The Light Caller Chronicles: Part 10

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We descended down the stairs and as we went deeper down those stone steps the chanting got louder and louder until we reached the bottom where the noise was almost deafening. After a quick look around we started off in the only direction that was available to us. It was a stone tunnel that was carved out of the earth that went on for about a hundred meters until we found ourselves in a room made out of worked stone.

The room that we were in was empty, there were wooden pillars all through out and alcoves carved into the walls with what looked like ritualistic artifacts. They were grotesque items that seemed to be used for unholy rituals of some sort. We all started to examine the grisly items, to see if there was anything that could be of some use or value, but it all just appeared to be disgusting junk. I did notice however out of the corner of my eye that that Iliad was pocketing a rats headed dagger though for what reason I still do not know.

After we had spent some time in this room we headed for the exit, however when we crossed the room and reached it we discovered a short ten foot tunnel and a metal grate that was blocking the way. We quickly checked it out and determined that it did recede into the ceiling. Iliad immediately approached it and started to attempt to lift the grate up but no matter how much he strained he was unable to even move the thing an inch. So after I spent about a minute quietly chuckling at his futile attempts to lift the grate I motioned over to Gorza to lift it up, I figured that the big burly orc should be able to lift it, hell she's so burly it almost looked like someone had cast enlarge on her. So Gorza walked up and started to lift the thing, and it practically flew up into the ceiling. Iliad then sullenly walked into the room and flipped the lever to lock it into place muttering about how he loosened the thing up. Then everyone but me and Lyrudar proceeded into the new room.

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The chanting was clearly coming from this new room which also appeared to be a dead end. The room was filled with water about a foot deep, there were raised stone ledge walkways on either side, an alcove filled with refuse on the far end across from the entrance and stone platform in the center of the room with what looked to be an altar. On the ledges on either side of the room there were about 10 cultists standing there chanting, none of them reacted at all when we entered the room. There was also a robed cultist standing in the center of the room just standing their watching us.

As soon as the group entered the room the cat and Gorza went up the ledge to the left and started to examine the cultist though they didn't react to it at all. Iliad proceeded to slog through the water and climb up the platform in the the center of the room, that whole time the figure in the center just stood there watching it all. I looked over and Lyrudar and we both shared a look, the kind of look that says what shit are these idiots going to get us into this time. I looked back just in time to see Iliad get to the alter and climb on top.

The second that Iliad stepped foot onto the platform the chanting immediately stopped, it was so sudden that I would have thought that I had gone deaf if it were not for the sounds of Lyrudar breathing beside me. The robed figure then moved, looking at Iliad, and said in a loud booming voice " One must die for all to live!". Iliad then attacked the figure with his spear but the weapon just passed harmlessly through, seeing how his attack did nothing he went to regroup with the others on the ledge. As soon as he stepped off the platform the cultists started chanting "One must die for all to live!" and the garbage pile on the other side of the room started to shudder.

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As soon as it started the pile started to shudder I immediately prepared to shoot a ray of frost, then the garbage pile exploded into movement revealing it to be a Shambling Mound. As soon as the beast revealed itself I shot my ray of frost at it but it seemed to not even notice, at the same time I saw javelins, a pillar of divine energy and a musket ball all blast away into the beast. The spells didn't even seem to phase the creature however it did seem to react to getting shot.

I then tried blasting it with lightning and fire but neither seemed to affect it very much however when I tried throwing a ball of acid at it that seemed to hurt it, I could see parts of it melting away from the acid. While I was doing that every one else was attacking with everything that they had and Lyrudar pulled a crossbow out from somewhere and was attacking with that seeing as his spells were not very effective. We were making good progress until tentacles burst out from underneath it grabbing Iliad and throwing him across the room. As Iliad was picking him self up Gorza runs up to it, slashing it with his two hand axes to keep it distracted and giving Iliad time to recover.

Just as soon as it started to look like we were going to win a tentacle managed to grab Gorza throwing him up in the air and slamming him down on the ground. It then started to drag her towards it as she shook off the shock and started to desperately slash at it with her axes. We renewed our assault hitting it with everything that we had to save Gorza but the damned thing just would not die. Just as we were about to give up home the beast finally shuddered and died, releasing Gorza from what looked like was going to be a very horrible death. As we collected our selves the house starts to violently shake as it had one last horror in store for us.....