The Tunnels of Undercliff

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Peter_Abelard
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The Tunnels of Undercliff

Post by Peter_Abelard »

“Are we off then?”

Peartlin turned to the others gathered outside the Candlelight
Inn – Mistress Nova, Betty the Healer, Luva (glad to have her back) and Sir
Declan. Two of their number (Aelenta and Max – such a long name, Max was the
only thing Peartlin could justifiably expend energy trying to articulate) had decided
to remain in the small village of Undercliff and return to Waterdeep the next day.
It was now Peartlin’s responsibility to lead the way, which was just fine. He had
been observing Aelenta for several tendays and was sure he could manage the
simple task of retracing their path home.

As the small group fell in (was that murmuring he was hearing behind him?),
Peartlin’s mind went back to the battle they had waged just a few hours ago.

What a donnybrook! That was the only name for it. All those ankhegs spewing
from the ground! They were like autumn leaves covering the hillside. Even the
tiny ones made a warpony look small. And the big ones! They towered above the
trees and threatened to swallow even Sir Declan whole, flaming sword and all.

It was chaos for several moments as the group laid into the insect swarm (their
clicking and clacking was near deafening), trying to reduce their numbers and cut a
path back to Undercliff and safety. Steel swords rang off hard shells when they
didn’t find fleshy openings, icy cold breath spewed from Declan’s mouth onto the
beasts as he downed potion after potion, and fireballs lit up the pre-dawn gloom as
the arcanists threw everything they had at the danger.

When the chittering finally subsided, Peartlin looked around. There were chitinous
carapaces everywhere! He made a quick count (not of insect shells! of people!) –
everyone still standing and everyone tending to wounds. They stumbled to a small
stream at the base of the hill to wash off the ichor and tend to the acidic burns from
the ankhegs (or were some of those burns from fire and cold? Ah well, one’s aim
goes to Nine Hells in a scrape such as that).

“Hey, what do you see up there?” Peartlin heard a shout from behind and it
brought his mind to the present. Sounded like Luva. No, she lost her beloved
Hisilome in the battle and was too filled with grief to offer much, let alone shout.
Must have been Nova. Hard enough in full plate to reconnoitre ahead for danger,
didn’t need her yelling and attracting all sorts of ne-er-do-wells down from the
hills.

Peartlin came to the center of a small stone bridge that crossed a stream and turned
to the group. Hands on his hips, he chided back, “If you keep that up, you’ll draw
more ankh . . .”

His rebuke was cut short as the area around the bridge erupted in a gout of dirt and
roots and Peartlin was dumped on his keister. Three enormous ankhegs were
rising from the ground and turning their attention to the fallen paladin of Yondalla.

Peartlin reached for his mace and scrambled to his feet, waving it wildly before
him. He could see the others closing the distance, shouting (this time
appropriately!) and casting spells. A canopy of gigantic insect bodies blocked out
the sky as Peartlin looked for a way out – there! He dove between the legs of one
chittering beast and rolled onto the soft grass, clear of the bridge.

Chaos again! He could see very little but the pungent smell of acid filled the air
and he could hear the clamor of battle – the insect clicks and the shouts of his
companions. He shook his head clear and looked up in time to see long, barbed
arms reach out and wrap around him. He felt himself lifted from his feet and then
downward into darkness. Dirt and rocks filled his mouth as he struggled to keep it
closed. Thankfully, it was only momentary and then he fell a short distance to
solid ground.

Shaking off dirt, he stood and saw his mace nearby, glowing slighty (the Provider
doth provide). He was in a tunnel, a large tunnel. No sign of the beast that
dragged him down and only a slight muffled noise from above, where the battle
was clearly still raging.

Peartlin looked up and down the tunnel, his mace’s light showing only a short
distance either way. “Well, this is a fine pot of stew,” he said aloud.
Without warning, the ceiling crashed down on him in an avalanche of earth and he
was sent sprawling once again, his lower half pinned by the heavy load. He spit
out yet more dirt and wiped his face, expecting to stare into the cold, multi-eyed
head of an ankheg and ready to resume the fight underground.

“Declan!” Peatlin smiled despite the predicament. He shoved the knight off his
legs and clambered to his feet. “Had to play the hero and dive in after me, huh?”

He helped the knight up with a groan (that Declan was sure heavy!) “No need to
have gone to such efforts. I’m part dwarf, y’know. I can find my way out . . . I
think.”

The two walked along the tunnel in silence for a long time, searching for any sign
of a way up and out. The flames from Declan’s sword would surely not last
forever and then it would be just the dim light of Peartlin’s mace to guide them
along. They had better find something soon.

Peartlin’s head twitched. What was that smell!? Oh, it was horrendous, enough to
stop an adult bulette in mid-charge. He turned to his tunnel mate with an
incredulous glare, “Declan, did you really just float an air biscuit? Here, in the
tunnel? Seriously?”

Declan stared back with a perplexed look (well, he assumed it was a perplexed
look - danged knight never took off that helmet. Probably has perfectly coifed and
moisturized hair under that thing, spared from all this grime and ichor!)

“Look out!” Declan yelled and swung his sword. Peartlin heard a crunch and a
yelp as something fell to the floor at his feet. He looked up to see hin-sized
lizardmen running toward them from up the tunnel. Oh, the stench! They both
staggered back as the little lizards advanced. Eyes wincing from the cloud of
fumes filling the tunnel, Peartlin saw it – a sliver of light ahead! That was the way
out!

He gripped his mace tightly and saw Declan doing the same with his sword, whose
flame had now dimmed to a few small flickers. This was it, hold here and then get
to the light. They stood resolutely side-by-side in the tunnel, holding their noses as
the tiny lizardmen slammed into them.

It was over quickly, but exposure to the smells left both sirs retching as they
lurched for the light ahead. An easy fit for Peartlin (not unlike an entrance to the
Warrens), while Declan had to be helped through the small hole with much tugging
and urging. Once through, they stood in the bright dawn sunlight, blinking and
smiling as the wall marking Waterdeep’s outer defenses could be seen in the
distance.

They brushed off what they could of the accumulated earthen deposits and began
walking toward the city. Peartlin couldn’t help going over their miraculous escape
from the ankheg tunnels as they trudged along. He hoped the others had likewise
escaped their foes and that they, even now, were safe back at the House of
Wonder, awaiting the return of their beloved knights. What a story to relate! We
were digging through the ground, like dwarves seeking ancient and forgotten
treasures. Little light and no food. Just two armored warriors against whatever the
depths could throw at them! He looked at his companion with a smile and began
to open his mouth.

Before he could utter a word, Declan turned to Peartlin and remarked stoically,
“Did you see the ore piles in those tunnels? I should have brought my pick.”
Peartlin rolled his eyes and could only muster, “Let’s get to the temple, shall we?”
Character arcs are sharp, pointy little things. A little blood may spill!

Now Playing: Luva Si'nede, Olivus Angustian
Past Characters: Valyar Floshin, Sarenna Irithyl, Millicent Riverstone, Dev Revels, Catarina Helms, Fenris Estelmer, Arryn Temple, Penrose Hawke, Kara Ravensfell, Arana Belecthor
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