Damsel in Distress

After a short rest the party moved to the spiral staircase heading up into the oddly shaped building which stood on 50' stilt like columns.  Pretis lead the way up, finding an open entryway into the building.  The building walls were made up of strange curves, bend and angles with rope bridges leading out to the top of the cliff.  As Pretis entered the western end she found it mostly empty.  In the eastern area there was a table with miniature terrain elements laid out on it under some clear covering.  Mara and Melisana decided to investigate the table while Alhellara moved to the edge of the northern rope bridge.  The tableau appeared to be a map and they recognized the building in which they stood.


The rest of the map must be the top of the cliff.  No buildings were depicted, only a complex of pathways, which ran between scores of stone cairns.  Alhellara stated that across the bridge to the north was a large marble edifice.  This did not appear on the map.  She also described the river running over the falls and some more grassy and heavily wooded areas.  Lythandar moved to the western rope bridge where he could see another marble building but also a structure of rougher stones.  Mara stood on the table and looked out to see if the view was the same from the top, it was.  Alhellara moved out onto the bridge as step to see if her character appeared on the map but nothing changed.  Melisana took some time to make a copy of the map while the rest of the party discussed in which direction to proceed.  

Finally the party decided to move over the northern bridge.  Pretis led the way as reported the wooden treads were somewhat rotted and the bridge was rickety.  Lythandar used his mage hand to extent another rope across the bridge and the rest of the party proceeded across, with only Gofin and Lythandar losing their footing.  Demin listened at the doorway into the building while Alhellara and Mara peered around the corners.  To the east was a grassy area soon merging into deep woods which ran right next to the building.  To the west was the river, with a obelisk in the middle of the water somewhat upstream.  In the distance Mara could make out more buildings and some stone cairns, which were much smaller than the buildings.  

Lythandar opened the door to the building where the party found a 15' hallway leading to the north where it narrowed amongst curved walls to 5' wide.  On the west was a doorway which Demin again examined for traps, sound and locks.  Finding none Pretis again opened the door where the party found a room, its walls covered in peculiar runes.  At the north end, a stone rimmed pool burbled and there was a door on the north wall.  The water was overflowing the sides and trickling in various rivulets across the floor.  The twisting, snaky patterns of the water should be random but they appeared to have some eldritch design.  Lythandar determined that the runes seemed to channel energy - perhaps taken from the ambient Feywild environment - to some central source.

Demin moved up to the pool and finally to the door, Mara, Pretis and Gofin followed while Alhellara and Melisana moved north in the entry hallway.  Demin again check the door and let the party move through while Alhellara looked around the jutting wall in the entry hall.  The room they found had the walls, ceiling and floor covered with strange runes whose twisting shapes poked unpleasantly at their minds.  In addition the chambers inner walls curved at odd angles and ended in columns.  They appeared to serve no architectural purpose, but seemed to be part of the runic pattern itself.  The the north a dim light flickered and swayed, as though moving.


A faint whimpering was heard and Mara and Alhellara beheld a huddled figure at the corner of two walls.  Staring with frightened eyes was a young female Eladrin covered in blood and dirt.  She reached out imploringly, revealing a pair of rusted manacles chaining her to the wall, and began sobbing in broken Elvish.


"Oh, gods!  Strangers, you must help me!  They've already sacrificed my family, and I'm to be next!  Oh, please, help me..."  Alhellara questioned who captured her and she responded that the evil fey had imprisoned her and that they would come soon.  Gofin, and Demin moved toward her at which point she flicked her wrists and popped of the manacles.  She made a symbol in the air and everyone within around her was stunned.  Mara moved in to attack and the party members standing next to her found themselves taking damage just standing there.  Demin moved to the north when he was no longer stunned and found a flaming bronze brazier hanging from a chain on the ceiling.  Propelled by unseen magic, the brazier slowly revolved around a large stone sundial.  Pretis moved in to attack also while Alhellara and Gofin still stood stunned.  Melisana moved back and cast her Written in Fire which caused damage to both the "Eladrin" and a Scarab swarm which had moved out of the walls to attack Demin.  


The party members saw that their melee and ranged attacks were not inflicting as much damage as usual, at which point Melisana, Lythandar and Alhellara started using area and close effects which seemed more effective.  Demin was still standing open jawed at the young woman.  As the battle raged another scarab swarm emerged from the walls and joined the fray.  The "Eladrin actually closed her mouth and joined into the battle.  The "Eladrin" then changed shape move through the walls behind her and came around the back of the party again dazing some members.  About half of the party was bloodied but they cornered the young woman and peppered her and the swarms with burst and blasts which fell the scarab swarms.  When the "Eladrin" fell the body left was that of a Lamia on which the party found black, pearl-studded gold torc which Demin estimated at 2,400 GP.


Inspection of the sundial showed that the brazier moved steadily casting its shadow that moved from one hour to the next. The pace was at one minute from one number to the next, meaning that a full "day" passed every 24 minutes.  Nothing else of note was found in the chamber, except another door leading out to the west.


Scorecard:  The party earned 771 XP for the battle with the Scarab Swarms and the Lamia, they now have 21583 XP and need 4417 more to reach 11th level.  The +3 Skewering War Pick was claimed by Pretis and the Iron Hand Unbreakable Form was claimed by Mara.