Well of Al Arzum
After some discussion as to whether enough is understood about the direction of the Well of Al Arzum, the Party elects to explore further via the dry well. A rope is a-fixed topside and the trip commences, Shadya affirming that she has the strength of arm to climb back up when the time comes to return.
The floor of the well is sandy and there are four paths leading away from it in a "chicken foot" spacing. Party notes signs of previous footprints in the sands and elects to follow said explorers along the "heel" path. The tunnel is about 3-feet high so Shadya has to crawl. Fiamma takes point so that her vision can be most effective. Spider-web indicators imply that the previous travelers were not as large as Shadya.
The tunnel opens into a room in the middle of which the Party perceives a structure, the upper portion of a "waterwheel" mechanism featuring bronze pots that, apparently, once dumped SOMETHING into a channel that runs along the room floor. The pots are separated one from the next by 15 feet of linkage. The shaft down which the mechanism runs seems deeper than our longest ropes. Shadya rigs a sling for the Al-adin-style oil lamp while Nasir runs back to the horses for more rope.
Suddenly the mechanism starts up and Fiamma hears from below voices speaking a language she cannot understand but which fills her with revulsion. Eventually a pot comes up and two green-scaled creatures (which Orlando will later identify as goblins) clamber out. Shadya, Orlando and Fiamma dispatch them in concert. The next set of goblins clambers out before reaching the top, so Shada switches to bow and dispatches those targets. Desperate to stop the mechanism, Fiamma sends Nasir topside yet again to recover the ogre's spear.
Then an empty pot comes up. The fourth pot is sealed by two shields. Fiamma tosses flaming oil into it and the contents die. However, when that pot reaches top, two more goblins, who had been clinging to its bottom, attack. Shadya takes a serious wound just as Nasir returns with the spear; he skewers her attacker with it. She then uses her bow to kill the other while Orlando finishes of her opponent. The spear then is wedged in place along with a goblin sword and the mechanism unwillingly grinds to a halt. No further goblins make it to the Party's level. Eventually no more are heard below.
Nasir is very upset by the violent act he has performed. Shady tries to comfort him and thank him for saving her life (which in some likelihood he did). She does not tell how badly she has been hurt.
Discussion on possible ambushes, but, after experimenting with the mechanism and timing it (marking one pot with Shadya's blood), the Party decides to descend via the pots. Fiamma, with her keen vision, takes point. Shadya next. Then Nasir, the boy and the bard having armed themselves from the goblin leavings.
Fiamma notes bats and cooling bodies, then spots a watcher in the window as they descend into another of the ancient stone cities. From her pot she takes an apparently successful bow-shot and sets out tracking it as soon as she reaches bottom. Two minutes later, torch in hand, Shadya and Nasir try to follow her. Fiamma tracks her victim but the goblin manages to fight back and wound her before Shadya catches up and finishes him. Shadya pulls out her packet of bandages to use on the half-elf but Nasir takes over, saying that he has some healing skill. He is somewhat disconcerted to realize that - if he had known of the bandages - he could have helped Shadya. It is too late now, but Fiamma is back to fully operational.
Having established the location of the control mechanism, the Party backtracks to the waterwheel and then follows its channel to another waterwheel. Using ropes and Shadya's STR & DEX, the party belays down that shaft. Again they follow the channel, this time through ancient spider webs. Fiamma chooses to torch the webs periodically. Shadya and Orlando fight a few fist-sized spiders.
The next waterwheel is flanked by a helix staircase, that the Party takes yet further down, at last reaching a well-house. Two spouts from the well-house feed into two basins that, in turn, would have fed the channel to the water wheel. But this has not been used in a very long time. The door to the house is wedged in place, but Shadya's strength proves up to the task. Inside is a well even older, if possible, than the stone buildings outside. Shadya operates the winch and the Party opts to try sharing Orlando's fate.
The first bucket of water seems to have no effect but has a pleasantly musty taste. The second bucket of water tastes differently. After some wait, Orlando experiments and finds, indeed, that it provided protection against fire. Another wait ... long enough to determine that said protection wears off. During that time Fiamma discovers the controlling mechanism whereby, we hypothesize, the well-house could be flooded and by which the waterwheels must have functioned. No purpose could be thought of for a long term flooding of these levels with this water, so the Party opts to ignore the mechanism.
With the 3rd bucket everyone (save Nasir who does not taste) grows six inches! Shadya regrets the extra height for herself, having been already "too tall" for a "normal" woman, but watches in pleasure as Orlando continues to drink. He reaches 6-foot and admits to originally having been somewhat taller than that, but is unwilling to be as tall as 6'6".
Shadya packs away the vials she saved from the first two buckets while Orlando opts to taste yet another bucket. It makes his mouth vurn and seems to give him indigestion. By this time Shadya is unwilling to continue experimentation, but a last bucket is drawn. Orlando and Fiamma fill their flasks from it. Fiamma opts to taste as well and reports a feeling of vigour and battle-readiness. Orlando and Shadya agree that now is the time to leave and, given Fiamma's report, they should both drink of that last bucket as well.
Up and out. Part-way up the spiral they encounter a war-party of goblins. It soon becomes apparent that Orlando and Shadya are literally invincible and invulnerable. The goblins die. On the next level, the Party is ambushed and again the goblins die, Fiamma and Shadya picking off the last with bow-shots. By this time the potion of battle is wearing off and the warriors admit to distaste at the inequality of the fights. Shadya reminds Orlando that they do what they must; the scaled ones must not report back to the dragon, whatever the slaughter.
Knowing that ascending by means of the water wheel would make them just as vulnerable to the next attack as the first goblins had been to their attack, the Party tracks their ambushers through the dust, discovering another helix staircase in a large building. They emerge from the top of that stairwell to be confronted by an army of goblins. Orlando suddenly gives a belch and breathes out a huge gout of fire, crisping an entire rank of goblins. Fiamma urges the use of the remaining potions of battle. Orlando and Shadya toast each other, then set to slaughter. Shadya cuts her way through to the back of the army to cut off goblins escaping that way. Although Fiamma sings, there is no glory in the battle. Goblins die.
Towards the end, Fiamma manages to take out a final lurker with an arrow. The group searches and finds another staircase building. It leads up and out the original staircase Shadya had leveraged clear.
As the group reaches the horses, Fiamma volunteers to ride pillion behind the smaller of Orlando and Shadya. Orlando comments with some strain, "I don't think that will be necessary" as, to everyone's horror, he starts to shrink. Shadya and Fiamma shrink as well and all are depressed to realize that the slaughter and the quest have been futile. All are at their original statures.
Shadya tries to be encouraging, commenting, "Well, now to the fire pit!" As they ride on, Orlando comments on the strange fearlessness of the goblin behaviour. Shadya relates what the muzzim of Shamar told her about the "look of the lizard" and it is theorized that the goblins they have just faced were, indeed, minions of the dragon. Hope is expressed that they did manage to get all the observing goblins, else they will be ever at risk from the dragon.
'Tis decided to detour via the city of Almazur. There Shadya returns the water vials (and mouth crystals) to an excited Jafar who agrees to train Fiamma in magic. He is somewhat absent-minded, so it does take a bit of time for him to properly organize the training. Fiamma intends to remain a bard, but she wants to dabble in magiks.
Nasir, when Shadya offers to train him in battle skills, admits that he has no taste for inflicting pain; he wishes to become a healer, although he fears that will bring disgrace to his father. Anyone who owned such a sword as his father's must have been a mighty warrior. Orlando and Shadya attempt to comfort him and support him in his decision. Shadya sets out to find Nasir a teacher.
[The GM decrees all Party Members go up one level in career ranking. Susan will be oot of the next several weeks so there will be a hiatus.]
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