LXXV. The Wellspring

Next morning, the party prepared to return to the mine. At day’s end, they returned to the mine entrance and proceeded directly to the Charnel Pit. They headed across the floor, still piled with dead and decaying corpses. "I hope this doesn’t start again," said Zzyggy to himself.

As if in reply to the gnome’s muttering, five more zombies rose up and assaulted the party.

Once again, Father Sam’s invocation of the power of St. Cuthbert proved deadly to the undead. Four zombies turned and fled, leaving only one remaining. It attacked Troy, but missed. Adam’s attack slashed the zombie, ripping a huge gash in its undead flesh. Then Father Sam pierced it with a crossbow bolt. The zombie swung again at Troy, but failed again. Troy finally cut the monster down. The party then proceeded down the exit tunnel, about eighty feet of zigzagging. At length, they saw a blue-greenish glow ahead of them.

Suddenly, Adam, Troy and Zzyggy stopped in their tracks, wracked with high fever, aches and pain. Father Sam recognized the symptoms. "St. Cuthbert protect!" the cleric cried.  "It’s the Burning Plague!" He immediately realized that the adventurers had been exposed to corpses and rats they day before. "Those corpses yesterday must have been contagious!" he exclaimed.

The three sickened adventurers bravely continued toward the glow ahead, all of them substantially weaker than normal.

At the end of the tunnel, the party paused. They had reached another cavern, almost as large as the main mine: about seventy by one hundred twenty feet. There was a large pool of water in the center of the cavern, from which emerged a single, jagged pillar of rock encrusted with glowing blue-green moss. At the top of the pillar was a fountain, from which water ran down the pillar into the pool. From the pool, a wide stream flowed to the south end of the cavern and into an opening in the south wall.

The party could see a number of glyphs carved into the pillar. A path wound around the pillar, rough and easily climbable except for a section worn smooth by the down-flowing water.

Troy and Adam, fighting the symptoms of the Burning Plague, reached the water surrounding the base of the pillar. It appeared to be particularly foul and murky. Zzyggy determined that the water, although not poisoned, was affected by some kind of magic.

"I recognize these glyphs," said Father Sam. "They are related to the worship of Gruumsh, god of the orcs!" None of the other adventurers was acquainted with Orkish, however. The cleric then examined the moss on the pillar, concluding that it was only natural moss.

The rest of the party examined the cavern, checking for other exits and items of interest. They spotted a tunnel near the far end of the cavern, and began to search in that direction.

A cry of hatred and anger resounded through the cavern. In Orkish!

The normally intrepid Adam suddenly felt an uncontrollable urge to flee the area, gripped by inexplicable fear! He turned and ran toward the cavern entrance as fast as he could.

Quickly, Zzyggy cast dancing lights above the pillar, hoping to locate any hidden enemies. The gnome could only see the fountain. And briefly. For suddenly, darkness engulfed the pillar and the area around it, extinguishing the dancing lights!

As Adam continued to flee, Troy was stricken with fear as well, and turned to follow the barbarian. Father Sam fell back to accompany the frightened adventurers. Zzyggy, rather than remaining alone, fell back with the rest of the party.

They reached the tunnel. Troy felt some evil influence trying to impose its will on him, but resisted its effect. Adam maintained his flight, now over one hundred feet back into the tunnel. Troy and Father Sam also pulled back into the tunnel, along with Zzyggy. As he retreated, the gnome readied his crossbow.

A crossbow bolt struck Troy, despite the darkened surroundings. The fighter fled further back into the tunnel, Father Sam following him. Adam’s wild flight continued, past the Charnel Pit.

Zzyggy and Troy continued to withdraw, along with Father Sam.

At last, Adam came to his senses. Instantly, he turned and ran back toward the cavern. Zzyggy, Troy and Father Sam awaited the barbarian’s return, then accompanied him as he rushed back down the tunnel. They ran through the Charnel Pit and reached the entrance to the cavern.

Just as the adventurers burst into the cavern, a creature suddenly appeared and slashed at Troy with a vicious claw. Father Sam recognized the creature: a lemure, summoned from the Abyss! While he identified the attacking demon, a crossbow bolt sailed over Zzyggy’s head from the right side of the tunnel entrance, just missing the gnome.

Instantly, a new assailant appeared, as if previously invisible. A hideous male orc, bearing the insignia of Gruumsh! "The Tornclaws will have revenge!" the enraged shaman shouted.

Wasting no time, Zzyggy loosed a magic missile at the orc, striking him for minor damage. "Your magic will fail!" screamed the crazed orc as he reached out to the gnome. "Feel the power of One-Eye!" Zzyggy immediately felt a terrible weakness as the orc’s contagion spell took effect, afflicting the gnome with the malady of slimy doom.

While the orc battled Zzyggy, Troy struck at the lemure, but missed. "Wait," Father Sam advised Adam. "I’ll help," the cleric continued, as he cast magic weapon on Adam’s sword. The barbarian nodded thanks, then, wielding the newly-enhanced weapon, raged at the lemure. He slashed it with a mighty blow, crippling the demonic creature. But not as severely as the barbarian expected.

A color spray from Zzyggy burst at the orc shaman. The orc’s willpower protected him from its effect. "Pretty colors won’t help you!" mocked the orc. He swung a heavy mace back at the gnome. Zzyggy fell, mortally wounded. Troy, hearing Zzyggy’s scream as he fell, rushed at the orc and slashed him with his greatsword. Behind him, Father Sam cast cure moderate wounds on Troy, healing all injury.

Meanwhile, the raging barbarian kept attacking the summoned lemure. The demon finally vanished under Adam’s assault.

The dying gnome continued to ooze life as he lay on the cavern floor. Ignoring his fallen enemy, the orc stepped to Troy and reached out to touch the fighter. Contagion struck again, and Troy was afflicted with blinding sickness! The weakened, blinded fighter swung wildly at the orc, but missed.

But now the raging barbarian entered the melee. "Time to DIE!!!" he bellowed as he flanked the orc and slashed with all his might. The shaman fell, shrieking an orcish curse as he dropped. The orc was dead!

While Father Sam’s cure light wounds spell brought Zzyggy back from the brink, the other adventurers examined the dead orc. They found a number of valuable items, including a large sapphire.

"Who was this orc, I wonder?" said Adam. "He spoke of "the Tornclaws"", replied Father Sam. "Some years ago, there was a tribe of orcs in this area that we managed to destroy. Perhaps that was their name." The cleric turned his attention to the water around the pillar. "The water is clearing!" he exclaimed. Zzyggy checked the water for magic. "No more magic either," reported the gnome. "I think the plague problem has been resolved."

The adventurers left the mine, but set up camp in order not to expose the town to any remaining contagion they might be carrying. After three days, all afflicted members of the party had shaken off the diseases they had been stricken with. Father Sam’s spells brought all back to full health.

When they returned to Duvik’s Pass, Mayor Sendars and his staff ran up to greet them at the town gate. "You’ve done it!" exclaimed the mayor. "People are already starting to recover from the plague. We can never thank you enough!" And turning to the citizens who had gathered around him and the party, he led a rousing cheer for the victorious adventurers.

The mayor then invited the party to his office, where he listened raptly as the adventurers described how they had cleared the mines and defeated the orc (whom they had identified as a shaman named Jakk).  "The mines will have to be decontaminated," said the mayor.  "Probably need to be burned out."

All the adventurers were gives a hefty reward in gold, as well as lifelong welcome in the town and free lodging and meals (within reason). They enjoyed several days of the town’s hospitality.

When the rest and relaxation were over, Adam, Troy and Zzyggy prepared to return to Longspear. Graves and Fiora bid the town and their companions farewell for the time being. "There are a few things we need to attend to," said Graves. "We’ll see you soon." And with that, the adventurers went their ways.