Just as the three of us were recovering from our clambering down, and some of us needed some more recovery than others. Above us, the loud noise of the grinding of stones on stones could be heard. As I looked up, I noticed the remains of my dress dangling just out of reach. And more so the section of the wall that had facilitated our escape, repositioning itself slowly. The ancient gnomish mechanism was still working splendidly, and when the passage through the wall was finally closed, I could feel some sort of pride. We were safe from the goblins now. Though it also meant there was no way back!
Sitting next to my new friend, the skeleton, I watched my two halfling companions investigating our situation and surroundings. We were sitting underneath the walls of an old building, perhaps even a castle. In front of us was a moot, or even a small lake as its banks on the other side, were not clearly visible. Behind the skeleton the way ended, large boulders blocking the way. On the other side, Finn and Jonathan were busy inspecting the rubble, to see if there was a way through. Seemingly without much result, though the priest claimed that behind the debris the corridor continued. Hopefully Chislev gave better advice on finding your way than finding your partner, dear diary!
Still not wanting to show more of myself in this revealing outfit, I kept a little distance and just listened in on their conversation. Still wanting to contribute too, I decided to investigate my bony sidekick more thoroughly. Of normal posture, for a human, and overgrown with green lichen and moss, he displayed no extraordinary features. Except when I looked more closely, several bones showed patterns of circles, the size like you get when bringing the tips of your thumb and forefinger together. Studying his legs and feet, well just the bones dear diary, the long leaves appeared not to be vegetation, instead most likely the remains of one or more animals.
Continuing researching-while-remaining-low, I sat on my knees, got out my spellbook and concentrated. The good thing about casting the detection of magic is that I could use my arms to cover up a bit, holding the book with one and directing the arcane scouting with the other. Once more I was startled by the ease of the casting of the spell with the help of the book, and how controlled this all worked out. (Certainly, dear diary, I will try to refrain from self propagation as a wizard.) Picking up cues of sorcery from behind the debris on the left (Chislev and I did finally agree on something!) and further up in the water, I picked up a stronger glare. The moment I resonated with that glare, an idea became so strong in my mind, that it almost overtook all my sense and senses! There, hidden in the water, lay a copy of ‘The Omnibus’, the gnomish encyclopedia on magic! Only a few examples still remain today, and my teacher Doctor Vexora had often narrated stories about it and its legendary writer, Professor Thalric Grimwald.
My teacher had not been that fond about it, calling it “Grimwald’s Folly". Stating that at best it reflected gnomish arrogance, obsession with detail, and love of puns. To me, a work titled "The Omniscient Omnibus of Arcane Oddities, Curiosities, and Mildly Explosive Phenomena (Revised, Expanded, and Still Not Responsible for Any Unintentional Transmutations)" was and is something so desirable, being able to read it and gain all this knowledge! “Yes, I can see the temptation in your eyes, young student!’; the doctor would say: “Perhaps you can request your own copy as part of the dowry. That way you either scare all Nook’s suitors away or finally find one that you actually like!” Sometimes even she could get on my nerves, dear diary!
Strangely not only I was gazing over the water, the two halflings were also gesturing and pointing. One claiming a huge temple complex dedicated to Chislev was there to be found under the waterline. The other one pointed out that the biggest piece of Spice Halfling Jack cheese could be picked up from that same spot, just by getting into the water. These schemes would probably have sent us to an early, arguably happy, death, had not I stepped on one of the pseudo leaves. It turned out to be the far tip of a giant tentacle, that all of a sudden became animated. And to make things even worse, a second one appeared from out of the water!
The second limb moved towards Jonathan and Finn, the priest reacting swiftly. Gearing up his shield and axe, he would not let someone, not even some animal, come between him and this temple! His charge did not make a big impression on the two big arms, as he was picked by one and disarmed by the other. Again Finn had to step in, attacking the tentacle holding Jonathan with his cleaver and knife. This did make an impression, cutting off the arm from something still hiding beneath the water! Fortuitously Jonathan landed crassly but safely on the embankment again. Ticket prices for temple entrance were quite steep today, dear diary!
Then the tentacle now armed with an axe charged me! Luckily I was still in a low kneeling position and only the blunt side hit me, still the pain was intense! To add insult to injury, or better, indecency to injury, the arm dropped the axe and picked me up! The slimy, glutinous tentacle was wrapped around my body, touching my skin as the goblin set I was wearing did not protect an awful lot! Sucking and squeezing I was held prisoner, and no solicitor to step in! Stuck like that, I could not use magic to escape or attack my unwelcome chaperone. Still, somehow I managed to break free, by sheerluck or taking advantage of my training in evading male pinches.
Seeing my predicament, Finn lunged toward me, only to stumble over the severed tentacle, that was his first victim. A jet of black ink squirted out of it, blackening his right hand. Staggering over, his attack was magnified by the speed, scything the tentacle in two parts. The part attached to something sliding back into the water fleetly, the other part landing just too close to me for comfort. It convoluted and writheled for some minutes, as I stepped away from it hastily.
Freed from the tentacle, notwithstanding the marks on my right arm, that looked exactly as the ones on my old friend, the skeleton, who was still sitting in his corner, unimpressed by it all. Despite feeling not exactly dressed for the occasion in the goblin skimpy outfit, I gritted my teeth and walked over to my companions. Yes, I know, dear diary, I’m the one who wanted to leave town and find adventure!
As I approached Finn, having to thank him again, what had become a too frequent ritual. Your completely right dear diary, I sound like the spoiled brat he always says I am. But the rogue had no interest in my gratitude or my looks; instead of all that, he was obsessively trying to wash off the black ink, dipping his hand in the water, as scrubbing did not seem to work. Biting his amulet he shook his head and right hand. “It won't come off, this blackness tarnished my hand.” As the rogue was clearly not interested in anything else, I walked over to Jonathan.
On the far end of the bank I found the other halfling: “There’s the biggest and most beautiful temple of Chislev, just over there. Look at it, I’ll have to repair and restore it!”; the halfling man was designating passionately the same spot where I located the copy of the Omnibus. “A temple?" Somewhere near that big book?”; I answered. “Perhaps, yes, I don’t see a book, but for sure, the goddess could have hidden a book in this temple. And perhaps it was hidden there to be found by a wizard led by a true priest like me. Even if the wizard is such a delicately perilous one.” Dear diary, Chislev and I need some serious talks.
Letting his answer sink in for a few seconds, I decided to try a different style: “Let’s try to find a way out first. If the creature owning these tentacles returns, or one of his brothers or sisters, or even more goblins, were trapped here. He agreed then hesitantly to first find an exit before looking for the temple and started to clear the rubble blocking our path. To help him out, I sat down on my knees again, concentrating on the arcane sphere, evoking an unseen servant. This conjured creature assisted Jonathan, picking up rock after rock, dropping it in the stream, creating a small isle.
With the rubble gone, Jonathan sat down cross legged and started meditating. I studied him and the ritual he performed, wanting to learn more from his magical skills. Where I was following instructions found in the booklet, he seemed to just improvise and adapt when needed. This time this went so far that halfway he took a piece of chalk handed to him by Finn, as the floor provided no means to draw. And drawing he did, a temple, waves, one figure leading two other ones through the waves into the temple. All of a sudden his movements stopped, his hand open as to receive a gift, his eyes looking up to somewhere far beyond the ceiling.
A loud splash was the answer that the goddess manifestly sent. A series of small rocks came falling out of the ceiling (or where else?) into the moot. For Jonathan the proof that the route towards the temple was safe and we should step into the water! Finn was less convinced, asking the priest what he had just done, casting a spell to drop stones into the water? Jonathan tried to explain that he requested an omen from Chislev and that the signs could only be interpreted as good. Stepping in, I repeated my argument to secure a passage out first. Both Jonathan and Finn agreed, even though the rogue mumbled something about a large piece of cheese.
The wall was now accessible for close inspection. A task for a rogue, so Jonathan and I stepped aside and let Finn do his job. A quick search made him find a vertical seam without mortar. “There’s definitely a door hidden here. Do give me a hand!”; Finn requested Jonathan after some futile attempts by himself. The priest did as requested, giving such a shove that Finn bumbled against the panel. Not for the first time this day, a loud click could be heard and the wall looked to dent in around the rogue. Stepping back cursing and still sleekly, Finn produced some remarks about his travel companions and one halfling in particular, while the panel produced a click loud once more. And with that the wall opened up a little. “My lady!!” Finn said, expanding the entrance, throwing in a reverence that would have made my teacher in gnomish etiquette, High keeper Ironmantle, despondent. Nonetheless I responded with a proper one and praise for my fellow adventurer!
Before we moved on through the door, Jonathan insisted on us receiving a blessing of Chislev. Holding his pendant with the leaf-sign in one, he laid his other hand on our shoulders, first at Finn’s, then on my bare one. A touch of warmth and vigor, not unpleasant and adding some energy and hope inside of me. So once more, I responded with a proper performed reverence of thanks, dwarven approved.
Now entering the room cautiously, no surprises awaited us, only a chamber with a staircase leading upwards. After making sure we were safe, I asked Jonathan to close the door after us, which he declined respectfully but vigorously. My ponderings about a magic book had left me upon entering this room, and Finn too had lost his plans of finding the ultimate piece of cheese. Jonathan however was still fully committed to his priestly quest for the temple. And none of my arguments worked out. Ultimately Jonathan, being a true cleric of Chislev, suggested a group vote. And accepted the outcome, decidedly when I threw in my longing to see the Owl Bear Cubs again. And how long those poor critters were by now without support. Of course this white lie came with the sigh of a lady in need of support. And I remembered my father saying: “A good solicitor uses words, not winks. Save the batting eyelashes for the ballroom.”
The cubs sold it to Jonathan, he even volunteered to grab a large piece of one of the cut off tentacles for them. We then closed the door, anchoring it with a click. From there we passed around a corner, carefully, always expecting an ambush or worse. Despite all our awareness, there was another click. Followed by a flash of blinding light and a green cloud surrounding us. Followed by an eruption of noise, a cacophony of sounds as if stones were grinding, falling and rolling over the ground. Followed by us somehow floating and I was not sure if we were falling or climbing and..
We were back at the base of the black obelisk. At the same field we had been several days ago. At the exact location where we had entered the underground, through the stairs next to it. But now the stones around it were not providing any way through, nor indicating that there ever was one. As the sun was setting, we could see there was not a living thing around us. However the sound of bones cracking and animals smacking could be heard from behind the vegetation.
And then they were all over us! The three Owl Bear Cubs, dirty with blood from a recent meal, trying to hug me, and even Jonathan. Who made himself very popular with the critters by handing them the tentacle.
As I tried to get rid of some tears (I really had missed them, dear diary!), my companions and I had a small discussion on what had happened, where we were and what to do next. The latter question was by all means the easiest to be answered, by halfling custom: Let’s have a meal! During this breakfast we did not come up with a lot of other answers, but we did come up with a plan: To return to our camp, to do so, pass through the village, and see from there.
We had just set a few steps back into the hamlet, when we were greeted by Meyon Hiir, sitting in front of his house. “Good day, dear travelers! Might I say I’m a bit surprised by you arriving so soon once more, and from the same North side as where you arrived from recently. But not the side where you departed towards. Weren’t you heading for Magki?’ Again, this gnome somehow made my hair stand on end, was this an agent hired by my father, a necromancer in disguise? “And you all look different, like you've changed in some strange way? What has happened?” Making a cordial bow (first having checked if all my clothes were properly bound and up for the task.), I tried to take over the conversation, with the opposite result: “And you little girl, you seem to have dressed for a moondance on magic night? Did the soft moonlight shine in your blush?” Dear diary, this vexatious elder managed to make me turn scarlet and rob me of all my wit at the same time! Trying to change the subject, I uttered some woolly expressions, but the old gnome would not have any of it. “And did you find the moonstones? You see, everything I told you, about the stone giants and the battles, it’s all true you see! It’s not just a dream!”
“And that hand of yours, where did that get its black color?” Relieved I stepped backwards, now Finn had to answer a barrage of questions: “Did it get that color from the moonstones? And how did you fare in the night of moons and stones?” Before the rogue could answer all of this, I interrupted, explaining that we just had lost our way and most likely had made a full circle around the small town. At that point Jonathan joined in, with a stream of stories of what had happened to us the last few days. There was no stopping him spilling all our secrets out, but luckily, the old man had fallen asleep.
“Please, let us continue our route and leave this place!” I urged the two halflings. But now it was Finn’s turn to imperil our quest. Being a halfling, and being a rogue, finding some food inside the house of which the owner is fast asleep was the most natural next step to take. Entering the shack, he was caught red handed, or in his case, purple and black handed, by the missus of the house. A gnomish lady who was in no way impressed by the halfling intruder, or his excuses for entering her house. Finn was chased out of the house, having to run to escape slashes of her broomstick. “Come, let’s go quickly!”; I yelled to Jonathan. More villagers were by now paying attention and drawing near. And what did not help were the pleas of Finn to the gnome lady to stop harassing him, as he was befriended by the gnomish solicitor of Nook and her daughter. Dear diary, at that moment I wished I was the one holding that broom.
Outside the village, the three of us once more were joined by the three cubs. “How come they never help us out?”; Finn was complaining to me. “Because they don’t eat gnomish ladies, but I’m not too sure about halflings.”; I replied, ending that discussion. Fortunately the trip from the hamlet to our campement was rather uneventful. We found our tents untouched, perhaps the critters had done something useful in the meantime?
In high spirits I entered my tent, safe and sound, after all our exploits. Indeed, the idol, still bungling inside, felt welcome to me. And as a bonus, I could change back to a proper set of clothing: My office outfit that I had been wearing on the last day in Nook. A bit formal, not as fancy as my lost traveling dress, but still a lot better than the goblin attire. Cleaning myself up a little, adding some colors to the face, and I was shining brighter than a gold piece in a dragon’s hoard!
And so thought my companions, I would say, dear diary. Because looking upon me like that, and being requested, friendly but sharply, to prepare the meal of the night, both men started working without hesitation or complaint. And that’s where I leave tonight, as I will spend the last hours of the day studying the goblin book I found.
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