TTT: Ringing the Doorbell

[Jim Roberts]

[Feb 6 AM -- The Waterworks]

> And with much bowing towards the… volunteers, the Away Team were
> escorted to the far side of the valve controlled door.

In the darkness on the far side, Laquendi introduced a major tactical
change for the day. Visible only to the elves with the Valyan “Con
Light” coin providing light for their nightvision, the silver haired elf
had pulled out a small carrot, and was beginning to chant, her hands
tracing out a tapestry of glowing red and yellow lines. There was a
burst of light that only Laquendi could see… and suddenly everyone,
human and elf alike, could somewhat see in the dark, Laquendi’s Mass
Darkvision spell complete.

It was not as good a Darkvision as Laquendi herself could see, and was
reliant on SOME sort of light in this part of the spectrum beyond normal
vision. All could only see “passively”, and were not able to project
their own active source of illumination. But fortunately, all warm
blooded beings radiated some light in this spectrum. It was not enough
to see clearly by any means, with everything blurry and washed out of
colour, but it was enough to allow the humans to avoid stumbling around.

Better yet, as a purely “passive” source of vision, there was no concern
about the spell recipients “radiating” and being seen by canny
Darkvision users ahead stealthily staying “passive” themselves.

“Pretty, is it not?” Laqeundi asked the away team. “Wait until you see
how the world looks when the sun goes down.”

The humans’ situation was improved a bit when Laurelin commanded her
Glowing Globe to resume its usual position well behind the elves in the
vanguard… but now with its light tuned to this “Darkvision” part of the
spectrum. Only dimly, but the Globe’s restricted light, combined with
the natural radiation from warm bodies, was now plenty to allow the
humans to proceed sure footed. The Glowing Globe could, of course, be
seen by “passive” Darkvision detectors ahead, but that was true with
yesterday’s visible light as well. One way or another, the humans simply
HAD to have some illumination to be able to walk safely, and this
Darkvision spell put them in a better situation than they’d been in the
previous day.

Up at the Away Team’s front, the elves once again relied on their
Nightvision, enhanced by the Valyan Con Light, the “traditional” elven
sight in no way interfering with the Darkvision, or vice versa.
Laquendi, too, was free to use her exceptionally capable Darkvision to
peer ahead, either passively to seek heat sources, or actively radiating
to be able to clearly see a full 120 feet forward.

And with these arrangements made, the Away Team continued on into the
Waterworks. The first section of the tunnel complex was, of course, the
very same as what they’d traversed early the previous morning. Only when
they came to the “Room of Four Bridges” did their path diverge from
yesterday’s. Today, their path led across the northern bridge, leading
to the as of yet unexplored northwest passage, leading ultimately to the
second of the Upwinder Prisoner of War camps. As well as past the temple
of Dhulokk and his band of troglodyte fanatics. And possibly another
spot for Ecru, though whether this creature was still alive after
slaughtering yesterday’s spider was still a topic of some debate.

Gamely, the Away Team continued northward, leaving the relative
familiarity of yesterday’s tunnels behind. But this new section of the
Waterworks looked – and smelled – very much like yesterday’s. The
roughly twenty foot wide tunnel, with an arched twenty five foot peaked
ceiling, continued due north. All throughout, there were little nooks to
the sides, drains, and the occasional waterfalls pouring into cisterns.
But as of yet, no signs of life. One side passage in particular branched
off to the east at one point, but Laquendi’s exceptional Darkvision
could see that it only extended about sixty feet down, and ended in some
corroded pipes.

But the area was checked out in detail. This little side passage would
be a perfect spot for the Grandson of Blob or some other unspeakable
horror to be hidden, and then wind up behind the Away Team, cutting off
their safe return back to the Upwinders. But no such horror – or hiding
place for a horror – was found, and eventually the Team had to continue
onwards to the north.

By now, they were not particularly far from where their map showed that
a side passage, this time to the west, would extend out some unknown
distance out to Dhulokk, and the Temple of the Troglodytes. Carefully,
the Team proceeded forwards, Laquendi’s Mass Darkvision, combined with
the Glowing Globe’s dim Darkvision illumination allowing the humans to
proceed surefooted, the Valyan Con Light assisting the elves in the
vanguard with their natural Nightvision, and Laquendi’s extraordinary
Darkvision actively probing ahead.

Nothing threatening could be seen. But then, in the darkness beyond what
Laquendi’s sight could penetrate, was heard the dull metallic clanging
of poorly tuned or crudely made gong. The banging continued for several
seconds… and then stopped. The Team glanced at each other, shrugged, and
continued their advance.

Soon, they were at a minor crossroads, a western passage leading off to
the anticipated Temple of the Troglodytes. And from that direction was
heard a repeat of the earlier noise, a dull repeated clanging of a crude
gong. Probably one very like the one suspended in the middle of the
crossroads where they were standing. A sheet of brass, about the size of
a tower shield, had been bent into a curving, crude gong, and was
suspended by worn ropes from a poorly assembled wooden frame. Any doubt
about the device’s function was dispelled by a stout stick wrapped in
rags laying on the ground nearby, a slovenly assembled striker for the gong.

The scouts in the team glanced around the sides of the corridor, and
nodded. This had clearly been a guardpost of some sort. No fires or any
other visible sources of light or heat were present. Nor, if the
occupants had been troglodytes, would any have been needed. Nor was
there any particular doubt about where the guards were now.

Nodding in the direction of the gong still clanging off to the west,
Lomi grumbled, “I think they’ve spotted us.”

“Ya think?” Jeyshann hissed

“Any spells to soften them up?” Ben asked.

"As soon as we have a target," Finfin mused. "Fireballs are rather like
cash gifts. A tad crude, and unimaginative... but often the right size."

"Time to go darker," Laquendi mused, turning off the beacon of
Darkvision and falling back to its normal passive range.

Once Laquendi went “passive”, she could see that there were a few
“active” sources of Darkvision “light” a ways down the western passage.
Not particularly strong, but well within the scope of a pair of eyes or
two, actively radiating. Laquendi could not get a firm estimation of
either distance or numbers, but was confident that they were comfortably
in the range where on “passive”, she could sense them, but they were not
close enough to illuminate and see her.

But Laquendi had options available to her that did not rely on
precision. The range, while uncertain, was within reach of one of her
Fireballs. Without knowing the exact distance, a Fireball shot designed
to shoot out a predetermined distance and detonate was chancy. But one
that was simply aimed at a target… it would either hit, and detonate, or
miss… and hit something else, and detonate… or run all the way to its
full range and THEN detonate. In a tunnel potentially filled with
troglodyte cultists, ending in the Temple of the Troglodytes, any of
those options would be acceptable.

However, she glanced at Abbot Kenobi, looking for direction. Ben made a
grim announcement in his native Kyrene that those with Tongues running –
or who happened to speak the language – could identify as an obscure
idiom having something to do with widespread destruction in darkness.
Laquendi certainly got the sense of the idiom, and began to cast her
Fireball. Or more specifically, her Elementally Substituted Fireball
that would erupt in a blast of cold, and not fire.

Not everybody seemed quite as enthused at the notion of preemptive fire
as the Abbot, though. “I'd say wait here,” Laurelin cautioned. “Hold
off on any booms until we see more...” But the priestess then held her
tongue. As an Arcane caster herself, Laurelin could recognize that the
spell was already started. It could be aborted, or continued, but there
was no way to salvage it. So it may as well be used, rather than wasted.

"Normally I'd be advocating at least a token attempt at a peaceful
resolution," Tramma sighed, watching as the spell completed. "But not
with trogs, and the kobolds had nothing good to say about this bunch."

Lomi shook her head, watching as a blue pellet streaked out from
Laquendi’s hand. "You just hadda encourage her." The dusky elf had
clearly gone for the last of her three targeting options… and her
targeting was dead on. The pellet directly struck one of the Darkvision
light sources, and there was a dull crump from downrange. And the
Darkvision sources… went out.

“They had the lights on,” Laquendi mused, “and they just... died,
relatively quietly.”

Lomi sighed. "It's always the poor schmuck on point that gets it."

“It's like two voices suddenly cried out,” Laurelin observed, her voice
sombre, “and were suddenly silenced.”