Ancient Wizards Lair

Prelude

The group climb a steep mountain and using Bandit Queens magic, discover the Hole which local legend reputes to be a back-door into the sealed, magickally protected, grandiose Gate of the Ancient Wizards lair which they passed on the ascent.

"Why do they call it a wizards lair, and not his workshop of tower or retreat or something different?"

"I don't know. There is probably a reason for it." 

"Was he a good wizard or a bad wizard?"

"Nobody knows. There are not any stories of the wizard who lived here. Obviously he was powerful to have constructed a base inside a mountain. The huge ornate carved gate is not of Dwarven manufacture; even so, the Dwarves like the workmanship on the Gate very much. "Magickally crafted." They agree. "Living rock, softened and shaped and hardened again. Takes a lot of energy to do that. Strong wizard. He knew what he was doing. Such magick is rare, even amongst Dwarves who know about this sort of thing." The Dwarves exchange glances. They obviously know a lot more which they are not telling about. Their eyes gleam, not the gleam for the promise of gold but the gleam of affirmation that some Dwarven stories suddenly make sense. They have discovered something of legend which has turned out to be real. They can barely contain their excitement and are overcome with a zeal for pressing on and seizing whatever assets are to be found within. "I like this place!"

Before they descend into the hole, Bandit Queen uses her magic to cast Glow spells on the Seasoned Adventurer, the Warrior and herself, to light up the area around them as they move so they will not need to carry torches.


Down The Hole

They climb single-file down a long rope, into a dark vertical tunnel. They threw down torches but they sizzled and went out; water below. The water is a shin-deep puddle, which disgustingly stinks strongly of Orc urine and excrement. It is a terrible, nauseating smell which fortunately their dry torches help to burn up from the air so they can breathe without gagging on it. The party has apparently landed in the Orcs toilet. Seasoned Adventurer recognizes it at once for what it is; the main entrance of an Orc lair. Evidently the green-skinned bastards have infested the Ancient Wizards lair.

As the adventurers land in the toilet pool, something strikes them, sharp and painful. Peering into the darkness, at the edge of their vision can be seen a young Orc child with a catapult, shotting pebbles at them. When he realises he has been seen he jabbers in Orc language and runs screaming back up the tunnel behind him. Seasoned Adventurer growls; "I'm gonna get that little bastard!" and runs up the tunnel before the rest of the party have finished descending. 

Battle!

Warrior and Wizard follow him. By the time they catch up with him two corners later, he is engaged in combat with three Orc braves, one of whom is unconscious or dead on the ground at his feet. Orcs are notoriously tough to kill. Their skulls are several inches thick around a relatively small brain approximately the size of a cat, according to some, ahem, 'researchers'. Simply because an Orc has been laying presumed dead for up to several days does not mean it is actually dead, albeit displaying zero life-signs. Greenbloods have astonishing natural healing abilities and have been known on occasion to continue fighting even after decapitation.

The Orcs are despatched of. Big Ron decapitates one of them to make sure (to cries of "they killed uncle Ernie!" from the Orc children who are running around firing catapults for zero damage and pulling scary faces). The team splits with some remaining to fight an Orc while others progress up through the corridors, occasionally stopping to dispatch of other Orcs along the way.

During this time, healing spells are cast by the Wizard and Bandit Queen (who is also a magic user), and both of them notice their power is increased in this place. The raw essence of magic flows through the fabric here. They have reduced Power Points cost for spellcasting, although they also use up a lot of their energy and must rest. These Orcs are a pretty tough bunch, defending their home and their family from murderous adventurers, one of whom (Knight) has shifted into his Werewolf form to do better battle (double speed and double strength). Big Ron has been knocked unconscious (for the second time in two scenarios) and left momentarily by the others who are busy fighting Orcs.

The adventure party arrive in dribs and drabs into a medium sized room, containing an old treasure chest (which the Orc kids are currently hiding in, occasionally peeking out from a crack in the lid, their piggy red eyes glowing in the gloom) and a giant fossilized snail shell. The room also contains a very nasty looking Orc wearing spiky armour and whose eyes are not the usual red glow of Orcs, but are sparkling green, the same dark green sparkling mist is swirling around his hands, flowing as if he is controlling its flow, scooping it from the air, forming it into shape, directing it.

He sends a blast of the dark green sparkling swirling mist toward the party and it hits the Barbarian Girl who falls to the ground in pain and agony, the green sparkles crackling all around her like electricity.

Knight (in Werewolf form) and Big Ron simultaneously charge at the Orc Shaman, whose vine-like green misty sparkles grab hold of Knights longsword and wrestles with it. Knight lets go and the sword flies toward the Orc Shaman, who is surprised but uninjured, and thrusts it back through the air toward the Knight. His other hand is still pointing at the Barbarian Girl who is still twitching in agony on the floor. Bandit Queen reaches her.

Big Ron whacks it with his axe and causes the Orc Shaman lets go of everything he is holding with his magic (the Barbarian girl and the Knights sword). He begins rolling his hands to scoop up some more magickal energy for another attack.

The Dwarves have stayed behind to examine a wall, unlike the rest of the building. They are discussing with each other how there is something peculiar about the stonework of this place. It is not a natural cave. It is not built by normal construction methods. It is more as if someone has somehow tunneled directly into the rock and then smoothed all the surfaces. All except for the one wall on the corner, which appears to be a T-junction with a very badly made pile of rocks stacked terribly (probably by the Orcs) across one corridor to block passage. Where the headless Orc landed against it earlier has dislodged some of the rocks and there is a pressure feeling of a different air behind it, the tunnel has not been used for some time.

Suddenly the Dwarves observe the 'presumed dead' Orcs around them are all simultaneously standing up, pulling themselves together, and returning to combat! Most surprisingly the headless Orc picks up his severed head, grips it by the hair, holds it above his neck (causing splatters of green blood to bounce off the shoulders and neck which is also oozing dribbles of green blood over the body and trailing across the floor) and lumbering ungracefully up the corridor toward the larger chamber. Likewise, the other Orcs ignore the Dwarves and hastily run toward the Shaman Orc to defend it.

The Dwarves chase them. The Orcs in the corridor are surrounded by Dwarves on one side and Strongman (who wakes up as the orcs trip over him), Bandit Queen, and finally Barbarian Girl who is recovering quickly enough to return to battle, and all these Orcs are killed (again), probably because they are on low energy from having previously been killed/knocked out and magickally re-awoken.

Meanwhile, Werewolf (Knight) and Big Ron are simultaneously finishing off the Shaman Orc, Ron chopping it into several pieces to ensure it does not wake up again.

Behind the Shaman Orc are a semi-naked young adult Orc, an old crone Orc, and a big - mean BIG as in two times larger than normal, Orc Mamma! She is holding a baby Orc in her arm and angrily bossing the others around, ordering them to fight the invaders and protect the Orc kids! She is lingering in the doorway of a smelly room from which sounds of frightened Orc children can be heard.

One of the Dwarves catches up and kills the Orc. Werewolf (Knight) kills the old crone. The three fighters surround the Orc Mamma and she kicks the crap out of all three of them. Wizard and Bandit Queen arrive and touch-heal those injured from fighting her. Finally, after inflicting many ferocious wounds on the warriors, mamma Orc is fatally wounded. In her final act of defiance she throws the screaming orc baby at the Werewolf (Knight) who simply bats it out of the way, it goes flying into a wall with a crunch, falls to the ground with a splat, and stops gurgling.

Big Ron charges into the room and chops up Orc mamma, observing there to be three young infant Orcs in beds in here. He mutters and complains loudly about how disgusting this vermin is and how much he despises their foul ilk, while hacking and chopping at every bit of green skin and any of their blankets, until he is quite certain they are all dead with no chance of being ressurrected. The rest of the party watch his frenzy.

The Dwarves, StrongMan and Barbarian Girl decide to gather up all of the bodies of the Orcs and pile them up in this room, while the Magic Users and Big Ron stand guard and recover a bit of their energy after the battle.


Heart of the Mountain

Nothing else comes out of the corridor ahead, and so they explore it. The Magic Users and the Dwarves are delighted to discover a huge green crystal pulsing with life energy (magic) in the next room. All of the parties wounds are healed, their powers put back up to full and increased by 1 (level up time!) simply from liberating this Life Crystal from the disgusting Orcs. It is swirling with the same green sparkles as was the Orc Shamans magic, no doubt the source of his malignant power.

The Dwarves describe this crystal to be the Heart of the Mountain, its living soul, a sacred artifact. They call it a Life Stone. Bandit Queen and Wizard understand it to be why the place feels so magickal and why their powers are boosted here. Every magickal weapon the party are carrying is glowing while near the crystal.

Werewolf runs up the corridor ahead, for the longest time, until he realizes no natural corridor could go on for so long. As soon as he turns around, he is right back where he began. The corridor is magickally protected to send anyone who moves through it, back to the start of it.


Arya

"A fayrie!" Exclaim several members of the party upon discovering a winged, small humanoid creature who was hiding in the old chest in the large room with the fossil giant snail shell. The Orc children who were previously hiding in it have sneaked out and escaped.

"I am not a fayrie, I am an elemental I'll have you know. An air elemental to be specific. Custodian of knowledge and resident of, this place. I was summoned and bound by my Master who built this place and who now sadly is deceased from a magickal accident." 

"Can you help us?"

"You have got rid of the nasty Orcs who had infested my masters workshop and so yes, I shall help you. How can I be of your service?"

"How can we get past the magic trap on the corridor?"

"Oh that's easy, I put that there to stop the nasty Orcs. It took up a lot of my power. Consider it gone."

"Thanks. Can you tell us about this place?"

"My Master built it. A wizard. For his study. He summoned and bound me into form so I can explore this dimension and help him with his studies. But now he is gone, I am stuck here with nothing else to do. Such a waste."

"Can you help us clear the rock pile which is blocking the other corridor?"

"The barricade built by the stinky Orcs because they are afraid of what lays beyond it. Oh, that is easy."  Arya flitters through the tunnels, followed by the fastest members of the party, who observe her blast the rocks with a surge of air and they fall to the ground, exposing the corridor. It turns a corner. At the end of the corridor is the stoutest looking wooden door the adventurers have ever seen. It has a big googly eye in it, which is watching them.

"Do not attack the door, it is heavily enchanted. Any violence you try to do to it, will happen to you." 

"How do we get in?"

"You would have to ask my Master."

 "Can you still talk with your Master?" 

"Of course I can. Being a creature of air, which is all about knowledge, I am very wise; especially as I studied with my Master who is even wiser. I can call his ghost, but it uses a lot of my power to do that. I would have to rest afterward."

"How long will that take?"

"I am exhausted already from moving those rocks. You will have to wait ... until I have slept..." 


"Will you do that for us? So we can talk with him? Please?"

"As you asked nicely. And you did clean up the problem with the Orcs." 

Arya returns to her treasure chest to rest. The party rest and discuss their situation. The  Werewolf/Knight explores the furthest corridor now that the spell has been lifted. He discovers another store room with shelves and lots of small stoppered bottles of colorful liquids. Unfortunately as a century has passed since they were made, many of the labels are faded or fallen off.


Arya the Air Elemental wakes up and summons the ghost of the Elder Wizard.

"What do you want?" He grumbles.

"Can you help us?"

"These brave ones cleaned up the Orcs, master. They are friends." 

"Then they might be my friends also. Are you my friends?"

"We are!" said with absolute certainty.

"Then you will finish the work I began and unfortunately could not finish?"

"Er, we might. What would we have to do?"

"Oh there is my research of course, but most important, to ensure the true King sits on the throne of this land and not some imposter. Tell me, who is King in your time?"

"Bad King John."

"Oh bollocks. That's the wrong one. You will have to fix that. If you fix that i will help you. I will give you my laboratory/study/workshop/lair to use in exchange for you putting thetrue King on the throne. Do we got a deal?"

"How are we going to do that?"

"I'm sure you'll figure out a way."

"Okay, yes, we will usurp the tyrant dictator and ensure the true King sits once more on the throne."

"You will have to find him first."

"Okay."

"Okay then." The Old Wizards Ghost fades away.

"I'm going back to sleep." says Arya.

The door to the Wizards Lair is now open.


The Lair

In the center of the room is a Saalak complete with tentacles and teeth. It is a demonic entity summoned by mistake which then ate the Old Wizard. A warning against the risks of using magic, and about personal hygiene. This is the first thing the characters see as they enter the Wizards Lair.

The demon is in a circle, and its tentacles can reach beyond the next circle surrounding the first. The circles are stone flagstones cut into shape. the whole of the floor is a magickal device with layers of circles, circles surrounding circles, pentacles, spirals, triangles, and rune and sigils. It is possible for the adventurers to completely surround the demon without it being able to reach them. Around the outside of the room are alcoves and bookshelves, fire-place, tables, altars, cupboards, chairs, treasure chests, writing desks, all the stuff you would imagine to find in a Wizards lair.

The adventurers attack the Saalak and the Saalak attacks the adventurers.

This scene is fun because the character turns move in a circle around the monster.
Several tentacles get chopped, several chops miss the creature altogether, several tentacles are dodged; before and between the following sequence:
Knight gets grabbed by the tentacles and hoisted into the air.
Knight drops his sword blade first into the Saalaks mouth, which tries to cough it up but in doing so causes it to drop back into its mouth, doing further damage, ad infinitum.
Knight is thrown across the room and lands in a heap.
Big Ron stabs his broadsword directly down into the Salak's mouth and twists it about. 
Wizard character casts a water spell at Saalak trying to drown it.
Bandit Queen casts Freeze spell at the water.
The two magic users work well as a team.
The Saalak is now frozen, with some tentacles wibbling about.
Knight and Big Rons swords are embedded in boththe Saalak and in the ice.
More tentacles get chopped by the Dwarves, StrongMan and Barbarian Girl.
Saalak's teeth begin crunching at the inside of the ice core.
Bandit Queen asks Wizard if he can adapt his fireball spell to make a very tiny but very hot ball of intense heat to appear inside of the Saalak's mouth and then descend down into its body.
"But that will melt the ice!"
"It's only a matter of time before that things teeth crunch the ice into shards anyway!"
"Okay lets do it!"
Bandit Queen uses her Enhance spell to amplify the Wizards Tiny-Core-Of-Intense-Heat spell. She gifts him Power points, or more precisely she gifts her Power into the spell cast by the Wizard. It is difficult to modify a spell, even a known spell, but the Wizard succeeds.
The tiny core of intense heat is the size of a spinning coin and it incinerates the Saalak, melting through its body into its mouth. The ice also melts, but not before the demon has withered and died and turned into black ash.

"You did it!" hooray's Arya who returns at this moment.

"Oooh!" exclaims another sprite, this one a fire elemental who has been hiding in the fireplace of the lair.

"Oh not you." says Arya. 

"Who are you?" ask the party.

"I am Sizzle, a fire elemental. I have been hiding in there for a long, long time because of that nasty demon which ate my master. You have rescued me!" Sizzle and Arya explain how fire burns air so Arya does not like Sizzle, but Sizzle does like Arya. They have a strange relationship. Both are female. Between them they explain to the group, they were summoned and bound into bodily form so they can explore this dimension and help their Master. They also explain how their names change around the theme, as rapidly as their elements shift, to describe different aspects of their personalities. Sizzle is also called burn, flame, and a bunch of other associated names. Usually the Master directed the elementals using these various names as instructions as to what he intended his servants to do for him. 

"Are there any more like you?"

"Well there's rock, also called dirt or mud or soil or stone, an Earth elemental."

Rock the Earth elemental rises up out from a crack between the flagstone flooring and introduces himself in a gruff voice. He chortles. He is stubborn minded and takes persuading to do anything, he is also a bit slow-witted. He has a very simple outlook on life.

The Earth elemental explains eventually after being asked by the Dwarves about a strong Rock magick which the Master was exploring, he used to shape these halls which are not natural caverns. The Dwarves recognise a legend of a Dwarf hero whose name translates into "Stone-Shaper", who was a lazy Dwarf and did not mine and craft like all the other Dwarfs but dreamed of easier ways to make things from stone than mining, digging, cutting, carving and crafting it. Eventually he left to study for a hundred years (Dwarfs live a very long time) after which he learned how to shape rock by magic. He proved it by making a small palace in a mountain known to the Dwarves as "Impossible Strong" which was a sort of stone no Dwarves could carve into nor even scratch the surface of. Stone-Shaper used his magic to 'persuade' the stone to re-shape itself. It seems that in the Old Wizards studies, he learned some small amount of Stone-Shapers abilities. There are documents on his bookshelves regarding this.

A book on his altar is open to a page entitled; "summoning and binding of a water elemental". The other elementals (who are discussed in other pages of the same book) explain to the characters that the Old Wizard accidentally summoned a demon because he got the spell wrong and his water was not pure. Between them, the Wizard character and Bandit Queen are able to perform the same spell and this time, succeed at it. They summon and bind a baby water elemental (drip, splash, etc) who can talk basic words, whose energy ripples out her emotions; happiness and contentment, fear, and anger. Calm, Dark, Storm. The group and the elementals who now work for them nurture her and give her a flagon to live in, which they place in the wizards lair. Her 'body' artifact is a tiny blue bottle containing water from the scrying pool / bowl used to summon and communicate with her before the ritual binding part of the spell (technically a different spell, woven into the summoning spell). Like the other elementals, she agreed by her own choice to be bound in exchange for the ability to access our dimension and hold physical (albeit elemental) form, Arya's feather, Rocks pebble and Sizzle's copper ring, fetish objects,  are all hidden away by the elementals themselves after their Master was killed. He was previously using the trinkets to control the elementals, who over time had come to trust and respect him.

Arya and later Splash help tremendously by cleaning up the foul stench of Orcs from the tunnels and rooms of the Old Wizards Lair, which is the new home of the adventurers.

The treasure chests contain a lot of old kingdom gold coins - significantly different from new kingdom gold coins, in that they are five times larger and twice as pure. It is a fortune. The characters are all very rich now.


Pendants

All eight of the charcters plus all four elementals simultaneously hear inside their minds, the voice of the green crystal heart of the mountain. It is calling to them, "Come!"

Amazingly, in the time it has taken for the characters to do all of this,  the green crystal has grown eight tiny shards from it, which clatter to the floor at the adventurers feet as they surround the giant Life Stone. They decide to turn them into necklaces. Each of these items has a Power rate of 3 and who knows what else they can do? 



PostScript

The adventurers discuss upkeeping their part of the bargain made with the old Wizard and usurping the tyrant Bad king John from the throne, after first having located the true King. They decide if anybody has any rumours or knowledge of such things, it will be best found at the Inn in the town they are all likely outlaws from for their previous trouble-making incidents. It being that sort of a place.