Reply To: Keli… short for Keli

[Aelswith]

We began our search o’ the place, all o’ us troubled ‘bout what we’d just seen. I mean, a monster is one thing, but havin’ to deal with one o’ the thirteen, or even worse, a God with a bag full o’ tricks . . . well, oh geez!

Sun-Ok picked the lock on the first door we got to. Bel swung it open and a bunch o’ rust monsters shot out at us, takin’ us by surprise, their mouth parts whirrin’ and clickin’ and clackin’, doin’ their best to grab hold of one o’ us!

Straight off, some o’ ‘em snatched at our weapons while the rest o’ ‘em began chewin’ away on our armor, tryin’ ta eat it right off our backs! Rust monsters is small, mayhap a bit larger then a badger, and to me they looks like huge bugs what’s made outta some kind o’ strange metal. And by the way, that’s what they’s hungry for! Metal!

They look somethin’ like what a blacksmith might throw together as a joke, from scraps o’ what’s layin’ ‘round his shop. Anyways, one o’ em caught hold o’ Walis’s sword and chomped on it till there was nothin’ left, except a little nub o’ steel stickin’ outta the hilt! Oh geez, was he upset ‘bout that!

And before we slaughtered ‘em all, they managed to gobble up Voran’s armor, leavin’ him standin’ there almost naked, with only his small clothes coverin’ him! Well I dug ‘round in me pack real quick, lookin’ fer somethin’ what might fit him and I found a nice red outfit, a bit large fer me, what I thought would do fine, till he could get a new set o’ clothes fer himself.

I gotta tell ya, Voran sure looked silly, struttin’ ‘round in a bright red outfit all full o’ frills and ruffles what was special made fer a girl! I couldn’t look at him direct, afraid I’d burst out laughin’!

With the rust monsters outta the way, we continued our exploration of the chamber and found another room what was filled up with chests, most o’ ‘em locked up tight with strong wards and traps put ‘round them. They’d be difficult to open and there was a risk o’ destroyin’ their contents if we ain’t disarmed them properly.

It was late, we all was tired, and the boys decided to camp upstairs, and after we got a good rest and our minds was fresh, ta come back down and have a go at openin’ up those chests. It sounded good to me. I was really exhausted, and when they started back to the rope we’d used to climb down, I was laggin’ behind ‘em by quite a bit.

They turned a few corners, went through a few doors, and I lost sight o’ ‘em but ain’t thought too much about it, cause I knew my way back. Well, when I got to the place in the chamber we’d came down from, the boys was gone. I figured they had climbed up already.

When I looked fer the rope to begin haulin’ myself up, it was too high fer me ta reach! Now I ain’t accusin’ anyone o’ pullin’ up the rope. Mayhap it was Loki, playin’ his tricks again. Mayhap the boys thought I’d climbed up ahead o’ ‘em . . . and was thinkin’ I was lost up above someplace. Or . . . mayhap Walis was finally gettin’ back at me fer chewin’ on his fingers, weeks ago and figured he’d leave me down here ta rot, ya know? I just aint’ sure.

Anyways, that’s how I came ta be stuck in this place till Voran finally came along and rescued me. The two o’ us spent the next few days camped up above, in a nice quiet room, and nothin’ tried to murder us . . . and nothin’ happened!! I swear!

Later, we found the others, and we made our plans about how we’d disarm the traps and wards what was placed ‘round the chests in the Forgotten Chamber below, and started down again. We ain’t had much trouble findin’ our way back and shortly we was down and makin’ our way to the room what was full o’ all the chests.

We looked careful at the boxes and found one with strange markings on it what appeared to be Grippli Glyphs. It aint’ took too long before Walis disarmed the wards and popped it open. Well glory be! There they was! Frankie’s seeds! We’d finally found ‘em after all this time!

Oh geez! We all joined hands and danced around, doin’ a jig, laughin’ and singin’ a little tune! But there was more! Besides the seeds, the chest had loads o’ treasure in it! Somethin’ fer everyone! Walis laid it all out on the floor fer us and we went about pickin’ up the things each o’ us wanted.

I chose a Falchion! A huge curved sword, weighted at the tip so’s it could deliver a crushin’ blow! All fancy and shiny with not a speck o’ rust on it! And words was inscribed on it, namin’ it the “Arik Defender” and sayin’ it was made for a golem who was goin’ to protect the city from the Gods but that ain’t worked out so well so they just stored it down here long ago! Wow!

And Grippli Sticks! And Grippli Healin’ kits! Oh geez! Well everyone picked out what they wanted, Walis tucked the seeds away in his pack, and we started the trek back up to the surface. We had to battle a bit here and there, but finally we was out, and makin’ our way towards the gate and the timeless desert what lay beyond.

We had just cleared the gate and Lady Kaldt is standin’ there waitin’ fer us, somehow knowing we’d be along shortly! Well, she reminded us of Opinvu’s dilemma, bein’ stuck in Gastlynk, and about to be ambushed by Father McGregor, who was settin’ a trap for him!

She give me a dirty look ‘cause I’d completely forgotten ‘bout that part, and I was thinkin’ it was only the minions what was after him, ya know? Geez! How the hel does she know all that stuff?

We told her that it was the very next thing we was about to do! Our plans were to cut across the Timeless Desert, and on to Gastlynk, goin’ in the back way. She nodded to us, wished us luck with our venture, and then she was gone.

We ain’t run into nothin’ trekking’ across the desert and shortly, we was approachin’ the gates o’ the city what now belonged to the Titan and his minions. We met some resistance at the gate, and a minion or two once inside, but none o’ ‘em give us too much trouble.

Eventually, after lookin’ ‘round a bit, Walis found McGregor hidin’ in a doorway, waitin fer Opinvu ta amble by so’s he could pounce on him and kill him dead!

Well instead, the lot o’ us pounced on McGregor and we beat him to a bloody pulp! Nope, fer sure he won’t be botherin’ Opinvu no more.

Anyways, we’d saved Opinvu and we now had Frank’s seeds and we ain’t seen Loki or any o’ the thirteen again.

We headed back to Foothold, our heads high, with Bel whistlin’ some old marchin’ tune. Walis and Voran had big smiles on their faces, and I was strollin’ along behind ‘em, swingin’ my new Falchion, getting’ used to the feel o’ it, and feelin’ really good ‘bout how things had turned out fer us.