Southwest for a day, then westward should get us to Vaul.

[hedgeknight]

Agreed. Krysta is ready to get back to town.

[Keehnelf]

April 15, 1 VC - 5:10pm

The party regroups and heads southwest from the black tower and labyrinth, moving across the moors with a melancholy sure-footedness that comes from repeated travel in these parts. The sun has begun its quick slide down into the western horizon ahead of them when they spot a small camp set up on the land ahead of them, several hundred yards. They have been spotted at about the same time, and two sentries of the camp come forth slightly, bows at the ready, in case the party decides to attack. The camp itself appears to be four small leather and canvas tents clustered tightly around a small cook-fire that has been damped and is no longer even smoking. It houses perhaps a half-dozen goblins.