Journal of Rollo Lavius 1

Entry #37 - The ziggurat

(G37 - KT)(GF not present)

Recently Raz has been writing a journal. Here is the following extract from it:

We made the decision that I would venture across the bridge first, as if it held my weight, there was a good chance it would hold the others. It turns out that this was a good decision as I was no sooner off the bridge, than I was set upon by two lizard men, a small crocodile and a bleeding HUGE crocodile! Well, I dispatched the small crocodile and one of the lizard men in short order and Nobby admirably took on the second using her magic weapon spell. However, the large crocodile was a more difficult matter. I was extremely badly bitten by it and once it was dispatched, had to take 3 of my healing potions to ensure I did not perish myself. I think they may have gone off as they did not refresh me as well as they should have done.

During this battle, Umbril was, for some reason, fannying around on the bridge doing very little to help. Possibly, he was a victim of circumstance and could not help through fear of falling, but I do not think he would have wasted much time before looting my corpse had I died during that encounter!

Once Umbril was safely across the bridge, it was the turn of Nobby to come across.

Thankfully, she and Umbril had thought to put a rope between them, as the strut she was standing on broke as she was crossing, leaving her dangling like a work on a hook 40 feet below the bridge and only 5 feet above the water! Umbril, despite not being the strongest of men, was able to prevent her from falling any further, but it fell to me to drag her back onto the bridge, something I did easily, but I must admit, with a lack of finesse, due to a sense of urgency on my part before we were attacked further. As it happened, we were not attacked, and thanks to Nobby, I was fully restored.

At this point, the figure on top of the ziggurat, started shouting down curses and caused the plants around our feet to start trying to ensnare us! Nobby was struggling slightly with this, due to her small size, so I carried her on my back to safety. We scouted out the side of the ziggurat and found a set of zigzagging stairs, allowing us access to the top. Seeing the distance to the top and knowing that our enemy would be awaiting us, I put Nobby on my back and started to run up to the top. We managed to make it to the top considerably before Umbril, and as a result, took a few hits from a lizardman shaman and his two spear throwing cohorts. Thanks to Nobby's magic and sling, my longbow and Umbril's crossbow, we pushed these cur's back onto the top where we could not see them, so I tried to gain access to the very top using my grappling hook. I managed to hook on, but just as I reached the top, the shaman kicked my hook off, causing me to fall 20 feet! I vowed he would pay for making me fall. Umbril got a shot at him as he was doing this and saw his blot bounce off a magical shield. I hate magic users who are not on my side, it makes everything so much more difficult!

Suddenly, one of the lizardmen appeared form behind the top level and tried to bulls-rush Umbril off the ziggurat! Luckily, Umbril sidestepped this attempt and the idiot lizardman ran straight off the edge, falling to his death. In all honesty, I think this was a desperation move on his part as he looked in very poor shape.

Following this, I went around to the back of the top slab and tried to climb up again, this time being successful. However, when I reached the top, it was deserted! There was only a small staircase leading down, which I immediately sped down. As I emerged from a secret door, I saw the shaman trying to push Umbril off the platform! Well, now was the time for some poetic justice! I charged the shaman and with a mighty push sent him flying over 120 feet down the side to a crunchy, messy death. During this activity, one of the others finished of the final lizardman with ease, but I have not asked them who got in the final blow.

We then spent some time examining the contraption on the top of the ziggurat and it appeared to be a construction of crystals and brass, focusing the suns rays onto points of your choosing. We decided to use this ingenious device to burn a path back to the boat, hopefully preventing us from getting lost again on the way home. We then dismantled it and we will sell the parts as soon as we get the chance. I cannot help thinking that it would have been worth a lot more intact, but given our current situation, there was no way to keep it as such, and in order to help the townsfolk, we destroyed it. And then, as per usual, looted the bodies of our dead foes. Now begins our trek back to the boat and the continuation of our voyage!