Karel and Zilya finally got away from Novstrech, heading north to check out the range of mountains that are supposed to have more facilities with gold.
As the group made their way to Yerwo the Yewkhol River, source of life and economy to the a good part of the nation, dried up suddenly. When they came to Yerwo they found the town gathered around their well. A little girl had fallen into the well, hit the bottom, and had vanished. A few ment sent down had also vanished. The group were begged to help, with all the town's assets promised. None but Karel, Zilya, and a minotaur Natskin said yes, but for everything the town was going to give the original group of fifteen. Oh, and they would need some rope. Natskin had a grappling hook, but didn't have any rope to attach to it. The mother of the child pleaded. She didn't have to plead for very long. Zilya secured the grappling hook to the rope. She, Karel, and Natskin climbed into the well. The stones had no moisture or wearing on them, almost as if the well had never had water in it. Natskin began to to regret his life choices.
When they got to the bottom they saw passage leading away into the earth. There was a steel wall at the end of the gloomy passageway. Karel lit a torch and and examined the wall. It was a set of doors, which whooshed open. Zilya and Natskin walked into the darkness beyond.
The door whooshed shut behind them, shutting out Karel and his torch. The doors would not reopen.
In the darkness Natskin rummaged in his backpack, pulled out his lantern, filled it with oil, lit it, and held it aloft. The room was made of steel, with a large donkey wheel in the middle of the room. In each corner stood a colored stand; red, blue, green, and white, with depressions from each corner connected to the donkey wheel in the center. Colored orbs, which were atop their respective stands.. except the blue orb, which was cracked in half on the ground. Zilya explained to Natskin that she and Karel had seen this room set up before, and how it had previously worked. She picked up the remnants of the blue orb and placed them together, and placed them in the blue pedestal. Nothing happened.
Outside the doors Karel attempted to find a way in. He couldn't find another way in. Karel noticed that the ground outside was damp and had growing fungi. With a little bit of poking around Karelfound some small mushrooms he'd heard had healing properties, provided they were cooked. Nodding approvingly, Karel pocketed the mushrooms.
Back inside, Zilya and Natskin found a trail of blood, which led to a wall. Knowing there could be a secret door, Natskin rammed the wall, with Zilya running beside him. They knocked the secret doors in. The trail of blood ended in a tiny room. One of the walls had a panel with uncolored buttons, three in total. They looked back at the doors that had locked behind them.
Their first charge about broke the steel doors. Karel, realizing what had happened, began ramming a weak spot created by Natskin and Zilya's damage.The door caved under the next charge. Karel's torch and Natskin's lantern had gone out, so Karel relit a torch and Natskin returned his lantern to his backpack.
They walked into the elevator. Zilya pressed the middle of the three buttons. The platform rose. The next doors opened onto a little girl with a broken arm and three swinging giant clubs.
Zilya pull the girl out of the way, just in time, but several of Natskin's ribs were broken and Karel's satchel was utterly destroyed. Natskin jumped in front of his newfound compatriots, trying to buy them time. One of the giant statues swung and knocked Natskin back into the elevators; Natskin heard his lantern crack. The doors closed.
They heard "Lockdown initiated". The elevator rose.
It opened onto a golden, lined with giant glass tubes.
And five ghouls. The little girl trembled.
Karel's torch began to flicker.
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