“I be hoping what I be knowing what this be,” Kildo said, breathing deeply, as he put on the ring with a gold band wrapped around a feather from the fire giant’s treasure trove. He then stepped where Scomatch and Guo Gan had previously. A tickle traveled through his stomach, as he slowly rose and fell gently and leisurely toward the ceiling. The hole approached and he was easily able to pass through. Emerging on the other side, a circular, water-filled room was below him. To the north was a small, sandy island with two palm trees and an outcropping of rocks. In the southwestern section was a coral reef under the waves, with what appeared to be a large metal hatch in the southeast.
“I be hate getting wet,” Kildo grumbled as his feet touched the water. His body went under, but his Helm of Underwater action kicked in and he breathed normally. In the distance, he saw a dark form moving his way fast. An eighteen-foot-long dinichthys fish swam past. Armored, it could easily swallow a person whole. Bashing with his war hammer, it struck the creature’s side, but underwater it lacked strength. It turned back.
Guo Gan, wearing the Cloak of the Mantra Ray, and appearing similar to the creature, swam toward him. The dinichthys was right behind the monk. It attempted to swallow him whole, but the elf spun in the water, causing it to swim right past. Thrusting with Qiekamis, the staff smashed into the creature’s gills.
Water exploded as Kai belly-flopped next to him. Rippling bubbles filled the immediate area. Kildo pointed hurriedly toward the dinichthys.
Nodding, Kai braced Wave against himself. The monstrous fish’s jaws opened up attempting to swallow the triton whole. Stabbing with the trident, all three prongs struck inside its mouth. Radiant damage blasted from the end burning the creature.
Kai said, his word directed at the dinichthys, “We are sushi chiefs with plenty of wasabi and we are strong. Flee!”
Whether the fish understood or didn’t care, it returned for another pass. A fire bolt sizzled the surface as the magical flames struck its side from Scomatch.
The dinichthys swam past the floating dwarf. Kildo swiped with his war hammer, but under the waves, it was slow and missed. He then noticed a new group of forms coming their way. Ixitxachitls.
Large diamond-shaped and flat, blanket-like bodies with elongated wing-like pectoral fins, ventrally-placed gill slits, laterally-placed eyes, and wide, terminal mouths with razor-sharp teeth rushed in.
Kai immediately thrust Wave. He skewered one of the ixitxachitl. It struggled on the ends before dying.
In a feeding frenzy, they swarmed Scomatch. The ixitxachitl took numerous bites out of the halfling. Blood filled the water.
Another ixitxachitl charged in. The dinichthys’s mouth snatched and crushed its form. Gulped down a moment later.
Blood clouded the waters. Kildo swam toward the wounded halfling. Kai was there an instant later as healing energy passed from the paladin’s hands into Scomatch. The mage’s hands weaved as he cast, Vitriolic Sphere. A glowing one-foot diameter ball of emerald acid streaked from above. High-pitched squeals erupted. The dinichthys and the ixitxachitls forms twisted in agony, as their flesh slowly melted. Flesh, muscle, and bone peeled away, as their innards spilled and oozed into the surrounding waters. As they dissolved, everything felt oily and slimy. Visibility went to zero. He felt the bones of a rib cage float into him. Swimming to the surface, the others emerged too. Motioning with his chin to the island, Kildo said, “Let’s be getting out of this chum pool.”
Pulling themselves to the shore, Kildo sat on an outcropping of rocks. He pulled off his boots and poured out the fouled water contents. Kai and Scomatch searched the island as Guo Gan swam around the room, checking for anything of value. Ringing out his beard, Guo Gan emerged from the waters and headed to shore. He said, “Nothing out there, but a hatch. It appears the only way out.”
Swimming around the floating blob of muck that once was the ixitxachitls and dinichthys. The party submerged and Guo Gan led them to the access point. It was large and metallic with a wheel-like device. Around the perimeter of the hatch was wording, which read. Here lies the Soul Gem of Ahotep, third of the three Stones of Ahotep, preserved for all time in this impenetrable tower.
Gripping on either side, Kai and Guo Gan spun the wheel three times counterclockwise. Pulling it open, beyond led to a five-foot-wide tunnel. Fitting in one at a time, they traveled ten feet when it felt like they were turned upside down. Gravity reversed itself back to normal. There was a light ahead. Breaking the surface, metal rings were set into the wall to climb up. The tunnel led to another circular room. Domed, the ceiling was fifty feet high. In the middle of the room, floating four feet off the floor was a multi-faceted, opaque white diamond the size of a melon. An otherworldly sound followed as a powerful beam of light ignited a pie-shaped section of about one-eighth of the room. The party was blinded momentarily as spots appeared before their eyes. Standing in the southern section of the room, there was nothing else within, which was surprisingly clean and free of even dust.
Kai carefully approached the floating diamond holding Wave defensively.
Scomatch cast, Detect Magic. “It’s an abjuration enchantment.”
Kildo cast, Guardian of Faith. A towering spectral guardian in the form of a dwarf appeared next to the diamond. The manifestation comprised of a war hammer and shield with the blazing ankh symbol of Rigga, the Earthmother. However, the guardian stood there and didn’t move to attack. However, it wasn’t given much of a chance, as the same powerful beam of light ignited the eighth of a section it appeared in. As his eyes cleared, the magical guardian was just gone. “We be needing to get that diamond and be getting out of here before that light be focused on us.” He then moved away from the party to the left, just in case the beam concentrated where they stood. Someone had to remain standing.
Moving even further to the left of Kildo, Guo Gan tried to grab the diamond, but his hands were stopped. “There’s an invisible barrier!” He then swung Qiekamis. Smashing into the force field, sparks flew, but it held.
Thrusting with Wave, Kai struck the barrier twice, causing more flares from the object. Lunging again, the prongs slipped upwards from the slick surface.
“I’ll take care of this,” Scomatch said as he cast, Dispel Magic. A whiff of smoke and ‘pffft’ followed.
Kildo had never seen anything like the power this gem was emitting. He didn’t like the thought of anyone getting caught in it. He chanted, “Life is death. Death is rebirth. Rebirth is life.” All four party members glowed briefly as he upcast, Bless.” A spectral war hammer appeared as he cast Spiritual Weapon.” It struck the shield, causing more sparks to come off of it.
Swinging his quarterstaff like a bat, the blow struck squarely. The field flickered. Coming in for another swing, it missed and glanced off of the top.
Kai continued to thrust again and again with Wave. The trident glowed due to Kildo’s bless spell as the third strike came in. “Scomatch, bring the shield down!”
“You’re a wizard! Use your magic!” Guo Gan shouted.
“I still have to do everything don’t I? Back up, I’ll bring down this wall of force,” Scomatch said as he cast, Disintegration. A thin green ray sprung from the halfling’s finger. As it struck, the entire shield glowed for a moment. A whiff of smoke and ‘pftttf’ followed. It was ineffective.
“Why did you use that spell?” Kildo lambasted. Waving off the halfling, he commanded his spectral war hammer to continue to hammer away at the barrier. Pulling out his Wand of Magic Missiles, three darts of magical force slammed into the shield. It flared as each bolt struck.
Hot, white light blasted the section of the room containing the spiritual weapon. As the spots in his eyes cleared, Kildo’s spectral blue war hammer was gone.
Kai and Guo Gan continued to bash and lunge at the barrier around the diamond. Magical sparks flew every time their weapons struck. Kildo knew that contraption was about to blast another section of the room. He thought about getting alongside them, but it would also mean another possibility that one of them would be struck by that blasted white beam. He decided to take a defensive approach. He cast, Death Ward. His form glowed with a protective shield. He then moved towards the hatch opening to hide in case someone was struck. However, approaching, Scomatch was already descending into it. There wouldn’t be enough room for both of them.
“Find your own hidey-hole!” Scomatch said, waving off the dwarf’s approach.
Another blast ignited another section of the room. Clearing his eyes, Kildo saw it struck where he was a moment before. Terrible things would have happened if he hadn’t decided to head toward the hatch to hide. He breathed out a relieved sigh.
Twirling Qiekamis over his head, Guo Gan brought it crashing down. The barrier sparked and shattered. The melon-sized gem hovered.
Poking his head up from the hatch, Scomatch shouted, “I want that!”
Kai carefully plucked the object. A deep rumbling carried through the area. The floor began to move and shake. “Everyone out!”
The party made for the hatch as the room’s walls turned wispy white, like steam. The floor fell from beneath them. The tower faded from view as a brilliant flash blinded the party. Adjusting their eyes, it was nighttime and the group stood in the middle of the rubble pile in the castle courtyard. Another deep rumble traversed somewhere deep underground within the asteroid.
“Move!” Kai shouted.
The party darted across the courtyard. Silas hurriedly motioned for the group to board. “Thank the Water Maker! This place was becoming more unstable with each passing moment.”
Climbing up the ladder, Kildo entered the hatch on the third level and made from the bridge. Traveling through the ship, he noticed it was quite a bit cleaner since they left. Jonny One-Bags and Silas had been hard at work. Strapping himself in the captain’s chair, he pulled the helm down. The humming of the Space Ghost’s wings carried throughout the ship. “Everyone be on board?”
“Go, go, go!” Kia shouted.
The Space Ghost lifted from the asteroid’s surface and darted into deep space.
* * *
“So, what do you have to report about the Diamond of Destiny?” Kai said as Scomatch came onto the bridge with the melon-shaped gem.
“Well first, it’s called a Soul Gem. It’s inert at the moment and let me tell you, thank the fall harvest for that. We wouldn’t have wanted to get struck by this thing. It would have sucked a person’s soul right out and inside,” Scomatch explained.
“Anything else?” Guo Gan inquired.
“It looks like it’s one part of three. So, if it is connected with two other things, it will become much more active,” Scomatch replied.
“Do you be knowing what that is?” Kildo asked.
“Nope, but I suspect we’ll know when we see them.”
Kildo then noticed Silas enter the bridge with several rolled-up maps and charts under his arms. He motioned for the hippo spacefarer to come over. “What ye be finding out. I be flying blind up here,” Kildo whispered.
Coming in closer, Silas said, “While you were all away, I’ve been watching the stars and noted a few planets and planetoids.”
“Any be inhabited?”
“There’s no guarantee. It could be a poisonous gas ball, a poisonous water ball, or a giant turtle with a disc on its back. We’d have to get close to know for sure,” Silas explained.
“All right, which be the closest?”
“Hard to know, but probably the brightest one.”
“Where be that?”
Silas pointed to a bright object from the main viewing screen to the right.
Nodding in appreciation, Kildo mentally changed the Space Ghost’s direction as the engines kicked in harder and zoomed through deep space.
After several days of travel, the tiny dot of light grew bigger and bigger. Soon another asteroid, about ten miles long and half that wide, came into view. On the southern end were docking stations, where several craft made port.
One, in particular, stood out. It looked like an enormous conch shell with an exterior deck and rubbery tentacles protruding from the forward section.
Pulling in the Space Ghost into port and exiting, the dock warden greeted the party with a large book under his arms. An older gentleman with snow-white hair and well-pressed clothes. “Welcome to the Rock of Bral.”
“Is this thing on the back of a whale?” Scomatch asked.
“No, the entire city is on an asteroid. Not being transported by a massive whale.”
Kai asked, “This looks like a peaceful city.”
“What about that ship,” Scomatch said, pointing to the shell-shaped spelljammer.
Clearing his throat uncomfortably, the dock warden said, “Ah, yes. The nautiloid. Well, Bral is a neutral city, so any are welcome, as long as they don’t cause trouble and any combat business is off-world.”
“What about spellcasting? Specifically of an acid nature?” Scomatch inquired.
“Acid? No, gross. Why acid? It doesn’t matter, no offensive or prying spells. Just treat others how you would want to be treated,” the dock warden instructed. Now, name of the vessel and the captain.”
“The Space Ghost and it’s captained by Kildo T. Hammerhand,” Kai said, nodding respectively toward Kildo.
“Oh, I see,” the warden said, his brow crinkled in confusion as he looked to the silent dwarf and back to the talkative triton. He began to write the information in his large ledger.
“We’re just going with it,” Guo Gan commented.
“Hey,” Kildo said.
“Who’s the owner?”
“Me! Scomatch Thunderfire.”
As the dock warden finished writing the information down, Kai asked, “Have there been any ships made of fire that have come through here?”
“Made of fire? No. That’d be something I’d remember.”
“What about a Captain Vanifer or Captain Shatterkeel?” Kildo asked.
Scanning the ledger, the dock warden shook his head.
Huffing, Kildo took out ten gold pieces and placed them in his hands. “If they come in, please have someone notify the ship.”
Closing his book, the dock warden closed his hands over the coins and nodded to Kildo. He followed the group into the city. There were several merchant areas off the docks. Mostly ship maintenance, blacksmiths, and a variety of weapon and armor shops. But after he investigated their quality, they all appeared inferior and a gold trap for naive shoppers. Continuing and after about an hour in, it was easy to forget they were on another asteroid in the middle of space. They went down a pathway lined with trees and it seemed they were entering an area with a higher standard of living. Kai pointed to a nice-looking inn, which was set back in the road a bit.
Opening the door and entering, it was about half full and filled with a variety of humanoids. Some they recognized, but others they didn’t. A person playing the piano stopped momentarily as everyone glanced their way. The musician played again a moment later as the patrons returned to their discussions and drinks.
Kai went to the bar and a plump halfling with a black, thin mustache and goatee with an off-white apron approach. “Greetings. I seek accommodations for me and my companions.”
“Just the four of you?”
“Yes, two rooms for about a week. How much would that cost?”
“Two gold a night.”
“Does that include food and lodging, or just the room?”
“Just the housings, but we have a continental breakfast in the morning.”
“Very good. There might also be other members that might come and stay in the room. Will that be a problem?” Kai asked.
“No sir, not a problem at all. You’ll be staying in room numbers three and four,” the halfling said, handing two keys to Kai.
The tavern doors then opened. The piano player stopped playing with a resounding, hard note. The tavern went quiet.
Kildo turned and saw three creatures in long, flowing purple robes enter. It appeared their forms glided over the ground. Their heads were the color of sickening mauve and had a rubbery texture. Excretion of a thin film of slimy, glistening mucus keeping it moist, gave off a calming scent of vanilla. However, their most distinguishing feature was their elongated faces, reminiscent of an octopus, with a cluster of four flexible, unsegmented, extendable, purplish-black tentacles surrounding their mouths. Brow ridges sheltered their eyes and were uniformly pale and devoid of pupils, similar to those of a blind cavefish. They were unmistakably mind flayers. While surprised, he was jolted to also see another person with them carrying a large bag of their stuff. He had a sloping forehead, a jutting jaw, prominent teeth, and a bulky build. His head and body had a grayish pigmentation and someone he recognized, CragEar.
Their former crewmember spotted them and his face went wide in surprise. Joy spread across his face and hope. However, he then glanced back at the mind flayers looking at him and put his head down.
The halfling bartender wiped his sweating hands on his apron. “Please excuse me. I have some business to take care of.”
Moving over a couple of seats, Kildo didn’t look at the group, but wanted to ensure he was within earshot. The tension was thick enough to cut with a two-handed sword. No one seemed happy with the mind flayers’ presence. There were more than a few grumbles as hate-filled eyes watched them. However, if the illithids noticed, they didn’t seem concerned as they glided to the halfling bartender.
In a liquid-sounding voice, the lead flayer said, “I presume our order is ready.”
“Yes, yes. Oh yes, I have your order ready,” said the bartender, who continued nervously as he tried to control his shaking hands behind his back. “You have the agreed to payment?”
The creature’s tentacles writhed in the form of nodding.
“Stupid me. Of course you do. I’ll be right back.” The halfling went over to a barrel in the back of the bar, opened it, and retrieved a huge sack. It looked heavy as the bartender struggled with it. “I hope it is to your liking.”
The mind flayer opened it and looked inside. His appendages squirmed in delight. He then turned and nodded to the second illithid. Motioning to CragEar to get the large sack, he pulled out a bag from his robes and handed it to the halfling.
As the mind flayers turned to leave, Guo Gan approached the group and cleared his throat loudly. They all turned to the monk.
“Hello, I wanted to see if I can buy that one,” Guo Gan said, pointing to CragEar.
“Slavery is forbidden on this rock, hu-mon.”
“I’m an elf, but is it?”
"All brains look the same." The illithid turned to CragEar, “The orc is a free employee and works for us gladly.”
“I do,” CragEar said in a monotone voice.
“Is there a way for him to work for me of his own free will?” Guo Gan inquired.
“Are you offering to buy his contract? If so, it will cost five hundred gold.”
“Two hundred and fifty gold.”
“Six hundred,” countered the illithid.
“So, that’s how it is,” Guo Gan grumbled. The monk pulled out a heavy sack making a cheerful coin sound. “Five hundred it is.”
The illithid took the coin purse and the large sack CragEar was carrying with one hand. The group of mind flayers turned to leave the tavern.
As the door closed, Guo Gan asked CragEar, “Do you know where they are staying?” He motioned for the barkeep to bring food and drink to the table. The rest of the party joined.
“Dey have a nautiloid ship at ‘da docks where we kame from,” CragEar replied.
“What happened with the Sea Ghost?” Kai asked.
“While yer were gone on 'da Spiral, a ship uv fire kame from above. We thought it was Scomatch kom'n back, so we didn’t take any defensive measures. It didn’t take long for them ta scuddle ‘da ship. I don’t know wot happened ta everyone, but Red Fred, Chutney Vic, an’ Odium were grabbed by a net an’ hauled ta 'da fire ship. Flames were everywhere. 'Der were no signs uv Duarte, Rukh Glitterstone, Gyne, or Imago.”
“Did you see Captain Vanifer? A tiefling. All red. A real witch,” Kai said.
CragEar shook his head.
“Then what happened?”
“Fings den became less clear. I fink we were 'n space. Den we met up wit' 'da mind flayaz an I was happy ta sign on as a krew memba. I helped make dere nautiloid ship go, but I’m unsure how, but it was drain'n. I just rememba how tired I was. All da time.”
“That sounds confusing,” Guo Gan said.
“Yeah, it was very konfusing, but i’d ratha be wit' yer guys. I’m so glad ta see ya guys,” CragEar said as moisture filled his eyes.
“So, Red Fred, Chutney Vic, and Odium are still on the nautiloid?” Kai questioned.
“Yeah, dey are very happy on da mind flaya ship, just like I was,” CragEar said in a monotone voice.
“Kildo, do you mind,” Guo Gan said, motioning to CragEar as the orc stared off into space.
Nodding, he began casting, Greater Restoration. A wave of positive energy flowed into CragEar. The orc blinked several times. He then looked at the party.
“I’m so glad ta see ya guys!”
“Yes, we are glad to see you too. We need to get Red Fred, Chutney Vic, and Odium back. How many mind flayers are on that nautiloid?” Kai asked.
“A whole bunch.”
“Approximately?”
“I don’t know fer sure, but more dan this,” CragEar said holding up ten fingers.
“That’s a lot to take down,” Kai said, leaning back in his chair.
“Be remembering, there be no fighting here on the Rock of Bral,” Kildo reminded the group.
“Well then, we sneak on board,” Guo Gan replied.
Shaking his head, Kildo explained, “We can’t be fighting them numbers. Sneaking will lead to fighting, but there be another method I be thinking.”
“What’s that?” Guo Gan inquired.
“Just like CragEar. We be buying them.”
Treasure
· The Soul Gem
· Welcome to 12th level!
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