We entered the hedge maze surrounding Xonthal’s Tower; clearly, an extradimensional space of some sort. Evidently, our approach had already been spotted: a human mage in dark purple robes, presumably Iskander, appeared on a tower balcony, waving the blue mask and a white hourglass at our fellowship, yelling like a damned fool. Someone came out and attacked him, but Iskander knocked his attacker over the edge, and dashed back inside the tower. It all seemed a bit suspiciously dramatic to me.
Before long we came to an intersection: eight paths converging upon a sundial. Though the morning sun cast all our shadows westward, the shadow of the sundial’s gnomen pointed to the north, straight ahead. We took this as an omen, and headed in that direction. Before long, we came again to an intersection of eight paths, converging upon a sundial, only now there were two shadows on the dial, pointing north and east. I thought this probably meant we should go northeast. Brick and Gunx were keen to discover whether this sundial was the same one we encountered before, or a new one, so Brick left the tin cup from his mess kit at the base of the sundial, and Gunx led us all southward, back the way we came.
Instead of a sundial, we came to a broad courtyard with a large circular pool, above the centre of which hovered a brilliant garnet. Understanding the implied challenge, Gunx prepared to run across the water to snatch the gem, while we spread out around the pool, readying ourselves for whatever would come next. Sure enough, as soon as Gunx set foot on the water, four hideous crustaceous aberrations burst from the murky depths. One immediately snatched Gunx within its pincers. We assailed the creatures with spells and weapons, as Gunx sank under the water with one, Brick was caught in the grip of a second, and Tegan went limp in the pincers of a third.
The fourth snatched me in its pincer, and delivered a sting which, due to my shellfish allergy, paralyzed me instantly. Helpless, I was dragged to the bottom of the pool. Unable to move or even see anything in the murk, slowly being crushed in its pincer grip, I was starting to think this would be my end, when I suddenly saw my companions, in the glow of Tolarin’s mighty Lathanderite mace, ganging up on my underwater aggressor.
With the four creatures dead, I swam to the surface and healed my wounds with potions, while Tegan healed everyone with his Healing Words, and the others brought a veritable hoard of treasure up from the bottom of the pool.
- Potions of Healing, Growth, and Fire Breath: all fortunately well sealed.
- A set of three magical daggers: it was decided that the spellcasters (Jorad, Tegan, and myself) would each take one.
- A Drift Globe, which Gunx took a shine too.
- A sky blue and cloud white elemental gem, which everyone seems leery of.
- A Wand of Fear, which I cannot wait to try out, once it’s dry.
Gunx grabbed the garnet, and we continued through the courtyard and through the maze to arrive back at the sundial, with Brick’s cup marking the base, and the north and east pointing shadows. We went northeast, and came back to the same sundial. Now, the shadows pointed in three directions. I summoned an emissary of Asmodeus, and through careful questioning he revealed the correct path, to the south.
Once again, we returned to the sundial, and now shadows pointed in four different directions. We chose a path at random, and came to a boulder strewn farmyard. A pair of cyclopes women in the yard seemed friendly, so Tegan cast a Comprehend Languages spell to understand them. Evidently, they wanted one of our party to engage in a boulder throwing contest with them. Thank Beshaba, Gunx being equipped with a belt of hill giant strength allowed us to pass this challenge easily.
Back at the sundial once more, we picked another random direction, and came to a carpeted clearing guarded by standing suits of armour. These came to life as we tried to pass, and the more we destroyed, the more seemed to reassemble themselves from the wreckage. Finally, a few of the suits dropped garnet gemstones, and we were able to collect these, and make it back to the sundial again. I don’t know if it was frustration or inspiration that led me to jump up onto the sundial, but when I did, I suddenly shifted to a new sundial.
Soon, the others joined me, and we now saw this sundial had shadows pointing in eight different directions, one at each of the eight paths. Bewildered, we picked a path at random, and came to a placid pond, with a stout pagoda built onto a boulder island, with a little bridge running to it. Inside this sat a man in silk robes, playing a stringed instrument. Hoping this would be another friendly encounter, we approached the man on his little island. He began to prepare tea, or so I thought. Suddenly, our host disappeared, and the pagoda turned into a sealed stone cell, filling with poisonous vapour.