“So many stairs!” Kildo lamented as he descended back down the 1,576 steps to the lower level. Losing the best two-out-of-three games of rock, paper, knife, he cursed himself that he might have been too predictable for always choosing rock. Thus he had to travel back up to the top floor of the Sacred Stone Monastery to find rope now flung over both his shoulders, and across the front were three large coils. Crossing the suspended bridge, he met Kai and Scomatch who watched him approach, as Guo Gan’s dimly lit torch was seen at the bottom. Dropping the coils of rope next to them, the cleric collapsed to the floor and began breathing heavily.
Kai took the ropes and then began to link them together and tied a few knots forming a loop, where feet could be placed. “Kildo, we need you as the anchor.” Grumbling under his breath, Kai tied the end of the rope around Kildo’s waist. “Now, when I give you the signal, I need you to start walking. Scomatch and I will pull Guo Gan up from the pit,” Kai instructed.
“One, two, three, Go!”
Kildo felt the weight of Guo Gan on the rope in his nether regions. His legs already sore from the 3,152 steps round trip, immediately burned and threatened to give in. Walking back north, he heard Kai and Scomatch grunting as they helped pull and kept the rope from cutting on the stone floor. At least that was some satisfaction to his dwarven ears. It took what seemed like forever, but likely only a few minutes, but the elven monk was soon back on the top of the stone bridge.
Thanking Kai and Scomatch, Guo Gan came over and placed his hand on Kildo’s shoulders. “Thank you dwarf.”
Moving south across the suspended bridge, the party entered a landing area 50’ by 20’. They noticed arrow slits to the east and west side of the room. At the southern end were two massive stone doors flanked by iron torches lit by greenish flame, which by their color was magical in nature and illuminated the area.
One of the stone doors was broken and resting on the ground. The other dangled on broken hinges. Each depicted carvings of lush fields of grain, but were worn and pitted. Above the gate’s entranceway were once wording, but had since been melted away. Someone then had added their own lettering, which read, ‘Temple of the Black Earth’.
“This damage be old, very old. It be taking something strong, like an earthquake to be knocking them off,” Kildo said examining the door on the floor and running his fingers over the pit marks. Pointing to the wording above the door the dwarf indicated, “However, that lettering above be newer. Maybe in the past five years.”
“What about the carvings on the door of the growing fields? Can you tell anything about the history of this place?” Kai asked.
“Nah, if it isn’t dwarven history, it be shite,” Kildo said, but then continued. “However, it be old and doesn’t match any contemporary history and predates the Rolaran Empire.”
“So, no one has been here in years,” Kai confirmed and placed his hands on his hips.
“I not be saying that,” Kildo said and then continued. “Be looking at the ground. Not a lot of dust, so this area be used frequently. Be warned.”
Glancing around the area, Guo Gan pulled out his grey bag of tricks and pulled out a handful of lint, and carefully placed it on the ground. It instantly transformed into a giant rat. It was slender with a pointed head, large eyes, and prominent, thinly pink ears. It had moderately long legs and long, sharp claws with thick fur and a long furry tail. “Who’s a cute rat? Who’s a cute rat? You’re a cute rat.” Guo Gan praised as he cuddled his latest magical friend. Rising, the monk and rat moved over the toppled door and into the room beyond. It appeared to have once been a magnificent receiving hall with a soaring ceiling, a set of six marble pillars, and walls covered in stone murals of prosperous farmland, but all had fallen into ruin. This area had also been the victim of a tectonic earthquake sometime in ages past. However, in the southeastern section of the room were four-bed rolls and a lit cooking fire, which was a new and recent addition. Two passageways led to the south and west with a northeast and southwest door, likely leading to the arrow slits they saw earlier in the entryway.
From the shadows, a hobgoblin emerged. It was large with dark orange skin and a long blue-red nose. Its eyes were dark brown with yellowed teeth and wore bright, blood colors over chainmail armor. Readying a shield and drawing a longsword, the weapon was highly polished and well maintained. It was prepared for combat.
Kai charged into the room passing three previously hidden hobgoblins right next to the door.
Slashing with his glaive, the creature blocked both attacks. However, the paladin brought the butt of his weapon swinging upwards, catching the hobgoblin in the groin. Though well protected, the impact was still felt.
The ground shook as a monstrous bulette rumbled its way into the middle of the room. Standing 9’ tall and at least 12’ long, its body was covered in thick, layered plates from head to toe. Its head was bullet-shaped, similar to a shark, with a powerful jaw filled with multiple rows of razor-sharp teeth and an ideal mechanism for snapping up prey. Around the head and rear, its armor was a blue-brown color, while in-between the hue ranged from gray-blue to blue-green. The area around the eyes were slightly darkened, with the eyes themselves being a yellow color with blue-green pupils.
A dark-skinned human emerged from behind a pillar. He wore stone-like armor and held a couple of spears in his hands. The bulette bent down and the man jumped on its back. He snorted haughtily at the party and he nudged his mount forward.
A whistling sound preceded the arch of a fireball coming down in the middle of the grand hall.
The cultist and the bulette’s eyes went wild as they were engulfed with flames by Scomatch’s spell.
Following in, Guo Gan lunged with his spear as he struck the hobgoblin Kai had attacked. The point penetrating deep through its chainmail shirt, it fell dead. Pointing to the second hobgoblin to the right side of the room Guo Gan said to his giant rat, “Scabbards, go eat him alive!” The monk then moved to engage the first hobgoblin on the left side of the room. Thrusting with his spear, the creature parried with its longsword, but Guo Gan twisted around the parry nicking the hobgoblin’s shoulder.
Knocking the spear away with its shield, the hobgoblin thrust with its longsword cutting Guo Gan on the arm. A third creature came from behind the monk and also slashed hitting him in the back.
Further south, the flames from Scomatch’s fireball dissipated. The bulett armored skin was burnt. The cultist rider’s head emerged from behind the land shark’s armor protecting him from some of the blasts.
Kicking its hindquarters, the bulette, like a flea, leaped into the air and came crashing down on top of Kai. Seeing it head for him, the paladin fell to his back and braced his glaive into the ground. The blade sliced into the creature’s side as it came down. Radiant light blasted from the end of the weapon.
The cultist, unable to see Kai under his mount, spotted the mage. Smiling, he launched a spear at Scomatch. The missile weapon landed between the halfling’s legs.
“Life is death. Death is rebirth. Rebirth is life, let’s fight!” Kildo chanted as Kai, Guo Gan and Scomatch’s form glowed brightly and then faded from the cleric’s bless spell. The dwarf then charged towards the first hobgoblin facing Guo Gan and smashed his warhammer into the armored creature’s thigh. Using his shield and momentum, Kildo plowed into its leg, knocking the humanoid prone.
The bulette, trying to stomp the paladin with its massive foot, Kai rolled and pushed himself to his feet. His glaive glowed with radiant power as it gashed the bulette’s side twice and the end of his weapon glowed with Kildo’s bless spell as it also struck its hide.
Picking up the cultist’s spear laying between his legs, he broke it across his knee. The halfling then began casting. A massive fireball formed and flew into the receiving hall. Flames engulfed the entire area, as the mage carved the spell around the party. The three remaining hobgoblins screamed in agony for the briefest of moments before falling to a crisp. The bulette also reeled from the flames, as the stone armored cultist again hid behind his mount’s armor.
As the flames dissipated, Guo Gan ran towards the cultist. Each was armed with spears. They thrust and stabbed at each other with the monk finding his mark twice, while the other once.
Entering the fray, Kildo struck with his warhammer, but it bounce off the bulette’s hardened plates. He also bashed into the creature but was bounced back by the impact.
Facing the bulette, Kai dropped his glaive and pulled his magical longsword. “I’m the dread pirate Kai and my wrath is as massive and treacherous as the sea. Eat this ya bloody mole!” The paladin leaped into an incredible flesh-splitting lunge with his longsword. Sparks flew as the blade slid between two burnt protective scales. It buried all the way to the hilt into the creature’s tiny brain. Its momentum stopped, its eyes rolled into the back of its head and collapsed, shaking the ground.
Thrown from the bulette, utter disbelief raced across the cultist rider’s face as he looked back at the slain beast.
“How about a little acid, scarecrow?” Scomatch voice boomed, as a chromatic orb of corrosive acid exploded over the downed cultist. Stone armor and skin melted like hot butter. He screamed in absolute horror and agony. Gargling acid, his cries were garbled as it ran down his throat. Reaching out in a plea for help, his flesh liquefied all along his arm and hand, exposing living skeleton. His eyes turned the color of boiled eggs, before popping. In moments, there was nothing left but a hollow skull, as his jaw unhinged itself. Bone began to melt and formed a greenish puddle of ooze along the floor until only a few bone-white fragments remained. The sickly smell of burned flesh and white fumes filled the room.
“Oh! That’s disgusting!” came a collective cry from the group, as they waved off the stench.
“What’s wrong?” Scomatch questioned.
“There be just something wrong about seeing someone melted by acid,” Kildo stated.
“Yeah!” the rest agreed.
Throwing up his hands in disbelief, Scomatch asked, “What are you talking about? That was an evil cultist riding a man-eating bulette that almost crushed Kai.”
“We know Scomatch.
We ain’t be sorry they be dead it’s just well…acid. It be sort of gross,” Kildo replied.
“Yeah!” the rest agreed.
“You didn’t say anything about not using acid when I started with the party,” Scomatch commented.
“Ye be a much-welcomed member, but we’re not sure which is worse. Cultists being cultists or watching someone melt horribly from acid.”
“Yeah!” the rest agreed.
“Could ye be using another weapon?” Kildo asked.
Scomatch scoffed in disbelief.
“Look, your name is Scomatch Thunderfire, so maybe just use fire instead. It’s painful sure, but a quicker death,” Kildo indicated.
Scomatch walked away from the group mumbling to himself as the rest searched the room. There wasn’t any treasure on any of the bodies. A couple of spears leaned against a wall, as well as the hobgoblins' longswords, chain mail, and shields.
Scabbers was found feasting on one of the hobgoblin’s charred corpses.
Kildo turned up his nose at the sight. Acid-melting people and rats eating corpses, Rigga save me. The cleric watched Kai heavily limp over to the cultist’s campfire and sat. The dwarf came up to Kai. “Hold still lad.” Kildo then laid hands on the leg, as healing energy raced up the limb.
“Ah, much better,” Kai said as he rose and put weight on his wounded leg. They both then heard a noise coming from the northeast door in the receiving hall.
Guo Gan motioned for silence and for the rest of the party to converge at the door. Counting on his fingers for the party to see, the monk opened the door and entered, spear tip first.
From inside, Kildo heard a male voice, “Did ya get that land shark to finally quiet down yet? Who are you? You’re not going to stab me with that spear…aaaah!”
There was more movement and more cultists from within converging at the door. Kai thrust with his glaive over Guo Gan's shoulder slicing into the chest of a cultist, killing him. A firebolt arched over Kildo’s head and exploded into the face of another leaving nothing but a charred skull, felling him.
Kildo cast as Kai, Guo Gan, and Scomatch glowed for a moment from his bless spell. Still outside the room, he could see Guo Gan surrounded by cultists, but weaving in and out from their attacks. Screams of a man out of sight indicated the monk had killed another. Kai pushed into the room and thrust with his glaive over and over, like a spear downing the last remaining cultists.
“We cleared them out,” Guo Gan called from inside the room.
Entering with Scomatch, Kildo saw it was a 30’ by 30’ guard room with five bunks, a kettle sitting on top of an iron stove, with a long stack of wood along a northern section. Masonry along the walls was mostly crumbled and littered the floor. A search revealed nothing of interest.
“We might want to check out the southwest door, as it’s likely a guard room too,” Guo Gan said as he yanked his spear deep from a cultist’s body.
Nodding in agreement, the party moved across the receiving hall to the other door. Finding it unlocked, Guo Gan ensured everyone was ready as he kicked it open.
“Hey, who in the nine hells are you!?” yelled a male voice from inside.
A sickly-green chromatic orb sailed over the party and erupted on the cultist’s head. He inhaled the poisonous gas as his face turned greenish-purple, as blisters formed all over his face instantly. Screaming in agony, the cultist fell dead.
Charging in, Guo Gan lunged with his spear skewing another and driving him to the ground killing him.
Shield leading, Kildo entered the room gripping his warhammer and ready to do battle. The room was 20’ by 40’ with three long beds and more broken masonry. A doorway was to the west to another room, where he could see another bed. However, there were no cultists in the current room, except for the two dead ones on the floor.
“There’s more in the next room!” Kai called out as he ran to the west. “I’m the dread pirate Kai and my wrath is as massive and treacherous as the sea!”
A voice called back, “Welcome to the Black Temple, Dead Pirate Kai!”
“Oh, I see what you did there. You son of a –!” A fierce battle ensued in the doorway. Sparks flew as glaive and scimitar-wielding cultists traded blows.
Around the corner to the south, a cultist in stone armor, similar to the one riding the bulette in the receiving hall emerged holding a spear.
A chromatic orb dangling with icicles slammed into the spear-wielding cultist from Scomatch.
The entirety of his front flashed frozen in ice. It took a moment for him to break free, as slush fell to the floor.
Guo Gan engaged the wet cultist as his spear slashed against his armor.
“Life is death. Death is rebirth. Rebirth is life. Let’s fight!” Kildo chanted as Kai, Guo Gan, and Scomatch glowed briefly by his bless spell. Kai continued to hold the western doorway but was being pressed hard. Kildo saw at least three cultists trying to push out, as they traded blows. The paladin wouldn’t be able to last much longer.
In the south, the stone-plated cultist held out his hand. Rumbling reverberated throughout the guard room. The marble on the floor cracked and bulged from below. The triangular armored head of a bulette pushed through. Its heavy clawed hands pulled itself up cracking the floor, like a spider’s web from its weight. The cultist mounted with ease as it emerged. Smirking, he kicked its hindquarters, the bulette leaped into the air and crashed onto Guo Gan and Scomatch knocking each prone. However, the halfling mage was pinned under the creature’s claw and didn’t move.
Rolling to his feet, Guo Gan stabbed at the cultist rider, striking once, but the second thrust bounced off his armor.
Adversaries to the west and south and Scomatch down, Kildo needed to put pressure on their opponents. Evenly between the two forces, the dwarven cleric began casting; spirit guardians.
A low, rhythmic pulsing began to emanate from the ground. A white light came from cracks in the stone. Fog rolled out approximately 15’ from the cleric. Small wisps of air arched out. Longer tendrils began to form and immediately blasted into the cultists in the western room. Cries of dread rung forth as the guardians blasted into them. Kai kept them in with his spinning glaive preventing their escape, as Kildo’s magic slew each, one by one. The wisps also attacked the bulette and the rider. While affected, their heavier armor yielded some protection. The cleric then called out a healing word spell towards Scomatch, which healed the most grievous of his wounds. The halfling’s eyes fluttered open.
Free of opponents from the west, Kai engaged the mounted cultist and the bulette. Thrusting his glaive he struck him from behind, hitting once, but missed as the creature moved forward towards the greatest threat in the room, the cleric.
“I’m the Ark of the Covenant!” Kildo snarled as he readied his warhammer and shield, as spiritual guardians formed around the cleric. The bulette charged. It tried to stomp on him, as the rider stabbed with his spear. The dwarf dodged the clumsy, clawed feet, and blocked the spear attacks with his shield.
The battle raged around Scomatch. Massive feet from the bulette stomped, as party members raced around trying to slay the beast. Everything was huge to the halfling. Any movement in any direction would have meant he could have been crushed, kicked, or just killed outright. The mage decided to lie on the ground as being the safest option. If he wasn’t up, he wasn’t a threat. However, he formed a chromatic orb in his hand. It glowed red. He threw it towards the bulette but missed as it leaped away at the last second. The orb burst into flames as it hit the ceiling.
Dancing around the bulette, Guo Gan continued to stab but was only finding limited success as the tip sometimes found flesh, but mostly hit armored bone.
Kildo didn’t have any better luck as his warhammer crunched into plates and a frustrated shield bash was also ineffective.
The cultist rider’s attention turned towards Kai. Kicking the bulette, it charged the stationary paladin. As it advanced, Kai planted his glaive into the ground making a deliberate attempt to impale his enemy with the weapon. The ground trembled as the weight of the creature approached. Kai jumped to the other side of his weapon. The mounted cultist’s eyes grew wide, as the momentum blasted the blade through his body knocking him clear off the bulette. Kai used the charge’s force bringing the cultist's body up and over his head to the ground behind him. However, Kai didn’t escape unharmed, as the bulette whipped his head around and bit into the midsection of the paladin. His plate armor crunched and dented inwards, as the triton screamed out in pain. The bulette’s razor-sharp teeth tried to pierce into the inner flesh. The sound of metal crunching filled the air as it chewed the paladin. Trapped in its jaws, Kai tried to pry its mouth open. The creature’s strength was immense. Kai lost consciousness.
Scomatch rose from the ground, as a chromatic orb formed in his hands. He called out, “I don’t use a dagger, I don’t use a dart, I use acid!”
The sphere flew and impacted the side of the bulette’s face. Its overlapping armor sizzled through as it melted skin. The monstrosity roared in pain. The limp form of Kai rolled out of its mouth. The bulette snout snapped towards the mage, but the halfling’s form was surrounded by silvery mists as he teleported out of the room.
Distracted, Guo Gan, Scomatch, and Kildo struck the bulette from multiple sides. Spears thrust, chromatic orbs flew, warhammer bashed, as spiritual guardians blasted through the creature. The bulette lashed out, but a final spear thrust from Guo Gan penetrating its head ended the threat.
Rushing to the limp form of Kai, Kildo laid his hands on the paladin and cast cure wounds. The triton’s eyes opened as Kai said, “Did we win?” Seeing Kildo nod in agreement, the badly bruised, bloodied, and beaten Kai limped over and sat on the snout of the bulette and breathed out, “A cuppa tea sounds pretty good about now.”
“I wouldn’t be saying no to a beer,” Kildo replied, but realized that neither the paladin nor the monk would have any as they glanced at the dwarf. “No? Well then, I be thinking I be seeing a kettle back on that iron stove.”
* * *
“It’s not beer, but that cuppa be kind of nice,” Kildo commented as he blew on the tea in one of the cups confiscated from the cultist guard room in the east.
Motioning to get the group’s attention, Guo Gan had his ear against the closed door leading to the receiving hall, the monk backed up, and whispered, “Someone is outside.”
The door blew open as it was kicked from outside. Two Black Earth guards in heavy armor swinging morningstars moved in with two additional, lightly armored cultists, wielding scimitars. There was a third cultist outside motioning to someone out of sight.
“Eep!” Scomatch called out as the cultist swung and missed him as he rolled out of one of the bunks he was resting in. He quickly formed and threw a chromatic orb. It sailed over their heads as it flew out of the room. There was a crack of thunder, as it impacted a pillar.
The Black Earth guards swung their morningstars striking Kai twice. His armor already heavily dented did help protect him, but the crushing pain was still visible on his face. Pausing to spit blood, Kai struck back as his glaive slashed into the nearest Black Earth guard.
“Life is death. Death is rebirth. Rebirth is life. I am the Ark of the Covenant!” Kildo chanted as he cast spirit guardians. A low, rhythmic pulsing began to emanate from the ground. A white light came from cracks in the stone. Fog rolled out approximately 15’ from the cleric. Small wisps of air arched out. Longer tendrils began to form.
Guo Gan rushed in from behind and stabbed with his spear. The tip penetrated deep into the Black Earth guard Kai had just struck.
It was a mortal blow. Yanking his spear out he weaved his way towards the two cultists trying to slash Scomatch. Lunging, he caught one of the cultists unaware as the tip pierced through the back of his chest, killing him. “Scomatch! Get out of there!”
Nodding in agreement, the mage vanished before everyone’s eyes as he went invisible. The remaining Black Earth guard and the cultist swung wildly where the halfling was a moment before but struck nothing.
Kildo’s spirit guardians blasted into the two cultists, killing one wielding a scimitar. The Black Earth guard bashed with his morningstar, but it had no effect on the wisps of smoke. Changing tactics he ran out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him.
“Oh no, ye don’t!” Kildo called out as he chased after the fleeing cultist. Pushing through the door, his warhammer clipped the Black Earth guard on the arm. He charged bashing with his shield but missed as the cultist moved away. However, the dwarf’s actions delayed his retreat, as Kai and Guo Gan emerged and finished him off with glaive strikes and spear thrusts.
“Where’s that other cultist?” Guo Gan asked as he looked for the one that was outside the room.
As the party moved into the receiving hall to search for the straggler, they all felt an impact tremor through the marble floor. It was getting closer.
“Back into the room!” Kai ordered. The three rushed into the eastern guard room. Just as Kai was about to close the door, another massive bulette moved into the room. There wasn’t a rider, but it spotted the paladin. The room shook as its massive weight rumbled towards the doorway.
“Where’s Scomatch?!” Guo Gan called out.
“That halfling could be anywhere,” Kildo replied as he pulled out his light crossbow and readied a bolt.
“Form a choke point at the door,” Kai said as he pulled out a small, healing potion and quickly downed the red contents.
The doorframe shook as the bulette crashed into it from outside. Rock dust fell from the ceiling and from the walls. The party members readied their weapons. The snout of the bulette smashed through. Kildo’s bolt fired, but ricocheted off its dense, plated armor. However, the cleric’s active spirit guardian blasted through the creature. It reeled from the radiant damage.
Kai advanced as he struck. His glaive slashed into the bulette. However, the paladin was too close. The creature snatched the triton into its jaws, shook vigorously, and threw his limp form across the room.
Grabbing his holy symbol of Rigga the mother goddess, Kildo prayed for healing. A wave of blue energy raced from the cleric into Kai.
It immediately shocked the paladin back to consciousness. “Did we win?”
“No lad, this still be going on!” Kildo shouted back.
Cursing under his breath, Kai grabbed his glaive’s shaft and rose. Turning he saw the frantic snapping jaws of the bulette, as it dug at the door frame trying to get in. The marble frame was holding, but completely spider-webbed with cracks. Hesitantly, Kai lunged with this glaive, but from a safe distance. Lacking the normal strength from the paladin, the blade’s edge bounced off the bulette’s hardened armor.
Not wanting to experience the same fate as Kai, especially unarmored, Guo Gan pulled two daggers and threw them. One embedded into the bulette’s skin, as the other bounced harmlessly off.
The halfling reappeared. Another chromatic orb from Scomatch flew and smashed into the backside of the bulette. It exploded in fire and burst several plates.
Screeching in pain, the bulette snapped at Kai, but the paladin used his glaives reach to keep out of range. However, the beast moved into the spirit guardian’s sphere of influence which took a heavy toll on it as it blasted radiant damage wherever it struck. The bulette began to thrash about. Kildo and Kai struck with their weapons, but they all either missed or were deflected by the burrowing creature’s thick plates. However, Guo Gan had somewhat better success as two more of his daggers embedded into its side. Backing up, the bulette propelled itself into the doorway. The frame was about to give. Knowing it would be enjoying a meal soon, it opened its mouth and roared in delight.
A whistling sound preceded a firebolt from Scomatch. The molten flame sailed right down the bulette’s gullet. Closing its razor-sharp-filled mouth in confusion, but realizing something had just happened, there was a muted explosion. Smoke and the smell of cooked meat steamed from its nose and the gaps in its mouth. A moment later, it slumped hard to the ground, dead.
“He’s here, he’s there, his spells are everywhere! Scomatch! Scomatch!” the party chanted and celebrated the reappearance of their mage. Welcoming the halfling back, there were sounds of multiple, heavily armored feet. From the western corridor in the receiving hall, six heavily armored Black Earth cultists arrived with at least one spellcaster among them by the mind flayer-like stone mask Qarbo wore when they were attacked in the Umber Hulk’s chamber.
The party members all looked at each other. Kai was heavily wounded with wet and dried blood covering his body. Guo Gan breathed heavily as he leaned worryingly on his spear. Scomatch gave a motion that his pockets were empty. All of his spells were cast. Even Kildo's energy was spent and doubted he could cast anything more than a simple cantrip. They were all at their breaking point with a fresh enemy before them.
A trickling sound of water in front of the cultist began to bubble up from the fissures in the floor’s marble. Like a geyser, a wall of water shot up 10’ high and curved 30’ long in front of the Black Earth cultist. At first, Kildo thought the sea was bursting through, but glancing back he saw Kai had cast the spell. It wasn’t doing any damage, but only blocking them, temporarily. There was one last trick up the triton’s sleeve.
"Emerald eels! We be leaving!” Kildo shouted and made his way north and out of the receiving hall.
Scomatch was way ahead of them, as he was out of the room and making for the stone bridge across the chasm where they encountered the gargoyles. Guo Gan didn’t even debate the decision as he also fled northward stopping only to grab his giant rat, Scabbards asleep on top of the hobgoblin corpse it had feasted on.
Kai was the last to leave ensuring everyone was out. He then saw the cultist slowly pushing their way through the wall of water. It was time to go.
Kildo saw the paladin begin to cross as he carefully navigated the rail-less stone bridge. The other three members waited on the far side, seemingly deciding if they were going to form a choke point at the far end. It was a logical battlefield position with the through of knocking them into the chasm below, similar to the strategy of the gargoyles. However, he remembered the unmovable determination of the heavily armored cultist.
It would prove impossible and a daunting task fighting them on their home turf. There was no telling what tricks they had up their sleeve. As he debated with himself, Kai reached the end of the bridge and turned. The paladin cast, as a fog cloud billowed up from the chasm below obscuring the majority of the bridge. Turning to the party, Kai said, “What are you waiting for!? Start moving up the stairs. If they follow we’ll fight them one at a time. If they don’t, just as good.”
Nodding, they’d prefer the stairs, the party turned and began to run and ascend up. At first, they took them two at a time, but it quickly was only one. If they were having problems climbing in what they were wearing, the cultist even fresh would have a harder time chasing and catching up to them in the heavier armor.
After an hour of climbing the stone stairs with minimal rest, they reached the top, slammed the gate, and Kildo locked the ancient gate with the ancient key. Listening, they didn’t hear any pursuers. It seemed the cultists gave up the chase. They all collapsed leaning against the stone wall and gate.
“Do you think there’s a back way they could come up?” Scomatch stammered between breaths.
“Nah, they not be building another stairway with 1,576 steps,” Kildo reasoned recounting that Scomatch had kept a stair count.
“It doesn’t matter. We are spent. If they come up we fight. If they come around, they’ll be tired and we’ll have rested,” Kai explained. At seeing their tired and worn-out faces, he mused, “I think it is safe to say that we can all skip leg day this week.”
03/26/2022 – Sacred Stone Monastery Treasure
· Welcome to 7th Level
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