A beginning and an end

I played the Temple of Elemental Evil adventure years ago. I remember our DM reading the basic description of the temple structure in a broken cadence, the voice of a not-too-well read teenager. I nodded off halfway through the description. Now that I see this thing in front of me, I don't think I'll ever sleep again.

Really, you have no idea what this monstrosity is like. Not until you've been there.

Nothing is living out here. Trees, bushes, grass--everything within a mile of this dreadful place--it's all dead and rotting. We had to walk around a dozen different bogs on the way here. It took us twice as long to get here as we thought it would. I'd expect more from wood elves. Then again, it was probably us that was holding them up.

Finally, we climbed a rocky, steep hill. The rocks seemed to want to give out at just the right moment, right when all your weight is placed upon it. I can't believe we didn't cause a massive rock slide. Once I kicked out a rock accidentally. It sure seemed solid when I stepped on it. Saul had to dive out of the way. When he did, the rock didn't continue down the hill. It simply stopped, as if, by chance, it had found a divot in the hill side where it could rest once more. It happened twice more.

"What, is this whole place against us?" Anna said.

"It is," Audry said. "I can feel it. Everything here...." She shivered. "It's all evil."

"What, the rocks, the trees?" I asked.

"Yes," she said, probably more forcefully than she intended. She stopped on the side of the hill and closed her eyes. She took several deep breaths.

Marc put a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"

She opened her eyes and nodded. "Let's go."

We reached the top of the hill and circumvented a grove of dead usk trees. On the other side of the grove, in a ravine surrounded by bogs and enveloped in a dismal fog, was the elemental temple.

The stone was a dark grey, the same color as the trees and the ground around it. It was as if the bricks had leeched the color out of everything. The wall surrounded the place like a cage. At one corner of the wall, between us and the temple, a crumbling tower rested. There were two open places in the wall where there used to be gates, but the gates were long gone. There was nothing to keep us from walking in.

"I doubt that's really the case," Saul said.

The wood elves that guided us here have left. Showing us the temple location and allowing us to live is all the favor they'll do for us. I think they think we owe them or something. Whatever.

We are resting tonight. We are keeping watch even though there is little to see. It's possible we'll see some lights or something like that.

A new dungeon and a new adventure. I probably won't survive this (I almost didn't survive the moathouse...and she surely didn't). I've spent a long, long time talking about the moathouse. It's time you heard the end of the story. My therapy ends here, and something new begins.

I just hope I survive it.

--------------------------

"Craw what?" Marc asked.

"Crawdad," I said. "A crayfish. That's what's down there. Saul, your end's sagging."

Saul struggled with his end of the bugbear's body. "Down where?"

"That's what they're talking about," I said. "The gnolls and the bugbears. Look, I have an idea and we need food." I held up the head end of the bugbear. "I'm sure it'll like a little gnoll for brunch."

"Brunch?" Audry asked. She took point, opening a door for us and checking the other end. "I think I have an idea what you wish to do, but I question the safety."

"If we wanted to play it safe we would never have come here," Anna said. She brought up the rear. "You know, I think I know what John's up to too. That's assuming this thing's there."

"And why do you assume it's a crayfish?" Marc asked.

"Water bug," I said. "What else could it be? You know, maybe we should be quiet from this point forward."

"Anything to avoid questions, huh?" Saul said.

We continued down the corridor until we reached a side tunnel. The main one continued on for a bit. It was as I remembered from the map, but I tried to wing it. "So, this is what the gnolls and bugbears said, right? Down the side tunnel is a door that will lead to another door that will lead to the bad guys right?"

Everyone nodded.

"But this way," I pointed down the main corridor, "leads to the fish thing. The crayfish." Saul and I put the body down. "Okay, we need parts."

I hacked off a hand. It made a sick little slicing sound like a knife through a melon. A little bit of blood came out, but not as much as I expected (probably because it was dead). I cut off a foot, after some hacking, and then tried to take off a leg.

"Okay, I think I know what you're up to," Saul said. "Look, I'll handle the carving, you plant the bait."

By this point, I think everyone understood. I picked up the hand and foot and continued down the hall. Anna went with me, using her infravision to guide the way. I could see a little bit from Marc's magic light down the hall, but only the basics. After thirty feet or so it turned to the right, but there were also some rough steps heading down into what might have been a cave. Humid air drifted up to us.

"See anything?" I asked.

"No," she said. Then we heard some splashing. "Could that be--?"

"Yep," I said. I took the hand and tossed it. It bounced off several steps before it landed. Almost immediately, the splashing increased. Something came out of a pool of water down there. I could hear clicking on the stone service. There was another clicking sound of some kind, like the sound of large shears clipping at...well, probably the hand. I then heard a sound like someone eating celery.

"Hope he's hungry," I said. I tossed the foot a short ways down. "What do you see."

"Gods," Anna said. "Gods, it's big. It's...well, you were right. It looks like a crayfish."

"Told you," I said. I turned. "C'mon, we need more bait."

When we got back, Audry and Saul had managed to do a pretty good number on the corpse. We had arms, legs, a head, and, of course, the torso...with plenty of gore coming out the end. The stench was powerful, but for some reason, it didn't make me ill.

"It'll leave a trail when we drag it," Saul said.

"All the better," Marc said. "We do need this thing to follow it."

I grabbed an arm and tossed it down the hall. It landed with a thud. "How fast can those things move anyway?"

I heard clicking on the stairway, followed by more munching as it gobbled up the foot. In seconds, the clicking had approached the top of the stairs. The snapping of the shears--the pincers, probably--got closer.

"Uh, pretty fast," Anna said. "Okay, time to move."

And move we did. Each of us grabbed a piece of bugbear fillet and took off running. Behind us I could hear the crayfish approaching, shambling down the hall. I guess it no longer cared about the scraps we left behind. It wanted something kicking. I dropped an arm just to be sure.

The corridor ended at a door. Saul waved us to be silent as he opened the door. On the other side was a passage continuing into darkness, but just to the left of the door was another door.

We piled through the door. Saul dropped the torso to keep the door open. Anna tossed another foot down the hall at the approaching crayfish. My God, it was getting close.

Saul checked the next door. It opened easily.

"And exactly who are you?"

We froze. A man stood there. He wore what might have been leather armor and he was wrapped in a thick, black cloak. He stood about my height.

Saul didn't hesitate. He punched the man in the jaw. It knocked him out immediately. Saul caught the man as he fell and laid him down gently.

"Good work," Anna said.

Saul said nothing as he dropped off his remaining body parts. This rest of us threw ours down the hall a short ways. The voices on the other end continued, as did the clicking sounds of the crayfish as it moved closer.

We backed away, retreating down the side passage that went further away. We followed it for a hundred feet or more. I thought I could smell fresh air.

"Could be the way out," I said, but Audry hushed me with a gesture. She pointed down the hall.

I looked, but really I was listening. I heard screaming and shouting. Nothing was clear except the intent. The crayfish had followed the bait and found a room full of food, and it was hungry.

"Can it take them all on?" I asked.

Saul shook his head in the magic light, partially shielded by Marc's hand. "It'll do some damage, but we'll have to finish them off."

I swallowed. More combat. I had been through it before, but I still got the jitters. These were the leaders of this outfit, and in D&D terms that meant they were the most powerful. But this wasn't a game. The guards were probably the best, but who could say about the leader? CEOs on Earth had bodyguards who could be a problem in a fight, but the CEOs were hardly butt kickers. Take out the guards and you could smack the CEO around with a feather.

I hefted my short sword. We had far more than feathers, and we'd probably need them, because I doubted there were any CEOs in there.

"Let's go," Marc said. He unshielded the light and we proceeded down the hall. The sounds of combat grew louder and louder. When we reached the end of the hall, it continued.

I carefully peeked around the corner through the open door. Several bodies lay dismembered in the hall. At the other end I could see the large tail of the crayfish. God, the thing barely fit in the hall.

"Told you it was big," Anna said. "Shall we?"

We looked at each other and nodded. Saul held out his hand, and Audry put her hand on his. Marc and Anna did the same, and then everyone looked at me, waiting for me to do the same. I was a part of this group now, for better or worse. We were a team.

I placed my hand on top of their's, and then we were off.

We kept low, our weapons ready. The crayfish, it seemed, was not quite done yet. A man cried out, and then was cut off by a sickly crunch. The crayfish inched further forward, it's head having entered a large room. Behind it were more bodies. I counted eight total.

"Gods," a voice said. "You rivin can't handle an animal?"

Anna looked at us, horrified. She mouthed the word. Rivin. I shrugged. I had no idea what it meant. Saul looked grim. He nodded at her and gripped his long sword tighter.

I heard cryptic words uttered down the hall, not unlike something Marc would say while casting a spell. A sharp crack erupted from down the hall. The crayfish jumped back several feet and laid still. I smelled cooked calamari, or something like it. The crayfish, now dead, started to burn.

"There," a man said. His voice sounded hard, like a man who had been through a lot of very bad things. "Now, how did it get here?"

"I do not know master," another man said. "It has always stayed in its pool. By the gods, it killed so many."

"Fools," the first man, the master, said. "They were careless and now they are meat." He paused, and then said, "the thing might have been lured here. You and you, go out there and see. Find the gnolls. They've been indignant of late. They probably...hold, what is that?"

Marc started mumbling, and then it grew louder. I turned to silence him when I saw the ball of flame appear in his hand. Oh crap.

We ducked as the fireball sailed through the air like a professionally thrown fastball. I saw two faces lit up in the glow of the magical grenade. The surprise on their face indicated they knew exactly what it was, just as I did. And then it exploded.

The fire didn't come very close to us, but the heat from the blast washed over us along with the screams of those caught in the blast. The fire died down almost at once, and we didn't wait a second longer.

Saul and I led the charge. Yes, I was in front, running with my sword in hand and ready for whatever might come. The fear had disappeared and was replaced by an eagerness to get the job down fast. And that's what we did.

There were a few more bodies in the room, all burning. There were only three more left. A distant part of mind pondered how many hit points they would have left, and then I went to work.

I charged one many who managed to parry my first few attacks. He thrust once or twice on his own, but left himself open. I took advantage and buried the short sword in his side. He cried out as his kidney and probably some other organ exploded inside of him. I drew it out and was sprayed by something wet. For good measure, I roundhouse kicked him in the face. He fell over, dying.

Behind me stood the second man. His armor consisted of thick metal plates and he had a really big sword. I stood my ground as he moved forward, but he didn't get very far. A light exploded from his back. He staggered from Marc's magic missiles. He started to turn, but an arrow landed in his side. He fell to his knees, and I struck the final blow. I rammed my sword into his neck. When I withdrew it blood sprayed everywhere. I knocked him over and turned to the last opponent.

I finally saw what terrified Anna, and probably Saul as well. The word rivin, I later learned, is a drow word.

The last man standing had charcoal dark skin. His skin sucked the light out of the very air. He fought Saul and Audry with ease, parrying their blows and managing counter attacks with ease. Audry and Saul both had wounds of their own.

I launched my own attack, which the drow parried easily. His mace landed on my ribs. I felt two of them break. I rolled away from the attack and came back up in a defensive stance. The adrenaline killed the pain, for the moment.

The drow ignored me as he slammed his mace into Saul's jaw. Blood spattered everywhere as Saul fell over backwards. Audry managed to slice at the drow's leg, but she cried out in pain as the drow's mace slammed into her hip.

The drow ducked as Anna fired an arrow at him. He tried to avoid the other but got caught in the shoulder. A gout of flame appeared out of Marc's hand and slammed into the drow's chest. He stumbled back.

I jumped forward and crouched low. I spun and swept his legs out from under him. He fell hard, landing on his lower back. He cried out in pain, but I didn't let him get up. I brought my foot high and then dropped it on his face in an axe kick. His nose splintered open.

The drow rolled over, trying to get upright. Okay, maybe the boss does have a lot of hit points after all.

Another arrow appeared in his side. He fell to his knees and turned. Anna stood before him, another arrow nocked and ready. The drow started to mumble the beginnings of a spell.

"I wouldn't," she said. "You're not that fast."

The drow stared at her, hate seething from his eyes. After a moment, his face relaxed. He held his hand to his broken nose, and then looked up at her. "Maybe you're right."

Anna, relaxed for a moment. Big mistake. The drow moved fast, thrusting his hand toward her. Dust of some kind flew into her eyes. She shrieked, and let loose her arrow. It planted itself in the wall behind the drow. The drow came forward with his mace.

I rushed forward. He saw me and tried to counter my attack. I pulled it, and struck again. I nipped him in the shoulder, but it wasn't a deep wound. The drow brought his mace low across my shin. My leg went out from under me and I fell. The drow stood over me, ready to make the final blow. There was nothing I could do.

A knife appeared in the drow's throat. The drow stood for a moment like a statue. He released his mace and it clattered to the ground. The blood poured from his neck in waves as his heart pumped. The drow finally fell over backwards. He bounced once as he hit, and then he laid still.

Saul stood nearby, his nose bloodied. His jaw looked like it was out of alignment. He nodded at me, oblivious to the pain.

"And that's that," Anna said. Her eyes were red and bleeding. God only knew what the drow had thrown into her eyes. She took off her pack and reached into it. "Healing potion anyone?"

-------------

We got healed up, for the most part. We were good enough to travel, anyway. We stood resting for a little while and then proceeded to search the place. Anna kept rubbing her eyes. The caustic spray of chemicals and glass could have blinded her. It would have on my world. Magic is such a beautiful thing.

These guys were loaded! Jewels, gems, gold...I thought about how rich we were when Audry mentioned the obvious.

"This was all stolen," she said. "We have to give it back."

We looked at each other. She was right, again. We loaded up what we could in sacks. If we couldn't find the owners, maybe it could be used by Hommlet--work on defenses and what not.

We searched the rooms. Mostly we found money, though we did find a staff and an amulet of some kind that radiated magic. Marc said he'd have a closer look at them later.

"Magic staff and amulet," Anna said. She was picking the lock on a door as she spoke. The lock clicked open. She shined a devious grin. "Now, I wonder what wonders we'll find here?"

She pulled open the door. There was no treasure or magic items. The room wasn't meant for storage of that kind. The stench of human waste drifted through the room. I thought we had found the privy, of all things. A quick look around proved otherwise.

Chained to the floor was a woman. She wore no clothes. Her body was beaten and bruised. She looked up at us, and then closed her eyes.

"Oh Gods," Audry said. She moved forward. She rested her hands on the woman. A girl, really. She couldn't have been older than fifteen. Audry's hands began to glow. As they glowed, some of the open sores on the girls body closed up. When she was done, the girl was still sick.

"Do we have any more potions?" I asked.

Anna stared, bewilderment on her face. She shook her head. "They're gone."

"We've got to get her out of here," Audry said. "We need to get her to a priest."

-------------

We got her to the church of Saint Cuthbert back in Hommlet. I was still hurting from the experience. Not all of my wounds had been healed. I didn't think about it as we carried her back to Hommlet. We brought her inside, but we were too late.

The priest did what he could. The canon was out of town. He could have brought her back to life, perhaps. This young priest could not. It was the first time he had seen an innocent die. It was mine as well.

I didn't even know her name. We never did find out who she was or where she came from.

From the look of her, she was probably the play thing of the drow and the guards. God, she was so young. Killing all those people didn't seem like a bad thing anymore. The only regret was that we didn't get there sooner. If we had been a day sooner--hell, if we had been a few hours sooner--we might have saved her.

The mayor declared us heroes after we reported our success. I really didn't feel like much of a hero. For the first time, I wished I had never come here. I wanted to go back to Earth where most of us were ignorant about death.

The others moved on, after a fashion. We gave the money we found over to the town to help rebuild and to help finish the keep. We gave the amulet over the church (turns out it could only be used by clerics anyway) and Marc kept the staff. A staff of striking, he called it.

"We'll probably need it," Saul said. "I doubt this is the end of it."

It wasn't.

---------------

I spent months thinking about this young girl. I dreamed about her several times. Now that I am here, looking out at the temple, I think perhaps I may learn to live this life of adventuring. It isn't the fun every teenager dreams of, but it sure as hell is interesting.

Tomorrow we embark on another adventure. Perhaps the biggest of them all.