Home > Campaigns > Book 1, Chapter 3 - Under the Twisted Tower
Under the Twisted Tower
The next day, we dutifully arrived at the Tower. The warden took me aside and told me to memorize the word 'stoleco,' saying we would need it later, as well as a key he gave to one of my companions. As we strode toward the start of the caves, several huge, thick doors were locked behind us. The warden swore that when we were done and knocked on the door, we would be let back in. I certainly hoped so.
Finally the last door was closed behind us. A very final sounding click echoed throughout the hallway we found ourselves in. We grimaced at each other, then walked away from safety. Lagasse led, and since his hands were occupied with a sword and shield, I followed behind, holding the glowing rock aloft so his human eyes could see. Of course, the rest of us couldn't have seen much either, since there were no heat variations for our infravision to see. Behind me were Mical, then Lyra.
We came out into a large narrow chamber with a deep riverbed down the center. I could see things glinting far below us, but no one wanted to wait for me to climb down. I promised myself I would investigate on the way out.
The natural bridge before us looked very slippery and narrowed considerably by the time it reached the other side. Fearing someone would slip and fall to their death, we tied a rope connecting us. I went first, and made it safely, as did Mical and Lagasse, but when Lyra began crossing, her foot hit a patch of algae. She would have fallen had it not been for the rope. Once on the other side, we found that the door was locked. We unlocked it with the key and removed a large wooden beam, but it still wouldn't open. I searched around the door, but found no traps or obstructions. Then everyone else remembered that I had been told a strange word. I felt extremely stupid for having forgotten. I uttered the word, "Stoleco," and instantly heard a whoosh as wind began coming from the edges of the door. I told myself I was going to have to use my brain better if I were to be any use to the rest of my group. Hopefully they have forgotten that by now.
Past the door was a short hallway, then a newer door. The hinges were facing us, so we assumed the door opened toward us. We felt it seemed like a trap, so we tied a rope to the door and, standing outside the hallway, pulled hard. With a resounding crash and a cloud of dust, a monstrous stone slammed down on the floor. After the dust crashed, we could see the stone had fallen out of the ceiling. We couldn't see another way to get around, so Lagasse and I lifted the stone back into its hole in the ceiling. No, it was not light. And I was able to retrieve my rope. Silk ropes aren't cheap!
As a side note, I think it was at this point that my companions first realized that I was a bit of a freak in the strength department. Mainly since after that I was teased about being a mannish elf. That was the kindest of the jibes that were thrown my direction. No one said anything about my searching for traps, though I believe I saw a knowing look on Mical's face. Okay, enough introspection.
Then we realized the hinges were fake, and pushed on the door. Before we could see what was beyond it, two big, hairy beasts jumped out at us. They were too close for me to assist with spells or my bow, so I just stayed out of the way. My companions more than made up for my lack of fighting prowess, and killed the creatures in a relatively short time. The dead beasts smelled musty, and were incredibly ugly. Although he didn't realize it at the time, Lagasse later realized that the beasts were quaggoths, which train spiders for the drow.
The cave we were in was large, windy, and strewn with boulders. We found nothing else in there, so continued on. The path meandered for about 1000 feet. I would have been lost if not for Lagasse's drawn maps. Finally we emerged into another cave. Something shiny was glinting in a hole in the far wall. Lagasse went to investigate, and a black blob about two feet in diameter flew through the air at him. However, it missed, and slammed into the wall by his head. Lagasse swung at the spider while the rest of us shot arrows at it. Unfortunately, I dropped my bow, which was another embarrassing incident I will never live down. (Just wait, my episodes of clumsiness get worse, though I am not the only one who is occasionally less than graceful.) Lagasse did eventually kill the spider by chopping it in half.
The search of that room yielded both strange and pleasant results. We found coins of every type except platinum (I have no idea how much. Though I am a rogue, I really am not overly concerned with wealth. Besides, I wasn't carrying it.), nine iron spikes, some half-rotten rope, a flattened lantern, and three wooden clubs. In addition, there was a ruby in the spider's hole. Having learned something from my father, I was able to appraise the gem at 100-1000 gold pieces. Also, we burnt the web, just in case there were other spiders hiding in it.
