Warning - minor spoilers for Dungeon of the Mad Mage
The Second Level of Undermountain
The final step down the long stairs reminded Kuhl of the little jump off the wooden platform that had lowered them down the Well of the Yawning Portal. That last bit of descent, a hop of less than a foot onto the sand at the bottom, had felt momentous. Like the transition between two different worlds.
"Welcome to Undermountain," Meloon had said to commemorate the event.
But only after they watched their previous conveyance carried back up the Well, rope creaking and the faint clatter of pulleys and the winch mechanism sounding from high above.
"Welcome to the second level," the bearded warrior now said, similarly marking their progress.
The second level looked much the same as the first - halls and corridors of stone carved out by a lost dwarven empire that once obviously thrived here. And yet, just like that hop off the platform, Kuhl felt like he entered a new world with one step.
"This is the level with the portal to the archdruid?" Lady Rosznar asked in a hushed voice. "And my brother?"
A few hours ago, back up above in the Yawning Portal tap room, her demeanor had bordered on arrogant and haughty. Sharing the dangers of Undermountain had changed that. Now she walked close to Kuhl and Sky, her rapier in one hand and blazing torch in the other. Its light, along with Dawnbringer's, revealed her disheveled hair and a series of tiny tears in her fine leather armor from the barbs of a hungry grell - a floating brain creature with a big sharp beak and ten barbed and venomous tentacles. Ichor stains marred one of her cheeks from the spray that had resulted from the half-elf slashing her free from the grasp of that hungry monster.
"Her cheek was sprayed because she faced the creature," Dawnbringer thought in his mind. "Stabbing it again and again. Whatever else is true about Lady Esvele Rosznar, she has nerves of steel."
"Or of blazing radiant energy," Kuhl mentally sent back with a slight smile.
"Or that," his sword said telepathically, flickering brighter in intensity for an instant.
"The portal to the Wyllowwood is not far," Meloon said, answering the noble's question. "Down this hall, through a room, and we come to a watch post for the Xanathar. As I told you the guards are as susceptible to bribery down here as anywhere else."
"More so," the dwarf, Cobble said.
"More so," the bearded warrior agreed. "We've bribed them for use of the portal."
"More tolls of gold for safe passage," the noble snorted. "The Dungeon of the Mad Mage is turning out to be one big extortion racket."
Coin had been paid out to allow them to pass without fights on the first level. Once to a group of humans with the false fangs and makeup of vampires and another time to a band of bugbears. As the pretend vampires also had a hulking flesh golem with them and the bugbears were furry goblinoids of great size and strength, Kuhl thought paying their tolls had been wise choices. But, then again, unlike Lady Rosznar, he wasn't funding this expedition.
"And then we get to see an underground forest," Sky said, tail lashing. "Kuhl and I visited one in the Underdark. But that was a fungal forest, not one with trees, an illusioned sky, and sun. So this will be interesting. I wonder what it will smell like?"
Their guides, Meloon, Hadyn, and Cobble gave no insight as to the smell of the Wyllowwood, instead moving down the corridor. A pale light shown from the opening ahead.
Despite the light, when they got to the entrance, they found the large chamber beyond to be mostly dark. Kuhl could barely make out the remnants of frayed and rotted tapestries hanging on the walls. Some of the hangings remained intact enough to catch glimpses of forest scenes - a leaping stag, a wandering bear and her cubs, and a party of hunting elves. A stone throne sat at the far end of the room on a raised dais with a pair of statues of elven women standing on either side of the high seat. The carved females faced away from each other. One wore a robe and held an upraised staff and the other was armored with her sword lifted high. The tips of the weapon and wizardly instrument met above the throne and there a sphere of pale light flickered. The white gleaming of the sphere was not soft, like the light of moonlight. It was not an inspirer of beauty nor an enhancer of mystery, but a harsh thing, uncomfortable to gaze at directly. Severe long shadows were cast by its radiance and it interfered with the half-elf's dark vision.
Gigantic duplicates of the same elf women were carved on pillars of black rock. At least the half-elf assumed they were duplicates - they were similarly armored and robed, but their other features were lost in the darkness of the ceiling high above. These faced each other and the two greater statues seemed to draw all other light except for that provided by the white sphere - such as that from Dawnbringer's radiance and the flaming torches the others held - to them and absorb it, like smoke going up a chimney.
"This is very strange," Esvele whispered, peering over Kuhl's shoulder as they stood on one side of the entry and looked into the room. "But you've been here before? Is the light harmless?"
"The light is new," Meloon said from where he and his companions stared from the other side of the opening. "As are the pillars absorbing other light. It's the Dungeon of the Mad Mage. He changes things."
The last part was in response to the questioning looks thrown his way about the light being new. He'd said similar during their time in Undermountain already, which didn't fill the half-elf with confidence. Lady Rosznar apparently felt the same.
"So this portal that is supposed to take us directly to my brother may have changed as well?" she hissed. "And take us somewhere else entirely."
"Perhaps," the bearded warrior confirmed.
Esvele gave a most unladylike curse in response.
"Those bodies on the floor seem to indicate the light is not harmless," Sky said, pointing with her crossbow.
There were bodies on the floor. They'd fallen in the shadows cast by the statues and the pillars, but once made aware of them, Kuhl could now see the prone forms. One was small, probably a halfling, but he could tell little else beyond that.
"Can your sword shine brighter?" the noble woman asked. "Maybe we could see more."
The half-elf saw no harm in more light. Anything hiding in the room already knew they were there. He lifted Dawnbringer and she flared. Golden radiance entered the room, but it was sucked into the carved pillars of black rock. His sword shone more brilliantly in response, but the result was the same. Visibility into the room improved only marginally.
But enough light was cast to see the bodies.
"They were an adventuring party," Sky said. "Like us. He probably handled the traps and she was a wizard of some sort. The other two were warriors."
With an aim of her crossbow she indicated the to halfling, the woman still clutching an orb tipped staff, and the two wearing chainmail with dropped swords next to them.
"Not a mark on them or any signs they've been fed on," the tabaxi said. "So, nothing like the grells."
Which was disturbing rather than comforting. Kuhl would rather never fight anymore of the floating brain creatures with tentacles and razor sharp beaks, but at least that would be a known danger.
"Do you know another way to the portal other than through this room?" Rosznar asked.
"To come at the portal from the other side," Meloon said. "We would have to back track up to level one and come down another stair and then traverse a lot more of this level. Which would involve entering other rooms I would rather avoid."
"That we'd all rather avoid," Hadyn growled. "Trust him on that."
"Inhabited by things that cannot be bribed for safe passage," Cobble added.
"Beshaba damn it all!" the noble said in response. She went silent for a moment, obviously thinking. "Then we've no choice but to go in I suppose."
But she didn't move to slip past Kuhl and into the room, only crowded so close to his back he felt her breath on his neck. The half-elf gave a silent sigh, gripped Dawnbringer tighter, and wished for his shield. Once again it came down to a single step. He made it, and was in the room. Nothing happened and he made another step deeper. The others followed, Sky coming up alongside him.
"Meloon, will you finally draw Azuredge?" Esvele said.
It was more order than question. Strangely, the bearded warrior had yet to pull the magical battleaxe off his back, wielding a mundane short sword instead.
"I need a hand for my torch," Meloon said. "We want as many light sources as possible."
Kuhl had thought the bearded warrior said his axe could shed light when they'd met him at Renaer's party. But perhaps the half-elf misremembered. They continued creeping forward as a group. The two carved pillars of black rock drew the light from Dawnbringer and their torches nearly straight up when Lady Rosznar cried out. She spun and thrust out first with her torch and then with her rapier. Before her, the darkness writhed and twisted as something dodged her attacks.
"Shadows!" the noblewoman warned. "Like in the Hall of Mirrors!"
Up on the first level they'd passed through a room of mirrors, some of which had disgorged shadowy duplicates. Dawnbringer and her radiance burned through those with relative ease, but now her searing light was being sucked up by the dark pillars.
Sky sighted and loosed a crossbow bolt with a twang.
"They're everywhere!" she yelled.
They were everywhere. Numbing cold pierced through the half-elf as the darkness itself seemed to reach out and clutch at him. He slashed out with Dawnbringer and felt her blade cut into something less than flesh, but more than just air. A hiss of pain sounded from whatever he struck, but strength draining, answering blows followed. Kuhl faltered, but cries of despair from Sky and Esvele brought a reserve of strength, allowing him to sweep his sword of light in an arc that drove the darkness back. It was only a temporary reprieve. Shadowy forms flowed back towards them.
The tabaxi sent a crossbow bolt through the surging mass of blackness. The missile bent in its path, changing its angle of flight as it flew through shadow-flesh. On the other side of the half-elf from Sky, Esvele made a rapid series of stabs with both her rapier and flaming torch.
"I can't go any brighter!" Dawnbringer screamed in Kuhl's mind.
In his grip, she gleamed with what would be eye-scorching intensity. Yet most of her output leached away to be absorbed into the pillars of black rock.
Their group had separated into a pair of fighting knots. Somehow, even though none of them bore a sword of light, Meloon's group seemed to be faring better. Rasping intakes of breath sounded from Kuhl, Sky, and Esvele whenever they were pierced by numbing ghostly hands of shadow that sapped life and strength. No such cries came from the group consisting of the bearded warrior, the dark haired human, and the dwarf.
"We have to move," Lady Rosznar called out. "Either retreat back or make a run for it out past the throne."
She gasped and crumpled down, unable to put words to action as fingers of darkness penetrated into her chest. Her torch dropped to the stone floor and sputtered, threatening to go out. The noble dove after it, caught it up and swung it as she rose to one knee. It sparked and darkened as it struck something that hissed and writhed back. Then more shadow found her flesh and her mouth opened in a silent scream. Kuhl grasped her leather armor at the shoulder and hauled her back to her feet, driving shadow creatures back with a slash of Dawnbringer.
Sky was there as well. She loosed her reloaded crossbow into the space in front of Esvele. Again it seemed to have little effect other than a twisting of the path of the bolt as it sailed through something. With a cry of frustration, the tabaxi hurled the weapon after the missile and retreated behind the half-elf.
"Hold them off, Kuhl!" she yelled.
With a click of her heels she activated her magic boots and sped away, back the way they had come. But only for a few steps. Then she cut a sharp angle and dashed towards a wall.
The half-elf lost sight of her for a moment as he swung and cut, trying to keep shadow creatures off himself and the unresponsive Lady Rosznar. Then the tip of the noble's rapier came up and joined in his efforts. That and a sudden drop in those threatening them bought a brief reprieve.
A glance showed darkness seeming to mass around the running Sky as she sprinted towards the throne. She carried the remains ripped down tapestry as she twisted and spun, dodging attackers only she could see blocking her way. Tripping and stumbling, she caught herself with her free hand to keep from fully falling and kept herself moving forward. Then she was up and running again.
Shadows seemed to slide off of her as she broke free of them, magic boots a blur as they sped her along. She ran up the steps of the dais and used the stone throne to leap up. With a sweeping gesture she unfurled her carried piece of cloth and cast it over the sphere of white light.
The room instantly darkened. Strangely, after a moment, Kuhl could actually see better with no more pale light interfering with his dark vision. He peered into the darkness, Dawnbringer raised and ready, but saw no movement.
"What is happening?" Lady Rosznar asked.
"I think Sky got rid of them," the half-elf answered.
"I think she did," Cobble called out.
He stood back to back with his companions, mace raised, but now lowered his weapon and stepped away from the others. They followed his lead and their fighting knot broke apart.
"They said the light was new," the tabaxi said, shrugging as she picked her way down the few steps of the dais towards them. "So it made sense that if I got rid of the light it would also get rid of the shadow creatures."
She really hadn't gotten rid of the light. A glow penetrated the tapestry. But the covering cloth seemingly muted it enough to render it harmless, at least for now. Kuhl lowered Dawnbringer and Esvele slumped in his grip, leaning into him for support for just a moment before righting herself.
"You can let go," she said. "I can stand on my own."
He did and she sheathed her rapier and, despite her words, set hand on knees and breathed heavily. The half-elf sagged down as well and heartbeats passed as they recovered their strength. Sky joined them, scooping up her discarded crossbow on the way. She too, Kuhl noted, was moving slower than normal and her tail hung slack behind her.
After a few moments, the Lady Rosznar, the half-elf and tabaxi shared weary smiles accompanied by raised eyebrow looks and shakes of their heads. Somehow, they'd survived another horror of Undermountain.
"How many other surprises await us on the way to my brother, Wardragon?" Esvele asked as she straightened. "I've almost been eaten by carrion crawlers, grells, and a mimic. Shadows have also tried to suck the life out of me. Twice now. Not to mention false vampires and bugbears trying to bankrupt my family's coffers with their tolls."
"She said 'not to mention' and yet she immediately mentioned it," Dawnbringer thought in Kuhl's mind. "I have noticed the same tendency in others who use that phrase."
"It's the Dungeon of the…" Meloon began.
"Mad Mage," the noble cut in. "Yes, I know. I suppose you did warn me of that before we ever came here, but it is impossible to understand what that means until you are down here and then it is too late."
"Actually," Sky said, tail now lashing again. "It's about what I'd expected from a mad mage."
Lady Rosznar drew in a breath to answer that, then seemed to think better of it and muttered under her breath to her missing brother instead.
"When I find you, Kressando, I'm going to kill you," she said. "For making me come down into the Dungeon of the Mad Mage and having to join forces with an equally mad tabaxi while doing it."
Sky gave a sharp toothed smile and a shrug.
"Who wouldn't want to join forces with a mad tabaxi with magic boots?" she asked, but then spoke to Meloon without waiting for an answer. "So, the portal to Wyllowwood awaits, right? Let's go."
She waved towards the exit beyond the throne.
"What about these four?" Kuhl asked, pointing with Dawnbringer to the bodies of the dead adventurers.
"Typically," Hadyn said. "The dead are left where they fall in Undermountain. If nothing else, they serve as a warning to others of danger while they remain just as they did for us. And they probably won't remain long now that the shadows are not present. Something like those carrion crawlers will be along and find them."
"I'd rather not leave them just lying in the middle of the room," the half-elf said.
"We can cover them with their cloaks," Cobble offered.
"After searching them," Esvele said. "For anything that might identify them. Those who might be waiting for them to return deserve to know of their passing. And for anything of value as well. They do not need it anymore and my family has paid for scrolls, bribes, and services. I need to try to defray those costs if I can."
The explanation had been for Kuhl as he'd given the noble a look after her suggestion to search the bodies.
"She isn't wrong," Dawnbringer said in his mind. "Is it so dissimilar to what you did to survive in the Underdark?"
It wasn't, but it felt different. They'd been escaped prisoners trying to survive and make it to the surface. Every coin, gem, bauble, weapon, or even scrap of armor they could scrounge was needed.
"And this is a mission to rescue her brother," his sentient sword reminded. "As well as the genasi sister you were hired to find. Their survival hangs in the balance."
Kuhl nodded to himself. That was true.
Other than a scattering of coins and adventuring gear their search of the bodies only yielded the woman's staff and a circlet as items of interest. The coins went to Lady Rosznar and all else into Meloon's portable hole for later retrieval. The half-elf studied the features of the fallen adventurers as their cloaks were thrown over them. He'd put descriptions of them on the board in the Yawning Portal for any looking for news of them.
"That portable hole is even more versatile than my magic bag," Sky said as they made their way out of the chamber of light stealing pillars. "You have any other amazing items? Besides your axe of course, but then I haven't seen you use that yet."
"It has been wiser to have a torch in hand," the bearded warrior said, raising the flaming light source for emphasis. "In the Wyllowwood, where there is no need for light, I'll use my axe if we need it."
"Let's hope that it won't be necessary," the dwarf, Cobble said. "Fighting an archdruid in her forest would not be a good idea."
"I kind of want to see her angry," the tabaxi said with a chuckle. "You said butterflies nestle in her hair? I imagine, when she is angry, they all fly up in a halo around her head and try to look threatening and dangerous. But they're butterflies so they are just going to look ridiculous."
"I just hope this Xanathar watch post stays bribed," the noble said. "The thought of fighting anything right now. No, just no."
Outside of the chamber was a long dark corridor.
"We go left to the watch post and the portal," Meloon said after looking and listening both ways.
"I'll keep watch to the rear," Cobble said.
Torch leading the way, the bearded warrior walked down the corridor the way he'd indicated. Just like his time in the Underdark, Kuhl noticed the echo of their booted footsteps against the stone walls and ceiling seemed overly loud. No use worrying about it. Their light would give away their approach to the denizens of Undermountain anyway.
A turn to the right followed by another to the left and they confronted a choice. Turn again to the right or proceed straight ahead. After another look and listen, Meloon led them straight whereupon the corridor soon turned back again to the left. As they approached yet another turn to the right, the bearded warrior held up his hand to call for a halt.
"We're about to enter the area guarded by the Xanathar watch post," he whispered. "The commander here, Nadia, is malicious and sadistic. But even more greedy and, as I've explained, she can easily be bribed. Attack nothing unless I say so and let me do all the talking."
"Why are you looking at me?" Sky asked, with a palm raised gesture of innocence.
"And me?" Esvele asked. "I hired you, so of course I will follow your lead."
"Maybe because one tried to ask a mimic what other shapes it could take while it attacked us," Dawnbringer said in Kuhl's mind. "And the other is a noblewoman not used to taking orders."
"Let me do all the talking," Meloon repeated.
He seemed satisfied with their silent nods in reply and again led the way. When they rounded the corner it took all the half-elf's self control to not cry out or retreat back.
A monstrous spherical form floated up near the ceiling of the room. Having seen the window display of the Old Xoblob Shop, Kuhl recognized it immediately. It was a beholder, but this one was living. It rotated to look down at them and bared its teeth in a snarl.
Living was not the right word, because it was clearly dead. The pupil of its large central eye was nearly faded out, covered by a yellow, milky film and only four the eyestalks on its head writhed. The rest laid limp against the creature's graying, decaying flesh. And around half of the sharp teeth in its hissing mouth were missing. All these undead qualities made it more terrifying rather than less. Painted in white around its central eye was a circle with ten spokes radiating outward from its edges.
Meloon held up a metal symbol, the same as painted on the beholder. Immediately the creature's empty gaze rotated back upward and it stopped its hissing, ignoring them. Another corridor led out of the room on the far side. The clacking of wood on wood came from this direction, but the sound presently stopped. A closed, thick, sturdy wood fitted door with iron hinges and handle stood in the middle of the wall to their left. Like all the doors they'd encountered in Undermountain it showed little sign of rust or rot. Which was strange, but considering a zombie beholder floated above them and they'd just come from a room with light sucking carved pillars of black rock with a sphere of light that conjured malevolent shadows, it was relatively not all that strange.
"Meloon Wardragon," a voice called out from the opening on the far side. "You show your scruffy face around here it can only mean one thing. You've brought another fat coin purse as a gift for the Dead Eyes."
The voice was gruff, but had the hint of a feminine quality. A tall, powerfully built, fur clad pale woman with dark, shaggy hair walked into the room holding a wooden staff. A double bladed axe was strapped to her back.
"She is as tall as Yagra Stonefist!" Dawnbringer observed in Kuhl's mind.
She was probably around seven feet in height and it turned out she wasn't even the tallest in her group. Five bugbears accompanied her and a couple of these towered even over her. Five equally rough looking humans were with her as well. All wore dark face paint in a black swath across their faces at eye level. That and their also blackened lips gave them a feral and dangerous look.
"Tell that cat girl to watch where she is aiming that crossbow or I'll rip her arms off when I take it from her," the woman said.
"Tabaxi, not cat girl…" Sky started, but an admonishing glance from Meloon seemed to remind her she'd promised to let him do the talking.
She lowered her crossbow to point at the floor, but her golden eyes narrowed as she stared at the woman and her tail lashed back and forth behind her.
"Good," the pale woman said. "Now have the half-elf extinguish that sword of light. It's making me nervous and when I get nervous my floating zombie friend up there starts disintegrating things.
She pointed with her staff towards the undead beholder and her tone and expression gave no hint at being nervous in the least. Kuhl extinguished Dawnbringer at a nod from Meloon, but kept her in his hand at the ready.
"We need to use the portal in your watch post, Nadia," the bearded warrior said.
"Then to business," the woman, Nadia apparently, said.
She held out a hand and Meloon looked at Esvele.
"Every coin I have to pay to fund this expedition is coming out of your allowance, Kressando," the noble mumbled to herself as she retrieved a coin purse from the bag slung over her shoulder.
She passed the purse to Meloon who tossed it to Nadia. The woman hefted it and seemed to find the weight adequate.
"Well now," she called out. "It seems the Dead Eyes will be drinking something a little finer than our normal Skullport swill."
Grins were exchanged among the woman's human and monstrous companions.
"So, let's escort these gentle sirs and ladies to their portal and wish them luck," she continued. "Because they'll owe us more of the same on their return trip."
This brought a cheer from more than a few of the Dead Eyes and elicited a groan from Lady Rosznar. Nadia moved to the side, bowed, and swept her hand in a gesture towards the corridor behind her. If not for the continued hard eyed stare, it would all seem welcoming rather than mocking. Meloon led the way and the rest of them followed. Kuhl tensed as he passed by the Dead Eyes, fingers tightening on Dawnbringer, but no hostile move was made. They appeared to now be bought and paid for.
They entered a room much like the previous one, but this one had a large circle painted in the middle of the granite floor with ten spokes extending outward from its circumference. It was the same symbol drawn on zombie beholder, but red rather than white - likely drawn in blood. Leather hammocks were hooked to stone brackets that protruded from the walls at regular intervals. Meloon ignored all of this and proceeded to an open doorway to an alcove in the corner.
A stone arch was embedded in one of the walls of the alcove, but solid, impassable stone lay under it. A picture of some sort of armored insectoid creature with two long antennae coming out of its mandibles, a hunched back, and a long finned tail was carved into the arch's keystone.
"What is that?" Sky asked, pointing.
"Rust monster," Nadia answered. "Lost the blade to my favorite axe to one once. Bashed it to death with the haft in revenge."
"This is the magic portal?" Lady Rosznar asked.
"It doesn't look like much," the dark haired human, Hadyn, said. "But after we activate it, this will bring us right to the Wyllowwood."
"But first we eat and drink," Meloon said, pulling out his portable hole and unfolding it.
He retrieved waterskins and rations from the hole and started passing them out.
"Eat, now?" Esvele questioned even as she accepted a waterskin and a package of rations wrapped in wax parchment.
"Remember what we told you of Wyllow," Hadyn said. "She treats her realm as if it is the feywild and she is a fey queen. Any hospitality provided, in her mind, comes at a price. She'll try and force her hospitality on us and take offense if we eat our own rations. Best be full, since it might be some time before we get to eat and drink anything before we have a chance to snatch away your brother and the genasi."
Leading by example, he opened up his package of rations, picked up a piece of hardtack, and bit into it.
"Very well," the noble said.
They all ate and drank standing, chewing and swallowing quickly, taking drinks from waterskins to wash it all down. None of them, it seemed, wished to sit down and take their ease with the members of the Dead Eyes watch post around them. Kuhl suddenly felt like he might have eaten too quickly as a wave of dizziness passed through him. He pushed the feeling aside and took another swallow of water to recover, but his feeling of faintness grew instead of lessening. Looking up he noticed Esvele already seated with a hand to her forehead.
"I don't feel so good," Sky said, as she sank to her knees.
The half-elf didn't either. He too dropped to a crouch, worried he might fall otherwise.
"You've been poisoned," Dawnbringer said in his mind. "I believe I can counter the effects."
Kuhl felt a flush as vitality poured into his limbs. The rush itself was as disorienting as the poison.
"Bind them," Meloon said. "They will not be incapacitated for long."
A strong grip seized one of the half-elf's wrists, but in a burst of strength he twisted free and struck out with his fist as he rose to his feet. His blow slammed into the jaw of the bugbear trying to bind him, sending the creature reeling back to fall heavily onto its backside. Kuhl had sheathed Dawnbringer into her holder on his belt while he'd been eating and drinking. Now he ripped her free and her blade blazed forth.
The whistling sound of something swinging through the air warned him of a coming blow. Pain exploded in the back of his hand as Nadia's staff struck. Bones cracked and Dawnbringer light winked out as she was sent spinning down to the granite floor. He cried out, grabbed his injured hand and whispered a prayer. Healing magic flowed as he backed away to set his back against one of the walls of the alcove.
The giant of a woman stalked him, blackened lips smiling and the excitement glittering in her blue eyes a stark contrast to the swath of dark makeup across her face. The half-elf flexed his now healed hand and glanced at his fallen weapon.
"Oh, please try it," Nadia said. "I am begging you."
"Try it only if you want to see this noble lady's throat slit," Meloon said.
He held Esvele in a neck exposing grip with a dagger tip threatening to do as he promised. Hadyn moved and did similar with Sky. Reluctantly, Kuhl raised his hands in surrender.
"Bind him, and these others," the bearded warrior said.
It was done. The same bugbear the half-elf had knocked down with a strike to the jaw tied up Kuhl. He was rough in his handling and cinched the bindings tight. Nadia frowned as she watched.
"Let the half-elf fight in the red circle for his freedom and that of his companions," she said. "We'll lend him a sword and I'll use my axe and we'll see whose blood freshens the paint of the circle."
"For my freedom and that of my companions?" Kuhl asked. "I accept that challenge."
He flexed his muscles, both to test his bonds, which were tight and unyielding and from the thrill of fear and nerves that ran through him. He had no desire to fight this madwoman in a circle of painted blood in the depths of a dark place known as Undermountain. And this woman must surely be mad to make such an offer. They were trussed up and captured. Why give them a chance at freedom?
"No," Meloon said. "These three go to Nihiloor. He'll decide what to do with them."
"Your mind flayer master is not our master," Nadia said, turning her blackened gaze on the bearded warrior. "The Xanathar lets us take such amusements as we wish. This one was fast and strong enough to knock one of my bugbears on his ass. It excites me to see what he can do."
"She is a noble," Meloon said, pointing to the bound Lady Rosznar at his feet. "Useful. And these two were part of the group that assaulted one of our sewer bases. Orders have been, if any of them are captured, to deliver them to Nihiloor."
"He is one of the four who killed Grum'shar?" the woman wearing dark makeup said. "I like him better already. I told the half-orc he was a fool for playing at being a wizard. He'd be alive if he'd listened to me. Build up the body and hit enemies with things blunt and heavy or sharp. That is the kind of reliable magic the Xanathar needs."
The bearded warrior and Nadia stared at each other for a time. Members of the Dead Eyes traded nervous glances, but Hadyn and Cobble watched things unfolding with a preternatural calm. Then the woman sighed, though it was more a growl of frustration.
"Fine," she said. "But I will make my own report to the Xanathar. Then we'll see if they are wasted as hosts for more of your kind, or used in something else."
Kuhl didn't like the way she emphasized that last word, but 'hosts for more of your kind' terrified him more. He had no idea what that meant and did not think he'd like the answer when he found out.
The woman turned and favored the half-elf with a mocking smile that showed white teeth behind painted dark lips.
"Just so you know," she said. "We don't actually know how to activate the portal or where it goes. But we'll keep this little payment anyway."
She pulled out the pouch she'd been given earlier and made the coins inside jingle with a little shake.
"The Dead Eyes thank you for your generous contribution," Nadia said with a harsh laugh.
Okay, don't know if all this works. I had planned a short chapter of around 3,000 to 4,000 words, and it ballooned up. Let me know if it is readable and flows or if it is clunky and something you can't get through.
Note that the official module of Undermountain for 5e has corridors at the edges of the maps that lead to 'other areas' where the DM can put in what they want. I didn't want to spoil too much, so I built an encounter off the map (the room with the light that creates shadow creatures). I read through all the previous editions I could for Undermountain to cobble together the room. The pillars that absorb light, for example, are from a previous edition. The light that creates shadows is from a memory I have of a cartoon of Superman throwing his cape over a light that was conjuring a shadow that he was fighting. Maybe Super Friends? I don't remember.
Nadia the Unbent is from the module as are her Dead Eyes and the watch post. The portal is there as well, but they have no clue as to how to activate it or where it goes (note, it does not go to the Wyllowwood). Also, I tried to put in dialogue where the creature inside Meloon explains he made up all the stuff up about Wyllow as he has never been to the Wyllowwood and that their master noticed, from the brains he consumed, that stories of the archdruid in the magical forest excited the imagination and thus proved to be great bait. It just came off, however, as a bad guy monologue so I cut it. In my mind, everything they claimed about the Wyllowwood was just stuff they made up to lure their victims down to Undermountain.
I actually read up a lot on Wyllowwood (including previous editions) even though I knew they would not actually be going there. I wanted to try and make the story Meloon was selling feel a bit authentic. I actually like previous editions of the Wyllowwood a little better. More was going on. One thing I found that was confusing was that in the 5e version, she has a pet named displacer beast named Crissann. Now the module states that Crissann was a human mercenary who the elf befriended many years ago, but before their friendship could blossom into romance, Halaster used his magic to turn Crissann against Wyllow and the archdruid slew her. Here is the strange thing. In the 2e version Crissann is a human mercenary. But she is a woman and there is nothing to indicate they were going to become lovers. In fact, Crissann worked for the Red Wizards of Thay, is evil, and is trying to figure out how to become an apprentice of Halaster in that previous module. They are more like two trapped people who associate due to loneliness (Crissann is afraid to leave until she gains more power because she fears reprisals from the Red Wizards). I really liked that the 2e version gave the DM a bunch of personalities to work with (and there is also a cult of Malar as well). 5e always seems to cut and simplify things over previous versions. Plus, they rehash the same story. Wyllow has a lover/potential lover and is forced to kill them. Why rehash the same thing? If you want to use Crissann, put in a new twist. The designers probably know what they are doing, but I find myself getting frustrated at times as I sift through previous material. Then again, what do I know...