2019-12-17 - Mines 2.0 (and subsequent downtime) - Heret

15 Nightal, 1396 AR
encamped near the Stone Road

Frustrating. New approach clearly needed.

Rose some hours before dawn. Bron somewhat recovered. Gave him a note telling L to look after him and pay him his full fee and a little more, sent him on his way back to DH. Z complained of headaches. We rode on to Stoneleaf. Z’s headaches lessened.

As Bron said, no guards anywhere, though the signs warning against trespass at least are still on display. Left the new guards in the town with strict warnings not to enter the tunnels or let anyone else enter. Made clear to Taz & F that they had permission to enter and move about the tunnels only as far as granted by me. Taz, finding that the others were being paid, also agreed to the terms of engagement and fee.

Inside, Lex greeted us and spoke of wanting us to do a job for him – asked us to come to his study to discuss terms. I instructed the others not to do so. F went anyway. When Lex understood that the rest of us were not going to go to his study, he set out his ‘terms’ anyway: 300 gp to deal with a ‘damp problem’ on a lower level. Also gave some more detail of his desire to be ‘freed’: said that he believes he needs to drain the blood of 12 living human-like creatures to transfer himself to a new body. I asked him about his pact with fiends & he confirmed the indications in his journal: he made an agreement with them to get a new body but tried to renege after the process had begun, so they left him disembodied.

P & I strongly suspected that this ‘damp problem’ was whatever had claimed the mercenaries: probably some sort of monstrous water-creature. I told the group that we could consider investigating this after completing our original mission to explore the tunnels. Taking the central exit from the chamber of the riddling skull, we found a mosaic on one wall (see sketch map) with text giving a riddle (‘Halo of water, tongue of wood, skin of stone and long I’ve stood; my fingers short reach to the sky; inside my heart men live and die. What am I?’). Z immediately spoke her guess and we were all riddled with small darts. After some thought I encouraged the others to fall back a way before I ventured my guess, which was correct: a stone castle with a moat of water and a wooden drawbridge. The mosaic rearranged itself to reveal a void, probably leading to Lex’s hall, as well as 3 healing elixirs.

Further on (see sketch map) the passage became impossibly narrow. Gaps in the wall enabled us to see through to Lex’s study where F was waiting, but we couldn’t hear them and it seemed they couldn’t hear us. Lex invited us to step through the wall. Tr and Taz did so, contrary to my instructions, but returned when Z conveyed to them magically that if they didn’t return immediately they would not be paid or ever again permitted to enter the quarry.

After scouting ahead in the form of a small bird, P reported that the narrow passage led to a spiral stair leading downward. Z asked Lex to widen the corridor, which surprisingly he did. Along the way I noticed a trap triggered by pressing down on a flagstone; tried to disarm it but slipped and we were rather scorched. Trap seemed to be exhausted but check on next occasion in case repaired. We eventually reached the top of the stairs but I decided to finish the current level before going down, so returned to the skull chamber.

From there, took the left-hand exit and reached the junction where Bubbles’ bird had seen bodies before – probably the three lumber workers. This passage turned out to be a curious magical trap activated by looking at a reflective painted eye at the far end. This caused a wall to appear and move steadily toward the eye, threatening to crush us all; it transpired that one could pass harmlessly through this moving wall provided one did not look in its direction until well clear of the corridor. This made it impossible to recover the bodies, but I did collect their personal effects and satisfied myself that they are the three labourers from the lumber camp. TASK: visit their families to give condolences and hand over their effects and their unpaid wages. TASK: arrange for bodies to be collected and returned to families.

This deadly corridor and the fire-trap before it had taken quite a toll, and Tr had disappeared at some point (Lex said he was in his study), so although there remains one corridor still to explore, we decided to leave the complex and rest outside for a time. I asked Lex to convey to F and Tr that we would wait a while for them, which he said he would. When they did emerge, about an hour later, it was clear that he had not told them any such thing. Neither F nor T would say what had transpired within.

There was still much of the day left but it was clear that the situation was unsustainable and the tunnels more dangerous than we had thought. Only two of my party had reliably followed instructions and two others were clearly following some other agenda: going back into the tunnels would have been foolish. A new approach was needed.

Paid Z, P, and Taz (deducting 10 gp from Tazmuck's pay for two significant failures to follow instructions, as per contract) and gave each a few gold coins extra from my own purse as thanks. Instructed the guards to stay behind and prevent any trespass, but also not to enter themselves and to withdraw to a safe distance the moment they felt any strange compulsion to enter or noticed any of the things they had heard Bron speak of. Also told them specifically not to allow F or Tr to come anywhere near the quarry again, and told them I would return soon to make their task easier.

Now returning to DH with the others. Camping for the night by the road.

17 Nightal, 1396 AR
at the Mother of Pearl, Crimmor

Infuriating! This morn in DH same as yesterday, so came to Crimmor. Builders here have not heard the rumours about Stoneleaf of course but they too insist that this trifling project of building a small stone wall and door cannot be done in the present cold weather as the mortar will not set and the transport of materials will be too difficult. Found one firm willing to consider the job but negotiations so far have not been easy and must continue another day. This is too slow! Gravan this morning had communication with the guards and found them all well but for how long? And what if some interloper should evade them and enter the tunnels in the mean time?

Too vexed to write more tonight.

19 Nightal, 1396 AR
at Stoneleaf

A long and hard ride, v. weary now. Had brief conversation with the guards - of whom only 4 remain. Curse those builders who kept me for days away from here! I knew it was too long to wait. The 4 say the other 6 were overcome by the compulsion to enter the tunnels and could not be prevented. The 4 withdrew to what they found to be a safe distance, on the far edge of the town - from where they cannot effectively guard the tunnel entrance. They also insisted on additional pay, which I agreed. REMEMBER: tomorrow when G makes contact, tell him to hire 6 more guards (on new higher fee) and send them swiftly.

Instructed the 4 guards to remain at their safe distance and do their best to prevent intruders from approaching the quarry, but not to take any risks by going closer to the entrance than their current distance (about 600 ft).

I myself felt no ill effects on my last visit, unlike Zeenah, so perhaps I am immune somehow. Have therefore placed my tent squarely outside the entrance so that none may pass unnoticed, and shall sleep here tonight.

[Heret's journal contains no further entries.]