session 55

Into the Depths of Cynedicia¶

After discovering the pressure plates in the entrance corridor through our clever use of the Decanter of Endless Water, we ventured deeper into the ancient ziggurat. The air grew noticeably stale as we descended, carrying the faint scent of millennia-old dust and something else—a bitter, metallic tang that made our throats tighten involuntarily.

We discovered three bronze columns in the next room, each with a bronze door. Gwen surmised that they each corresponded with on of the three statues atop the pyramid. We each stood in front of a door and opened it. A volley of darts, their tips glistening with some ancient poison, shot from the walls. Most clattered harmlessly against the stone around us, but one grazed Gloopwing’s arm, leaving a burning sensation that spread slowly up toward her shoulder.

Simultaneously, a section of the floor beneath Gwen gave way. Her quick reflexes allowed her to cast Feather Fall in the instant before plummeting, transforming what would have been a bone-shattering drop into a gentle descent into darkness.

Eko and Gloopwing found a safer path down, and we reunited in a large chamber that seemed to function as some kind of storage room. Crates and barrels and tools all piled together in the room. We discovered that some of the crates held very old fireworks, of which we took a few in case they might later be of use. There were other disturbing sounds coming from the collection of barrels but we decided discretion and care were needed and ignored the sounds, instead pushing on into the next hall, with doors to two small living quarters. One was abandoned, but the other opened to a skittering sound from the darkness. From alcoves in the walls emerged two enormous spiders, each the size of large dog, their chitin plating the color of sand and blood. Eight glassy eyes reflected our torchlight as they descended toward us on silken threads, mandibles dripping with venom that sizzled where it touched the stone floor.

The battle was frantic and unconventional. When one of the monstrous arachnids lunged at Gloopwing, she too Gwen—still reveling in her newfound strength—and used our companion as a makeshift bludgeon. The improvised tactic actually succeeded in defeating the creature. The battle was over barely before it began.

The spiders fought with the ferocity of predators whose meal had been interrupted. Indeed, we discovered the remains of a large desert lizard cocooned in silken shrouds in a corner of the chamber. After dispatching the last of the creatures, Gwen collected samples of their venom while Gloopwing examined the remains for any clues about previous expeditions.

A Statue’s Secrets¶

Our path led deeper still, down a corridor lined with bas-reliefs depicting star charts we recognized from our research into the Via Astra. At the end stood a curious statue of a robed figure with arms outstretched, remarkably similar to those we had observed on the exterior of the pyramid.

Gwen’s curiosity—or perhaps her newfound strength seeking expression—led her to first attempt to move the statue, believing it might conceal a hidden passage. When that yielded no results, her approach became less subtle. With her ogre-strength gauntlets, she began systematically reducing the statue to rubble, convinced that something important might be hidden within.

The sound of stone shattering echoed through the ancient halls as the statue crumbled beneath her powerful blows. We found nothing inside but more stone, and the noise of our destructive investigation proved costly.

We approached the door at the far end of the hall, pushing it open we were startled to see framed in the doorway three figures, two of whose crossbows were already raised and aimed at our hearts. Their attire marked them as Andromeans, and possibly members of clan Mesho’a, their expressions a mixture of alarm and outrage at our presence in what they clearly considered their domain.

Several bolts flew past us, embedding themselves in the wall behind with a thud. In the tense silence that followed, Eko slowly reached for his house insignia, holding it forth in a gesture he hoped would be recognized. The symbol of his lineage—respected even in these distant lands—gleamed in the torchlight as we awaited the Mesho’a’s response.

Whether this token would buy us safe passage or merely a moment’s hesitation before further violence remained to be seen. Meanwhile, somewhere above us on the surface, Stigs was navigating our ship through the perilous asteroid belt toward Haven, unaware of our predicament deep within the ancient ziggurat of Cynedicia.