The Drow War Book Two. The Dying Of - RoseRed

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stronghold of tunnels as if it were a smashed termite
mound. The third, the Stone of Melvek, is now in our
secure hold. How this has come about, I shall not say.
Taking a small ship and crew with me (for it would not
do to endanger the flagship), I have spoken to one of
the former masters of Lost Athul. In future, let no man
speak to me of ‘terror’ who has not gone out alone in a
rowing boat and spoken with a creature whose eye was
four times his own height. The beast has consented to
my proposal. We shall use the Stone of Melvek to raise
Lost Athul from the sea bed, so that the Harriers can
retrieve what the kraken wants.
Ever since it sank, Lost Athul has been guarded by
weird sea-beasts, set there by the same archmagi that
condemned the city to drown. Omorogg confirmed that
no kraken has ever eluded these beasts, nor have the
krakens’ lesser agents prevailed. But how shall the seabeasts
stand in our way when the city itself is no longer
submerged? It is a brilliant plan. My brain is the same
rare crystal of intellect that it always was.
So, three steps there are. The Harriers fetch the krakens’
stone eggs from Lost Athul; my kinsmen reward the Sea
Harriers with gems from the Sunless World; the kraken
blockades Crom Calamar in exchange for its stone
eggs.
Entry Six
Word has come from Rannirak. The Darkspear is in
readiness and he is mad to begin the invasion. So, I
am obliged to do my part before the eggs are secure.
The kraken has reluctantly agreed to begin the blockade
early, though it insisted on some guarantee of our good
faith. With no other way to provide this, I have given it
my crystal ball, so that it can monitor our progress. I
can feel the thing scrying on us, almost every day. Its
cold, clammy presence is unmistakable. I do not wish
to write of the bitter fury I feel at having to give up an
item on which I had become so dependent. It is not as
if I can simply purchase another one out here in this
miserable dereliction of waters.
I believe the kraken will wait patiently for its property to
be delivered. Nothing could disguise the greed in those
vast eyes. It wants the eggs desperately, though for
what, I cannot tell. Nor do I especially care to know.
Greedy though the beast is, we cannot expect it to wait
forever by the portal on a mere promise. As soon as
this business of the elf spy is concluded, we will make
for Lost Athul. The kraken will be able to watch as we
raise the dead city, which should please it. Damn the
elf grubbesh for delaying us. If I only knew the spell, I
would sequester the wench.
Tucked into the journal at the last page is a drawing of
a stone egg, with curling script around the middle in no
known language. This is one of the Myrrik soul-stones
(see below), so that Sunspite can tell the Harriers what
to fetch.
The remains to which Sunspite refers are the bones
of his victims, hidden away down in the bilges (see
below).
Sunspite’s Spellbook: This is hidden inside another,
larger book on the bookshelf – a dull-looking volume
on techniques to find one’s location without the aid of
magic. It is locked shut and the lock has an envenomed
needle in it for extra security:
Poison Needle Trap: CR 11; mechanical; touch trigger;
repair reset; lock bypass (Open Lock DC 40); Atk +20
melee (1 plus poison, needle); poison (deathblade,
Fortitude saving throw (DC 20) resists, 1d6 Con/2d6
Con) Search DC 30; Disable Device DC 30.
It contains the following spells:
0 th – all spells; 1 st – comprehend languages, disguise
self, endure elements, mage armour, magic missile,
shield; 2 nd – blur, detect thoughts, false life, locate
object, scorching ray; 3 rd – clairvoyance, dispel magic,
hold person, nondetection, slow; 4 th – black tentacles,
dimension door, lesser globe of invulnerability, resilient
sphere, scrying; 5 th – contact other plane, feeblemind,
waves of fatigue; 6 th – invisibility (quickened), repulsion;
7 th – forcecage.
Azbeth’s Spellbook: This is the book lying open on the
desk. It contains the following spells:
0 th – all spells; 1 st – detect undead, endure elements,
expeditious retreat, identify, jump, mage armour,
mount, shield; 2 nd – fox’s cunning, locate object, see
invisibility, spider climb, whispering wind; 3 rd – dispel
magic, lightning bolt, phantom steed, protection from
energy, ray of exhaustion, tiny hut; 4 th – dimensional
anchor, greater invisibility, hallucinatory terrain, lesser
globe of invulnerability, secure shelter; 5 th – mage’s
faithful hound, mirage arcana, sending, transmute rock
to mud; 6 th – greater dispel magic, legend lore, symbol
of persuasion.
The Desk: In the bottom drawer of the desk are five
Witchcompasses, ready to be installed into new Sea
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