A while after the party began to travel near the road to avoid staying on the main path, already heading left at the split in the road just an hour prior, Zeroth's rock floated close to him and began to project, "Hey lad, be on your guard. That heavy magical pressure is emanating from somewhere near here quite like at the old forest with the undead boar."
Zeroth nodded in acknowledgment and turned to Varic, "Keep your eyes and whatever you use to sense magic open, that pressure is back and I want us prepared."
As Varic dipped his head in agreement, Zeroth noticed Varic's eyes began to glow with his familiar green energy showing that he was actively on the watch for anything out of the ordinary. Thankfully, as day turned to night, Varic never indicated that he was picking up on anything excessively abnormal. Once the grassy landscape turned to craggy rocks and sparse trees, the path Zeroth and his group were near began to dip down into what Zeroth thought was a large crevice, possibly big enough to be a canyon. As the group drew to a halt behind a rocky outcrop, roughly forty feet away from the path, Zeroth signaled for everyone to stay quiet and stay alert. He planned to follow any suspicious individuals down the path and with Varic's ability to sense if they were the correct sorcerers, they could sneak in.
The air crackled with an arcane tension that Varic could sense, his eyes aglow with an eerie green light. It was a subtle warning, a premonition of something magical lurking in the shadows. Zeroth, relying on Varic's senses, motioned for the group to move forward cautiously. Varic's gaze remained vigilant, the green glow of his eyes intensifying as he focused his magical senses. After a few heartbeats, Varic's eyes widened as he pointed back down the road. As everyone turned to look, Zeroth noticed five shapes moving along the road about 100 feet away, seeming to not make any noise as they traveled.
"There they are. They are exuding that same hellish aura that the sorcerers from the forest had." Varic whispered to everyone.
The figures drew nearer, and in the dim light, Zeroth could discern their twisted forms. Taller than standard kobolds but hunched, their mutated claws hinted at the unnatural transformations they had undergone. The air around them seemed to ripple with the dark magic that accompanied the kobold sorcerers. Once the sorcerers were past the party and began heading down the path, Zeroth motioned for everyone to begin following the sorcerers as quietly as possible. The group fell into a silent formation, their steps carefully measured to match the cadence of the mysterious sorcerers. The rocky landscape absorbed the sound of their movements as they delved deeper into the canyon, shadows embracing them like a cloak.
As the group trailed the sorcerers through the winding path of the canyon, Varic's keen senses detected a sudden absence of the dark energy that had cloaked the kobold figures. The canyon walls loomed high above, and the night seemed to hold its breath as the source of the enchantment vanished.
Varic raised a hand, signaling for the party to stop. His eyes, usually vibrant with magical energy, flickered in the dark. "Their magical signatures are gone," he murmured, a furrow in his brow betraying his confusion. Ardric, always quick-witted, surveyed their surroundings. His gaze landed on a peculiar rock formation—what seemed like an ordinary part of the canyon wall. However, his sharp perception recognized the subtle lines of a hidden entrance.
"Look there," Ardric whispered, gesturing towards the concealed passage.
"That has to be where they've gone. And it seems like it responds to the magic of the sorcerers. We need to find a way in without alerting them." Zeroth scratched his beard in contemplation.
It was then that Ardric, eyes gleaming with mischief, proposed a plan. "Remember, these kobolds were kidnapping gnomes. What if we present Tingle as a captive, claiming we've caught him for a reward? They might open the entrance for us, thinking they've caught an escapee." Tingle's eyes widened as he processed Ardric's plan. His small, gnomish face contorted into a mix of surprise and amusement.
"Oh, sneaky, sneaky! Tingle likes it! Pretending to be a captured gnome, that's some real cleverness," he whispered his tone a blend of excitement and mischief.
Varic, nodding in agreement, added, "It's worth a shot. We need to get in without causing a commotion. If this works, we'll have the element of surprise."
The gnome patted Ardric on the back with a nod, indicating his approval. "Tingle's ready to play the 'poor captured gnome' if that's what it takes. Let's show these kobolds they can't outsmart the likes of us!" The plan was set, and Tingle was more than willing to be the star of the act.
With stealth as their ally, they ventured closer to the hidden entrance, their anticipation heightening with each cautious step. Zeroth, having pre-emptively holstered Tingle's gunblade onto his hip and dirtied the gnome up for the act, ran his fat hand along what he believed was the entrance then banged his fist on the stone wall as if it were a door.
"Hello? I think we have something of yours that you would really like back!" Zeroth yelled to the wall as he continued to knock. After a moment of silence, Ardric walked up next to Zeroth, dragging Tingle along with him while trying not to truly hurt the gnome, and pushed Tingle against the wall.
"Here's your stupid runaway! You all attacked us over him so just take him and reward us for our troubles and we'll be on our way!" Ardric shouted. As if in response, the wall shimmered and revealed a large wood and stone door to the party.
Zeroth grinned at his brother for his brilliant idea, "Good work, now the tedious part."
The massive stone and wood door slowly creaked open, revealing a dimly lit cavern that seemed to breathe with an ominous energy. Torchlight flickered along the walls, casting eerie shadows that danced with the subtlety of ghostly whispers. As the door opened wider, the party could see a vast expanse of interconnected chambers within the Whispering Abyss Sanctum. The cave system, once home to silent echoes and untouched stalactites, had been transformed into a network of passageways. Strange glyphs adorned the walls, pulsating with a hellish glow that seemed to react to the magical essence permeating the air. The torches along the walls carried a flame that was neither comforting nor welcoming. It flickered with an otherworldly intensity, casting shadows that seemed to writhe with a life of their own. Once the door was fully opened and everyone stepped in, two mutated kobold sorcerers emerged from the shadows, seeming to appear out of thin air. Their elongated claws and hunched postures bespoke the twisted experiments they had undergone. With an almost ceremonious demeanor, the sorcerers approached the party, their eyes glowing with an unnatural intensity. Zeroth, Ardric, Varic, and Tingle stood in uneasy readiness, uncertain of the reception they would receive.
One of the kobolds, its scales mutated into a sickly shade, spoke in a guttural voice, "You bring the runaway." It gestured to Tingle, who was still being held by Ardric.
Zeroth, playing his part, nodded solemnly. "We found him playing workshop in the mage guild, and we thought, what better idea than bringing him back to you for a reward? Your friends attempted to kill us over him so, why not."
The second kobold sorcerer, its eyes scanning the group, nodded approvingly. "You will be rewarded by the Three Heads of The Sanctum for capturing this troublesome escapee. Follow us." As the group was led deeper into the sanctum, the dimly lit passages seemed to multiply, creating a disorienting maze. The kobolds navigated with an eerie familiarity, their claws scraping against the cavern walls, sending chills down Zeroth's spine. The echoes of their footsteps resonated through the corridors, and the party couldn't shake the feeling that unseen eyes were watching their every move. The torches lining the way flickered with ethereal flames, casting shadows that whispered secrets of arcane rituals and ancient enchantments. After what Zeroth believed was an eternity of walking through corridor after corridor, seeing a multitude of normal and mutated kobolds moving about, the two kobolds leading them stopped at a massive door, both pressing their grotesque hands onto the door and began to whisper silently.
After a few short moments, the kobolds removed their hands from the door, turned to the group, and said, "The Three Heads will see you now. He wants to see to that escape artist himself it seems." Ardric nodded and jerked Tingle along as the door slid inward slowly, opening to a large open room. Zeroth noticed the room only had one large brazier for light in the center of the room. There were also two large half-crescent pillars of stone on the left and right of the brazier, overhanging it by a little. Off to the side, Zeroth noticed a plain-looking cot with a large table nearby, covered in scrolls and books containing who knows what evils. As everyone walked in, Zeroth noticed a much taller figure leaning against one of the pillars. Its body seemed slightly segmented and its arms were much smaller than they should ever be for the length of the body. The robes the creature or person, Zeroth couldn't tell, was wearing were conceiling a majority of its mutations though as it started to move towards the party, Zeroth was assaulted with a dense, evil energy. He exchanged a wary glance with his companions, who mirrored his unease. The creature, or person, moved closer, and Zeroth couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding that washed over him. It towered over them, its presence dominating the cavernous space.
"You have brought the runaway," the figure spoke, its voice reverberating with an unsettling resonance. Despite its imposing demeanor, Zeroth couldn't help but notice subtle variations in tone, as if multiple voices were speaking as one. Zeroth swallowed hard, his instincts warning him of the deception at play.
"We have," he replied cautiously, exchanging a silent signal with his companions to remain vigilant. The figure nodded, its form shifting slightly.
"You shall be rewarded for your service to the Sanctum," it intoned, its voice echoing off the stone walls.
After the Three Heads told them they would be rewarded, Ardric pushed Tingle towards the Three Heads and asked, "And what of this one? What will you do with him?"
With a grating exhale, the Three Heads responded, "His essence will be mine to consume. We must show no mercy." As the Three Heads finished speaking, it raised one of its malformed hands, a red hellish energy sparking from it as it began to violently rip Tingle's magical essence out of his body. The cavernous chamber echoed with the unsettling sound of Tingle's pained cries as the Three Heads of The Sanctum began extracting his magical essence. The red, hellish energy crackled in the air, each spark tearing a piece of Tingle's very being from him.
Ardric's eyes widened, a mixture of horror and rage flashing across his face. He took an instinctive step forward as if to intervene, but a glance from Zeroth held him back. This was a cruel dance, and disrupting it prematurely could spell disaster. Zeroth's mind raced, the urgency of the situation pressing on him like a vice. He needed a plan, and he needed it fast. As Tingle writhed in agony, his essence forcibly wrenched from him, Zeroth noticed the Three Heads seemingly absorbed in the dark ritual. This was the moment to act. Whispering urgently to his companions, Zeroth outlined a swift, coordinated strike. Varic, ever the master of magic, would unleash a barrage of spells to disorient and distract the Three Heads while Ardric would take advantage of the chaos to free Tingle, risking a confrontation with the sorcerers. That would leave Zeroth to face the Three Heads straight on. With a final nod, Zeroth grabbed his battle axe that ignited as soon as it was firmly in his hands and charged forward, his battle axe gleaming with a fiery determination. The cavern erupted in magical chaos. Varic's spells crackled through the air, creating a surreal display of green eldritch lights and shadows. Ardric moved with swift determination, lunging for Tingle in the hopes it would sever the connection the Three Heads had over his essence. But the Three Heads, though momentarily disoriented, was quick to react. The mutated sorcerer turned its attention to the interlopers, the hellish energy flaring as it prepared to retaliate. As it realized the battle had truly begun, the Three Heads conjured two red ethereal swords to defend itself with. The ensuing battle was fierce and unforgiving. Zeroth's battle axe clashed with red ethereal blades conjured by the Three Heads, each strike sending sparks through the air while the flames of the battle axe tried to absorb and destroy as much magic as it could. Varic's magic weaved through the chaos, adding unpredictable elements to the fray. Amid the chaotic battle, Ardric stood as a stalwart guardian over the writhing Tingle, shielded from the two sorcerers by the determined arc of his longsword. It didn't take Ardric long to dispatch the two as they were very off guard by the swiftness of Ardric's strikes, one losing a head and the other stabbed through the stomach. As Zeroth engaged the Three Heads, Varic used him as a distraction to channel his magic. Varic, seizing an opportune moment, began to charge a spell with determination. The air crackled with an eerie energy as Varic, focused and determined, pointed the palm of his hand toward the Three Heads. Deep concentration etched across his face, and soon, the vivid green flames danced on his outstretched hand.
In a sudden yell, Varic commanded, "Duck!"
Zeroth dropped to the ground instinctively. As he did, the flames on Varic's hand vanished and reappeared, now enveloping the Three Heads in an eldritch green fire. The cavern echoed with their agonized screams as the eldritch flames burned away the illusion, clinging to their true form like pitch.
With a sense of dread and revelation, Zeroth watched as the Three Heads' deceptive unity unraveled. The cloak that concealed their true nature fell away in burning tatters, revealing not a single powerful sorcerer, but three kobolds harnessed together by bloody ropes and chains that glowed with hellish red runes. The kobold in the middle bore the grotesque evidence of long-term immobility, its limbs shriveled and malformed, barely more than husks. The one on top displayed a similar affliction, legs twisted and withered, fused into the structure of the disguise. The chains that bound them to the central kobold seemed both cruel and necessary, a disgusting apparatus of forced cooperation.
Seemingly shaken that their true form had been exposed, the Three Heads' ethereal blades wavered for a moment before flaring with renewed, desperate magic.
Zeroth didn't just stand; he surged. The axe hummed in his grip, a resonant vibration that traveled up his arms and settled in his chest, dulling the ache of his bruises and sharpening his vision. It wasn't just a weapon anymore; it was a second heartbeat, pumping liquid fire through his veins. The exhaustion from the long trek evaporated, replaced by a boundless, aggressive energy. He felt lighter, faster, his muscles coiled with a strength that felt intoxicatingly limitless.
He rushed the Three Heads.
The creature attacked with a chaotic rhythm, their multiple minds driving the red ethereal blades in conflicting patterns. Zeroth met them, not with standard dwarven discipline, but with a ferocious, fluid aggression he hadn't possessed weeks ago. He didn't have to think about the parry; the axe seemed to know where the blade was coming from before he did. He slammed the flat of the axe into an incoming strike, the impact jarring the sorcerers, before pivoting on his heel with unnatural speed. But the Three Heads were cornered and vicious. With a synchronized shriek, they unleashed a flurry of strikes. Zeroth sidestepped an overhead slash, the heat of the blade singing his beard, but the axe's bloodlust had made him overconfident. He overextended, and the bottom kobold lashed out with a hidden blade of red energy. Zeroth roared as the magic sliced a fresh, burning gash across his thigh, dropping him to one knee. Pain flared white-hot, but instantly, the axe pulsed against his palm. A wave of searing heat rushed from the handle into his leg, cauterizing the sensation of pain into a dull, manageable throb. It forced adrenaline into his system, demanding he stand.
The Three Heads, eyes alight with the prospect of an easy kill, began to approach, raising both ethereal blades to deliver a killing blow.
"I've taken worse from undead swine!" Zeroth spat, hauling himself up as if gravity had lost its hold on him. His leg screamed, but the axe screamed louder. "No sad excuse for a sorcerer kills me today!"
The creature chuckled maniacally, closing the distance. Zeroth defended himself, his axe moving with a speed that blurred in the dim light, sparks flying as obsidian met magic. He was looking for a weakness, a gap in their twisted defense.
Suddenly, the Three Heads feinted high and swung low with a brutal underhand strike. Zeroth stumbled back, his footing slipping on the gore-slicked floor. The creature raised its blades for the finish. But, before it could strike, a streak of blue starlight erupted from Zeroth's waistband. Grimbli, piloting his stone like a cannonball, slammed directly into the forehead of the top kobold. The creature's head snapped back with a sickening crunch, the entire tower of bodies stumbling backward, their concentration shattered.
Zeroth and Ardric exchanged a shocked glance—the rock had actually done something useful.
With a simultaneous nod, the two brothers charged. Zeroth moved with the momentum of a landslide, the axe guiding his swing. He roared, delivering a crippling, horizontal blow to the body of the bottom kobold. The axe bit deep, the flames roaring as they consumed the creature's magic and life force in an instant. In the same heartbeat, Ardric lunged, his longsword shining like a star. He impaled the middle kobold through the heart, divine energy flooding the twisted creature. The body of the Three Heads collapsed into a heap of limbs and chains. The top kobold, the only one left breathing, dragged its crippled form across the stone, whimpering, trying to escape the carnage. Zeroth watched, chest heaving, the axe finally quieting in his hands. He saw movement in his peripheral vision. Tingle walked past him, his usual bounce gone, replaced by a cold, stiff stride. The gnome approached the crawling sorcerer, a look of profound disgust on his usually happy face.
Zeroth opened his mouth to speak, but Tingle moved too fast. The gnome whipped his gunblade from his hip, the motion practiced and lethal. Then, a loud bang and bright flash illuminated the cavern for a split second, followed by the wet thud of the kobold's skull disintegrating. Gore splattered across the cavern wall and Tingle's boots. Silence fell, heavy and absolute, broken only by Zeroth's ragged breathing and the cooling hiss of his axe. Zeroth blinked, rubbing his eyes as they readjusted to the gloom. He saw Tingle standing over the mutilated corpse, smoke drifting lazily from the barrel of his weapon.
Tingle wiped blood from his face. "Tingle is happy to be free," he whispered, "but not happy it took this long. No more gnomes stolen. No more."
Seated on the cold cavern floor, Zeroth grunted in pain, the gash on his leg aching with every movement. Ardric, ever the stalwart companion, approached with a healing potion procured from their meager but crucial stock. With a reassuring nod, Ardric handed the potion to Zeroth, who accepted it with a mixture of gratitude and determination. The potion's effects were swift, a magical mending that worked to close the wound and ease the pain. Zeroth could feel the restorative energy coursing through him, mending not only the physical hurt but also rekindling the flame of resilience within. As the healing magic took effect, the group readied themselves for what lay ahead. The echoes of the Three Heads' cries still reverberated in the cavern, a somber reminder of the twisted forces they faced. Zeroth, fueled by a renewed sense of purpose, knew that the coming battle would be challenging. Yet, it was a challenge they would face head-on, not just for their own survival but for the duty they felt to rescue those ensnared by the Whispering Abyss Sanctum's dark sorcerers. The air in the cavern seemed charged with anticipation, each member of the party silently steeling themselves for the tumultuous events about to unfold. Their weapons at the ready, resolve etched across their faces, they prepared to venture deeper into the sanctum, determined to confront the shadows that lurked within and emerge victorious.