Disclaimer
Dungeons and Dragons and Eberron are the property of Wizards of the Coast. This story is based upon the Dungeons and Dragons game created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new Dungeons and Dragons game designed by Johnathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. It also utilizes the Eberron campaign setting created by Keith Baker, Bill Slaviscek and James Wyatt. It utilizes the current campaign modules written by Keith Baker, Bill Slaviscek, David Noonan, Bruce R. Cordell, Nicolas Logue and Ed Stark.
The characters portrayed in this story are fictional and bear no resemblance to any real "live" person.
Chapter 4: The Foundry
No light was present upon Boskov's awakening just the insistent jostling of his shoulder.
A voice near his ear was hissing at him, "Wake up, wake up already!"
Groaning Boskov rolled over and gazed up at the blurry elven features above him. With a start he sat up, "My God, elf you gave me a fright".
"Huh, it's about time you woke up. We have to finish exploring this cavern."
"Uh, can't see…."
Serrin looked at him impatiently, pulled out a sunrod releasing a blaze of light.
"Aghh that hurts my eyes"
Serrin huffily turned away, gathered his belongings and attached the small map case to his belt. Boskov rolled over gathered his pile of stuff together, stuffing it into his case as quickly as possible, whilst casting quick furtive glances at various objects, making sure everything was still there.
"Hey, where's HK?"
"Oh, he's gone looking around already, he said something about studying the wall carvings"
Sure enough as Boskov exited the temple, he found HK sitting beside the wall, staring intently at the wall face.
"I don't understand it, it must be really old to be so far removed from the modern teachings of Onatar, I'd say probably, well this is just an assumption but, it might be related to the era in which Galifar was founded, about 1000 years ago."
"Hmm, but the other structures in here are certainly more recent, they aren't as dilapidated as this temple is" remarked Serrin looking of speculatively into the darkness, "Come on lets finish then we can get out of here, I want to breath fresh air again."
Continuing on into darkness, the small trio stumbled over an increasing number of rubble piles, eventually coming to a halt as HK fell crashing to the ground.
"Stupid rocks, they're in my way!"
Boskov barked with laughter, while Serrin hid an amused grin with his hand.
Pulling himself up, HK spotted a wall in the distance, "Hey look over there, we've found something."
The walls before them are surprisingly intact. There was no dilapidation, of this building, instantly marking it as a curiosity in the ruin filled, rubble strewn chamber. Circling the building as Serrin scribbled hastily onto his map parchment, they eventually arrive at two imposing adamantine doors. Attempting to push the doors open was unsuccessful, but Boskov quickly climbed up to attack a hinge, found a gaping hole in the roof. Throwing a rope down Serrin quickly joined the shifters side, but it was only after an inordinate amount of difficulty that HK was finally pulled up to the roof.
Serrin moved over to peer into the hole, lowering a torch attached to a rope, into the hole he was able to make out a jumble of crushed shelves and cabinets beneath the debris from the roof. Amongst the jumble of wood was a glint of metal. Looking on around the rest of the room were other cabinets filling the south wall, and a large forge on the eastern side. Most of the cabinets were covered by a thick layer of brown dust. Leaning further over the edge, he detected a flash, peering closer he saw it move. Two pairs of red eyes blinked open and stared balefully up at him.
"Ah, there's something there!" screamed HK quickly backing away from the edge. Boskov peered over shuddered and drew back quickly. "I'm not going down there."
Serrin stabbed a quick glared at them and smoothly withdrew his bow, and set an arrow to the string. Calmly sighting one of the eyes, he drew back the arrow and aimed. A slight hiss of air and one of the pairs of eyes abruptly went blank. A crash sounds\ed as the metal body crashed to the floor. The other pair of eyes drew back, hiding in the shadows below. Serrin looked up at his two companions. "It's your turn now."
"Uh uh, there is no way I'm going down there, throw HK down he'll easily squash it."
"What, how dare you, say such a thing" HK pulled himself up and quickly jumped down into the hole, his warhammer already ready in his hands.
"Oh jeez what an idiot, I was only joking, I suppose I should help him now" grinning lopsidedly Boskov readied his hammer and sickle and prepared to follow his foolhardy friend. Boskov landing unsteadily immediately proceeded to fall over completely unbalanced by the uneven ground. Groaning he attempted to stand only to be compressed back into the ground as Boskov landed on top of him. Both landed again sprawled on the floor. Metal glinted on steel teeth as the steel beast approached the two prone figures, another flash, an arrow sped past, straight into the head of the other dog. It fell, twitching. Boskov scrambled up, crashing his hammer onto the fallen dog. A moment later the elf landed lightly beside Boskov.
"You two are idiots, do you like nearly getting yourselves killed?"
"Um, no not really….but it does seem to happen a lot."
HK finally having pulled himself up, joined the conversation, "In danger, we would have been perfectly fine" he scoffed.
Serrin turned his keen elven eyes on him penetrating HK with an interrogative stare, "Really."
HK tilted his chin in a haughty air, "Of course!"
Boskov already distracted by the promise of loot had already discovered some interesting features on the dead steel dogs' bodies. "Hey, look at these rods, they're all weird."
"Hmm, one rectangular, and one triangular, I have no idea what purpose they serve."
Boskov already moving on to the previously dead dog, found yet another rod, "Hey this ones also a weird shape."
Serrin approached to inspect Boskov's find, "Yes, it's pentagonal, but what could they be for?" Serrin mused to himself.
HK meanwhile had stalked to the other side of the room inspecting the foundry and forge. "Look at this", he exclaimed, his injured pride forgotten in his excitement, "there are three depressions in the forge, the same as those rods!"
Serrin quickly hurried over, and began to insert the rods. However, upon placing the rectangular rod in, a sudden ominous humming occured and a wave of electricity hummed through the air, paralyzing both HK and Serrin with its power. Both step back, shocked, at this development. Serrin again stepped forward to place the triangular rod. HK stepped even further back. This time however, the rod clicked firmly into place. Serrin again tried the rectangular rod, again it clicked into place, and finally the pentagonal rod was inserted. A series of clicks then dissipated away from the party towards the back of the forge. Serrin following the sounds, was the first to discover the vault. Boskov seeing Serrin's success hurried over to join him. Inside the vault they discovered the long looked for schema. Strange patterns covered its surface and its overall shape was that of a seven pointed star. Lifting it carefully, Serrin studied it briefly before passing it over to HK.
"It has an aura of transmutation magic surrounding it but I can't conceive of what its purpose is."
"Well, at least we can get out of here now," Boskov had seized the opportunity while HK and Serrin were distracted to grab some of the pouches from the vault. Serrin turned just in time to see Boskov lay his hands on the last bag. Boskov looked up at Serrin, purposely painting a look of innocence on his face. Serrin, studied him for a few seconds, his face impassive, then tppk the last bag from Boskov's grasp, and obtained the last few items from within the vault, an old parchment and a few potions. The bag and potions he handed to HK, who to his delight discovered it was a sack of gold, however Serrin was far more delighted as the parchment was in fact an old map, covered with strange symbols.
"Well, we've got what we came for, how about getting out of here?" Boskov proposed quickly to the others.
"Hmm, that does seem like a good idea." HK responded then moved to climb back up to the roof. "That inn, the Broken Anvil, I liked that place."
"Yeah, hey elf would you like to join us?"
Serrin looked closely at Boskov.
"Seriously, it's on me."
Serrin's eyes widen in disbelief, observing the shifter even more closely.
"Yes, Boskov usually pays for everything, he's very good at managing money."
Serrin, took a step back in amazement, "Managing money you say?"
"Yes, we only have limited funds and Boskov always manages to provide for us", HK replied.
Serrin shook his head in disbelief at the warforged's naivety.
"Well, alright, if nothing else at least it'll be interesting."
The trio proceeded back along their path back into the upper reaches of the city of towers. Pleased to have finally completed their quest, and looking forward to a nice rest and their pay, of course!
End of Part 1