The Failed Test…

A decision needed to be made at the fork in the road. Cord reached out with his feelings and felt a pull from the fork to the left. That path led up at a more significant grade and would prove to be a challenge with the wagon. But up they went, winding their way through the tunnel climbing through the rocky tunnel. After quite some time they came across an opening in the mountain wall. It was an opening through about 30 feet of rock that revealed the outside world. Peering out it was clear they were now a few thousand feet above the ground level they had been trying to reach. But there was still no end to their climb and on they pressed and shortly there began rumblings in the ground. Rumblings that became more frequent and more disrupting.

As the rumbling reached a crescendo Jade spotted a problem with the tunnel wall near her and thought there might be a problem. She shouted a warning as the wall of stone exploded out in to their path, showering the group with a hail of stone which killed one of the horses. Rennala used the warning to leap forward out of the way but was still struck by flying stone. Others stepped back or prepared their shields. Cord brought the wagon to a halt and tied off the reins and brake. As the dust cleared from the blast the source was revealed to be a large snake like Plesiosaur dinosaur. The wall now sporting a gaping hole the creature stretched its head and neck in deciding to reach for the downed horse.

A target now present the party moved to attack. Rispin fired the first Magic Missile, bow shots flew but Cord was unable to release his arrow. Something inside him would not let the loose the bow string as Gwyn covered the party with a Bless. The dino pushed further in shoving Erik back. Halrfold tried to stop it using his psionic powers but the creature was able to resist the blast. Cord continued to attempt to fire his bow but was still restrained by something outside himself he could not overcome.

Now with the long neck pushed in to the middle of the group the dino bit down at Erik missing badly and hurting itself as it crashed in to the ground. Rispin stepped up the attack with an Aganaver’s Scorcher as Erik counter attacked with a critical blow, disabling some of the creatures ability. Halrfold now gave it one more try. He reached out with his mind and blasted away. The dinosaur reacted with a lurch and fell to the ground, landing on a few of the party but not harming anyone too terribly. It was still alive but unmoving. Presented with the opportunity they grouped up and hacked at the neck separating the head from the body. Rennala returned to the body of her horse, killed by the rocks and a large section removed by the bite from the dino. She carefully removed some of the horses mane and tail hair with thoughts of returning it as honor to the Seneca who gave her the use of the beast.

The opening created by the dinosaur revealed a side tunnel, larger than the one they were in, that lead off deeper in to the mountain. Cord decided to investigate. Erik, Halrfold and Rennala joined him. They walked down the path a few hundred yards, finding nothing of interest and turned back. As they did a section of the wall fell away revealing a set of finely crafted stairs leading up. Cautiously and curiously they traveled up the several hundred steps finally seeing an opening to the outside world. Slowly they crept up on the opening. The mouth led to a plateau, the stairs ending as the stairway reached it. On the plateau stood a small stone building. In front if it sat an older, red bearded man, whittling at a piece of wood.

Cord stepped forward to speak with the man, talking about his vision. The man offered to allow Cord to enter the building… if he could. He approached the door and tried to open it but it would not budge. Halrfold, Erik and Rennala stepped forward voicing their support for him and placed their hands on his shoulders to help. He reached for the door again and this time everything changed. The four and the red bearded man were magically transported to and open plain. The man sat on a platform, the bow Cord had seen in his visions laying next to him.

The man warned Cord that the next steps were dangerous to both Cord and his companions. Mortally dangerous. If he wished to try to claim the bow he would be presented with a challenge that could be fatal to any or all of them. Cord chose to take the challenge. Picking up the bow his three companions were whisked away appearing at the far end of the plateau, But they were not alone. There were three identical versions of each of the members at the end of the range. Cord was instructed he needed to use the bow to remove the duplicates before they reached him or they would kill him.

He began firing at the targets down range, first selecting the line up Erik’s. The arrow flew true but passed through the first two and struck the last. The real Erik. He changed aim and went for one of the Rennala’s but the arrow passed through it as well. Cord was now confused. As the figures began to close ground he changed aim again and this time for one of the Halrfold’s but this one struck the real one again. He had chosen wrongly. Cord was overcome by doubt and confusion. Wondering just how the bow functioned. He asked for guidance, he asked to be shown the proper targets, but nothing was revealed. So he tried again, the figures slowly approaching. This time he struck the real Erik again. Cord became paralyzed by his fears. His only results were striking his companions as other shots passed through the illusion versions.

Now he changed approach again, this time attempting to disbelieve the illusions. Still to no avail. As his targets were now within a very close range the red bearded man offered him an out. He said Cord could surrender the bow, admitting he is not ready to wield it, and the challenge would end. With no other thoughts on how to succeed Cord placed the bow back on the platform and the test was over. The five were instantly whisked back to the original plateau where they met. Cord was told the bow would be waiting for him, should he be ready and should no one else prove their worth and claim it.

The four turned and went back down the stairs. When they emerged back in the tunnel the opening to the stairs collapsed, removing any sign it was there. They walked back to the party and found they had been gone for about 4 hours. They set up camp and spent the night. With no way else to go they turned around and headed back to the first fork in the tunnel, carefully working their way down the slope and veered off the right tunnel. This one was far less sloped and meandered for quite some time. They eventually spotted light coming in the tunnel from ahead and felt a breeze of fresh air as Erik, leading the group, called out a warning. He heard the sound of arrows flying. Everyone ducked and braced as two arrows landed directly in front of the party.

Gwyn, Halrfold, Jade and Lilliane cautiously stepped forward, hands up and weapons slung and approached the archers near the exit of the tunnel. They called out they were not there to cause trouble and came in peace. The guards, incredulous and shocked at the appearance of the party, responded in an odd dialect of the common tongue. As they conversed and slowly gained the momentary belief from the guards a call went to bring over their leader. The woman came quickly and greeted them as the leader of the Senanaki tribe. It was at this time the group noticed the colors flyng on their settlement banners were identical to the Seneca colors of Hachi’s tribe. Halrfold attempted to use his psionic powers of ESP to peer into the mind of the leader but he was immediately warned to stop and get out of her mind.

There was disbelief and wonder at the arrival of the party. The leader could not fathom their visit telling them there was nothing but the “land of the dead” down the tunnel. But when Gwyn showed her the shining wall rock she had taken the leader dropped to her knees and bowed low. She begged for forgiveness and apologized for her distrust. The group asked to see the way east from their village but this was met with incredulity. There was no ‘way east’. There was no way … anywhere from their village. The leader brought them out from the tunnel revealing they were in a crevasse about 1000 feet or so below the ground level the party had hoped to reach.

They were led around the area that covered several square miles. It was within a section of the land below the standard ground level. A river, 40 or 50 feet deep and 75 to 100 feet across, cut through the middle of the gap, emanating from under the rock at one end and disappearing into the rock at the other. There was no path out from here. The walls were steep and sheer and there was no path around the river. Their search and investigation completed they knew they could not find their way east from here. They set up a camp for themselves and began discussing options. Do they go back and explore the paths exposed by the dinosaur that had attacked them or do they backtrack all the way up, out and around the northern side of the mountain.

And now.... another Halrfond original bardic tale.....

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