Deviation Actions
Literature Text
Igniting the torches with a wave of his hand, Iagos headed for the safety of the center rank, between the cleric, Osiris, and the thief, Hunter, in the rear, and Illyana and two other swordsmen, Sylva and Vandar, ahead. He fiddled with the buttons on his elaborate contraption, a small mother of pearl box, inlaid with gold, housing the compass and three knobs under it. The first knob, encrusted with ruby chips, controlled the distance the device would search. The second knob, covered with emerald chips, controlled the amount of power that the compass would seek. The third and final knob was labeled ON / OFF in inlaid gold. After getting a satisfactory reading, he announced, "We must work our way northwest. Our goal lies somewhere on that path." This was the strongest source the compass had ever indicated, although Iagos was confused, since the needle seemed to waver a tiny bit to the west every few seconds. He paid it no heed, attributing it to the side effects of a powerful artifact. Taking his place, Iagos marched along with the others, towards the most powerful artifact the Circle of the Sword would ever locate.
Illyana glanced back at the opening in the mountain which they had passed through, but she couldn't help the feeling it looked like a fanged mouth, ready to snap shut at any moment.
"Dead end.", Iagos announced. "We'll have to turn around and take the path we passed earlier.", He turned, eager to continue the hunt.
"Wait.", Illyana commanded, holding up her hand. "There is a small hole here.", She brushed her blonde hair from her eyes as she stooped to peer through the tiny opening, revealing a slightly pointed ear. Her half-elven heritage had helped her in situations like this too many times to count, as she could shift her eyesight into the infrared spectrum. The torchlight stung her eyes, but she shook it off and examined the hole more closely.
"I see something in there, past the hole. perhaps another passage. Bring up the shovels.", Illyana called.
A few minutes later, the six had a respectable portal opened in the rock. The opening led off into the darkness, farther than the range of the sputtering torchlight could reach. Cautiously, they crept forward, looking for any small movement, anything out of the ordinary. Although what is ordinary in a hidden entrance in a strange uncharted cave near the top of the world? Illyana wondered.
Entering a small alcove in the rock, the group discovered a set of strange crystals seemingly growing out of a bare spot in the stone. "Don't touch them.", Iagos warned the thief, who was moving towards the circular pattern of stones. "The spell I have cast indicates that those particular crystals are magical, or were at one time. I don't know what will happen if you pull any of those away from the wall."
"I agree with Iagos, Hunter, we don't know what traps might be laid throughout this lair. Come up front with me and use your skills where they will be most appreciated.", Said Illyana. While her eyesight was superior to Hunter's, she was not as well versed in lock-picking, or disarming traps.
"Speaking of which,", Hunter suddenly announced. Peering into the darkness. "No one move.", He stalked forward about ten feet and knelt to the floor of the cavern. Hunter ran his fingers along the shallow grooves in the ground in front of him.
"What is it?", Asked Iagos.
"A trap, if I ever saw one. I don't see any holes in the walls, so I don't believe it to be a dart trap. I'm going to try to disarm it."
"Can't we just step over it?", Asked Iagos.
"I wouldn't recommend it, unless you like dying. Look up."
Looking towards the ceiling, Iagos noticed a line of faintly glowing moss growing curiously perpendicular to the grooves in the floor. "I see, a magical trap, then?"
"That is my guess. Did you happen to memorize any spells to counter magic?", Hunter asked.
"Of course. However, I suggest we camp soon, so I can regain the spells I lost today. Will that be acceptable, Illyana?"
"I suppose, but I don't want to stay in this hole for any longer than we must. And double the guard duty. Three people sleep, and two stay up. We don't know what is beyond this trap yet.", Illyana commanded, "Cast your spell, Iagos, and see if it works."
Iagos scanned the walls. "Where would the best position to direct the spell be?"
"Towards the floor, I think. They transplanted the moss, but I'm fairly sure it is natural.", Answered Hunter.
The sorceror began tracing arcane patterns in the air with his fingers. Summoning the energy for the spell, he pointed towards the grooves in the floor. Slowly, the grooves in the floor began to disappear. Gritting his teeth, sweat began to bead on his forehead. A loud popping sound was heard, and Iagos sank to the ground.
"Are you alright?", Asked Illyana.
"I will be fine.", Iagos replied, chest heaving, "But I don't want to encounter whoever cast that spell of warding. Powerful sorcery is at work here, and it is only growing stronger. The wizard who cast this is many, many levels above me in his learning. Only blind luck allowed me to counter his magic. Normally I wouldn't be able to dent it, which suggests he is either ancient and waning in his power, or dead. I'm not guessing which."
"I'd prefer dead." Illyana announced.
The group rounded yet another curve in their path, seemingly the thousandth such corner in their long trek under Frostmount. Lighting their third set of torches, they ventured ever farther into the claustrophobic depths. The walls of the cavern seemed to breathe with a life of their own, widening to enormous proportions, then, with maddening irregularity, shrinking to the width of a man, and no more, forcing the Circle of the Sword to squeeze through, one person at a time.
Raising her hand silently, Illyana stopped the procession. Amidst the sound of dripping water, the group spied what their leader had seen. Dominating the wall ahead of them, Giant granite double doors barred their progress. Stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and the floor in plentiful numbers. Unfortunately, water from above had trickled down for many years, carrying the minerals from the ceiling down the door's frame, effectively sealing the door tight.
Illyana began to rummage through her pack for her digging tools, when Iagos stepped up beside her. "We won't be needing those.", He said. Gathering a drop of water from a rivulet running down the wall, and scooping up some dust from the floor, he mixed the two ingredients together and smeared the small daub of mud where the crack between the doors should have been. Chanting more arcane words, he gestured towards the door in a circular pattern. Gradually, a round spot on the door approximately a man's heighth appeared, and slowly began to ooze away, creating an opening. The brownish, oozing compound pooled away from the hole, and began to dry.
"Rock to mud spells come in very handy in caves, I've found.", Said Iagos smiling.
Ancient, dry air rushed from the room beyond, mixing with the more humid air of the cavern around them.
"Unusually cold inside, don't you think, Illyana?", Asked Hunter.
"Yes, I agree.", Answered Illyana. A shiver ran down her spine, and she knew instinctively that something was different about this place. Still, she stepped forward, leading the group into the huge chamber ahead, Hunter stalking watchfully beside her.
A sudden shriek startled the party. Whirling about, weapons ready, The Circle of the Sword almost simultaneously gasped. Vandar, now the hindmost member of the group, was lifted high into the air by a mass of ebony appendages. Where the inky tentacles touched the unfortunate fighter's skin, a crust of frost appeared. The tentacles seemed to converge, and where the flurry of snakelike whips were, stood a jet black giant. Grasping Vandar in its huge hands, making absolutely no sound, the creature of darkness ripped the helpless man in half. Vandar's frostbitten torso flopped sickeningly to the ground in front of Illyana, whose eyes grew wide in shock. Choking back her own bile, Illyana sprang into action, the rest of her team at her back.
