[While waiting for his next assignment in Sasserine, Corhim Sparkledingle has been having adventures in the world of Harmony. He got there by using a magic ring given to him by Orimander, a gnomish wizard. He has already recovered the Coral Gem and the Crimson Gem on behalf of his patron - Mr Honeycutt.]
DAY 587 (10th Marpenoth) (October) cont ...
Corhim was now back at his house. Polly Pendrake was there to provide him dinner. As he ate, he dug his books out of his bags and began to study.
He managed four hours before going to bed.
DAY 588 (11th Marpenoth) (October)
After breakfast he went back into his small library and studied a further four hours.
Mr Honeycutt came to the house at lunchtime in the company of a small red-skinned nert. He was introduced as Scamper the Ranger.
'I've not slept!' said Corhim. 'I've been researching spells all night! If its another adventure I'll need to rest first!'
'Oh well,' said Mr Honeycutt. 'I've only come to tell you about my own researches.'
He went on to say he’d finally ascertained where the "Peach Gem" was.
'It’s hidden in a ruined mausoleum notorious for monster activity. It sounds dangerous, but I thought of you. After all you have managed to get two of them
so far!'
He gave Corhim some gold and a necklace of fireballs with one bead remaining. He also warned that Corhim might need a proper weapon and some sort of armour. Corhim didn't like the sound of that, he no more knew how to wield a sword or an axe than he knew how to sail a ship or darn his own socks. The fact was he was terrified of sharp objects and the sight of blood.
'We'll I'm sure you know best!' said Mr H as he left. 'Good luck young fellow!'
Scamper seemed a nice young nert. He said he was to be Corhim's guide to the location of the Peach Gem. It was at least four hours walk away so they decided to set off first thing in the morning.
Despite having a big day tomorrow Corhim studied until midnight.
DAY 589 (12th Marpenoth) (October)
I doubt Corhim was in any great rush in the morning, but it did appear he was fast becoming a hero to the nerts of Harmony, despite his, well, cowardliness is maybe a bit strong, but it cannot be denied that the young chap was hardly built for adventure and had a distinct aversion o violence of any kind - which is a shame considering how often he was called on to participate in it.
Still, they set off in the morning and Scamper had taken them to the ruined mausoleum by lunchtime. It was situated deep in the forest south of Harmony. It was a crumbling building being reclaimed by the forest. Stone walls poked through the vegetation and the courtyard’s flagstones were covered with leaves and broken by tree roots. Oddly, the birds don’t sing here which made the area unnaturally quiet.
There was a stone staircase descending down into darkness. Thin root tendrils hung from the ceiling and the moss-covered walls glistened and dripped.
Scamper had not realised that Corhim expected him to go into the mausoleum with him.
'I thought I was just the guide Mr Sparkledingle!' he cried.
'Oh no, not at all my lad!' said Corhim. 'In fact I'm going to have to get you to go first.'
The mausoleum was not overly large. The walls were covered with trails of slime, some of which dripped on the floor and forms slick pools.
Four alcoves, each with a rotted wood door, lined the corridor.
Corhim encouraged Scamper to go first, so it was him that was attacked by the Grey Ooze when it fell down from its hiding place in the ceiling.
Scamper's sword was half melted by the acid of the ooze so he used his staff to whack at it. He managed to destroy it, but his skin was even redder from all the acid burns he had received.
'Well done,' said Corhim from further back. 'Now try that door over there.'
The first tomb they looked in contained two skeletons that attacked as soon as they were disturbed. Scamper bravely fought them, but was badly cut several times by the skeleton's swords. Sparkledingle cast Grease and the skeletons tumbled over, allowing Scamper to eventually finish them off.
Corhim gave Scamper a healing potion. Scamper pointed the empty bottle at the Sarcophagus Inscription.
'That reads; Two warriors, so great was their love, they were buried together.'
Corhim wrinkled his nose, there was something other than the smell of the grave around here.
'Sorry, Mr Sparkledingle,' said Scamper in shame. 'I've never seen anything undead before, let along fought them. I think I may have pooped my pants...'
Corhim realised Scamper was very young, a teenager by gnome/nert standards.
'Oh well,' he said. 'Well, well, once you've had a few adventures like I have you'll soon get the hang of it!'
'I don't think I'm cut out for this,' said Scamper. 'I'm more a "helping you find your way" kind of guy. You need a tough Orange nert for this.'
Corhim was still clean, but had used some of his magic. Scamper was badly beaten and filthy.
'Perhaps you are right,' said Corhim. 'We should head back and get cleaned up.'
It was late afternoon when they got back. Scamper went to have a good long
bath, while Corhim went back to where he felt most at home - the library.
DAY 590 (13th Marpenoth) (October)
Corhim managed to drag himself away from his studies after lunch and went into town to buy four potions of Cure Light Wounds.
Scamper had told him to try the 'Critical Strike Combat School' to see if he could find a tough nert to help with the quest and by about two o'clock he found his way there.
He entered the School, the main room being a wide area where the fighters trained. Here was an elderly nert with a 'sensei' vibe about him that welcomed Corhim in.
He introduced Corhim to an orange nert called Fantta. She seemed large and strong for a nert, so an ideal living shield for Corhim to hide behind.
Something fishy was going on though, because they were both suddenly attacked by four armed nerts, while the sensei looked on. Between the two of them though, they knocked out all the nerts and Corhim chased the sensei out of the school into the crowded street outside.
'Stop that man! He attacked me friend!' cried Corhim, giving chase.
He tried casting Grease, but the old nert was too agile and dodged the spell and tumbled out of the way of the hue and cry.
Eventually Corhim gave up and returned to the School. He propped the unconscious nerts up at the side of the hall then went off with Fantta. She didn't know why they were attacked either, she was new
in town and had just assumed it was a test. Corhim wasn't so sure as it may have been some of the dark forces behind the 'colour outages' affecting Harmony.
With the team all ready Corhim had run out of excuses so off they went back to the mausoleum. They arrived in the evening and camped out in the forest. This was what Scamper was good at, he soon had
them set up in a nice sheltered place with fresh running water.
While he was doing that, Corhim bragged to Fantta.
'Oh we saw some skeletons down there, which I had to deal with virtually all by myself! We've brought you along because, well poor Scamper insisted we bring someone else along as he was very scared.'
DAY 591 (14th Marpenoth) (October)
In the morning they entered the tomb. This time Scamper stayed at the entrance and Fantta was the one to go first.
In the next tomb they tried, they found a skeleton surrounded by hard candies in wax paper wrappers. The skeleton had a parchment closed with a wax seal clutched in its hand. On the parchment was the long-lost recipe for Professor Fizzwidget’s famous tart and tangy candies.
The Sarcophagus Inscription read:
“Here lies Professor Fizzwidget, inventor of sweet candy treats for all of Harmony.”
Corhim couldn't read the nert runes, but the other two translated for him.
Inside the sarcophagus in the next tomb, the robed skeleton of a librarian lay in repose, holding a parchment across their chest.
The parchment was a scroll of protection (aberrations).
The Sarcophagus Inscription read:
“Here lies the First Librarian of the Great Library of Harmony.”
Fantta finally got some of the combat she had come for in the final tomb although
it was not her that went in first.
Hovering in the middle of the tomb was an assortment of trinkets, equipment, and bones. Seeing what looked like treasure, Sparkledingle stepped greedily forward.
Forward right into a gelatinous cube!
He was trapped and in a bit of a panic as the acid started to work on his skin. Luckily Fantta had been empowered by some of his spells and knew what to do and after it had spat out Corhim he cast Enlarge Person on her so she could whack it into greasy lumps.
It spat out a magical greatsword, a potion of healing, and a glowing orange gem.
Low and behold it was the Peach Gem.
They searched the mausoleum for any remaining treasure and then headed back to Harmony.
Arriving back in Harmony, they were invited to meet with Mr. Honeycutt at a local tavern. On return of the Peach Gem, Mr. Honeycutt was visibly relieved. He offered Fantta membership in the Lorekeeper Society and asks if she would join him, Corhim and the rest of the society in putting an end to those who’d steal the colour from Harmony. He said he was close to figuring out who was behind the colour outages and felt as if he was going to need their help again soon.
Corhim nodded along and enjoyed his free dinner. It looked like he had some time to go back to Sasserine and see how those dopey humans were getting along.
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