24 Hours

Hour one:

After searching the mess of city streets, they finally came across a tavern, The Crude Cudgel. The first thing they noticed was the entrance, a door, easily twelve feet tall and a few feet wider than a standard seven-foot-tall door. The building looked to have been an old warehouse, repurposed to hold larger folk of the city. Inside, a dingy interior, a dirt floor, and a few tables scattered carelessly around welcomed them. A few orcs were sitting at a table right at the entrance, drinking from large tankards. Another table had a few goblins gambling and at the bar sat a giant. They realized the design of the Crude Cudgel was for bigger creatures. The goblins were standing on their chairs to reach the middle of the table where the ever-growing pile of coins lay. Even the giant sat somewhat comfortably at the bar with a small hunch, his elbows on the thick wood. Erigos nodded toward a vacant spot near the back of the bar. Because of her child-like frame, just taller than a goblin, Alissa had to sit with her knees on the chair to access the table normally. A gnarly looking gnome who jumped onto the table to talk, took drinks orders and did the same when he returned with the strong smelling dark mugs of ale, spilling a bit as he did. He didn't seem to care.

Hour two:

Sipping their frothy beers, they began quietly discussing their encounter with Tilamonka. Garrok and Rothox wanted to accept his offer, however, Erigos was unsure he could trust him.

"How do we know he is telling the truth?" Erigos asked.

"We don't, but we are off to Zarcum either way. We could monitor him from a distance. No harm in that," Rothox said.

"Sneaking around the capital doesn't feel right."

Garrok shifted in his seat as he felt the eyes of the orc's land on their table. "This might not be a safe place. We have onlookers." The others looked over, seeing the table of orcs watching them, strangers to their city. Quickly finishing their grog, they went to stand, leaving a few coins on the table. Garrok made his way to the door first. Before he reached it, one orc spoke to him.

"Halfbreed human scum," he spat. The three orcs chuckled at each other. Garrok clenched his fists, turning around slowly. Before he could say anything back, Alissa sprung onto their table, slamming one of her tiny fists into the jaw of the one who spoke. As she punched him, she whispered a spell and channeled the magic through her first. The hulking orc shrank, the magic similar to Tilamonka's, until he was only half-sized. Keeping her first raised, she scowled at the other two.

"Who's next?" she asked, trying her best to be intimidating."

After just witnessing what happened to their friend, they instantly lowered their heads, keeping their eyes down to distance themselves from her. She used the shrunken orc to walk down off the table. He grunted as she stepped on him.

Leaving the bar with an enormous smile on her face while the rest of her companions were in shock once again.

In their awe of Alissa, unbeknownst to them, a figure was hiding in the alley beside the tavern. They started stalking them through the streets.

Hours Three to Twenty-Three:

The slender stalker drew a short-sword hidden within her cloak. As the party turned down a quiet street, she attacked. Garrok felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and he brought his ax up just in time to block the would-be devastating blow. From behind the hood, she hissed angrily, then vanished. Frantically searching for the invisible attacker, Garrok swung his ax through the space she had just attacked from. It passed easily through the air; she was gone. Erigos and Rothox drew their weapons and held them at the ready, and Alissa's hands glowed with a flaming red. Alissa cried out in pain as the attacker appeared, thrusting her sword through Alissa's shoulder, just above her heart.

She snarled with delight as Alissa fell to the street. A fire within Erigos erupted. He went into an all-out assault. His first swing found a metallic resistance as she brought her own sword up to parry. Erigos' second swing put the figure off balance. The blade arched around and, with a flash of bright divine light, he severed the arm of the being. His third strike missed as she fell back in pain. Her hood flopped off and a beautiful blond woman lay staring back at him. She clutched where her arm used to be, green blood spurting out of the wound. As her focus turned to survival, her visage fluttered - an illusion. The once gorgeous woman had converted to her true form, matted hair, wart-covered face, and green skin. It was enough to distract Erigos before he could deliver a final blow; she disappeared again, leaving her severed arm on the street. Luckily, no other denizens had seen the quick altercation, or they didn't care. Erigos bent to pick the arm up. It had also reverted into an elongated, rail-thin arm with bony knuckles on her hand. Each finger had two-inch-long nails with grime underneath. Garrok rushed to aid Alissa. Fortunately, the sword had missed everything vital and with the aid of Erigos' divine healing they sealed the wound. Rothox searched for signs of her escape. He was about to give up when he noticed a thin trail of blood leading down the street.

The blood led them to the edge of the city, a part of the pocket dimension that held a little forest. This is where the trail went cold. The search began. An hour later, Rothox had found something. One tree was hollow. Feeling around the rough bark, he eventually found a lever cleverly disguised as a branch that opened up a portion of the tree. Climbing down the ladder, the group reached a small room with a tunnel attached to it. More blood on the walls told them this was the place. Readying their gear, they slowly ventured into the tunnel.

They could hear voices. Two beings were talking to each other further down the hovel. Rothox, being the quietest of the group, slipped away stealthily to investigate. The tunnel gradually went deeper into the earth with a few twists, avoiding the large roots of the forest above. The voices were louder as he rounded another root. Beyond, he could see a small room, with only a small room. She was talking to some weird orb in her left hand while brewing a potion in a black cauldron. There was red steam rising from it. Rothox snuck back and informed the group of what he saw. Since she was alone, they went in.

With everyone crouched behind him, Rothox took his shot. His dagger traveled across the room and planted itself into the witch's chest.

"We want her alive!" Erigos shouted at him watching the dagger sail across the room.

The witch dropped the orb before crumpling to the dirt floor. Alive, for now. They crept slowly into the room. Where the orb was previously shiny was now a black ball. Garrok knelt beside the dying witch, monitoring the magical ball.

"Who do you work for?"

She coughed up blood. A few droplets landed on his face. Calmly, he wiped it away.

"Is it Ottothal Blackthorne?" he asked again.

A vicious cackle escaped her lips in between her coughs as blood filled her lungs. Grinning, she took her last breath.

"Ok, if that thing was working for Ottothal, then something ungodly is afoot." Erigos had a disgusted look on his face. "Let's search the room. Maybe we can find evidence to back this claim."

It wasn't a sizable room. A few makeshift shelves made of the roots, carrying a couple of books and some jars of creepy things; eyes, bones and limbs of animals. Clearly, this was a temporary outpost. The only potential evidence they found was the orb.

"We should show this to Tilamonka," said Rothox

"I'm still baffled why this woman attacked us," Erigos's thoughts rambled aloud.

"Maybe she was watching the tower and saw us leave. Figured we were working for Tilamonka, so she attacked us." Rothox peered at a floating eye in a jar, it slowly twisted around in the liquid.

"Plausible."

"Either way, it's getting late. We should get some rest," Garrok said. He felt uneasy in the room. It reminded him of someone from his past, someone that dabbled in similar magic.

"Good idea. Let's sleep on this decision." Erigos went to pick up the orb but thought better and wrapped it tightly with a spare garment before stashing it in his pack.

It wasn't hard to get back to the tower. Knocking on the stone, the weird servant's head appeared through the wall.

"Yes? Oh it's you. Do you have an answer?"

"No, not yet," said Erigos.

"Well, when you please return." He pulled his head back inside.

"Wait!"

"Yes?"

"We need a place to sleep."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did we not inform you? We booked you a few rooms at The Watcher's Respite, goodnight" His head ducked back inside the stone.

Across the small square opposite the tower stood a three-story inn, with a gigantic eye as the symbol. Assuming this is the place, they walked over to it.

"Hello, friends!" A large floating eye greeted them as they entered. With no mouth, they heard it speak in their minds. "You must be friends of the Master! I've got an eye for spotting his guests." He paused for laughter, Alissa giggled. Excited, he had an audience. "Please, your rooms are ready. Follow me." The eye floated, leading them upstairs to their rooms. "If there is anything I can get you, don't be afraid to just think about it. I don't mind." He chuckled at his own joke before heading back down the stairs.

Morning came quickly. The sunlight from the rising sun, or whatever woke this manufactured world from their sleep, pierced the windows reflecting around their rooms. As they gathered outside the tower once again, they knew what they had to do.

As they gathered outside the tower once again, they knew what they had to do.