After discovering the tracks leading through the sealed door, Calamari, Hobbes, Knife, Maxi and Timmy decide to venture within, leaving Potina and Sir Crayon outside to literally man the fort.
Entering the next area, the group discovered a spiraling ramp leading downwards, into an area filled with alchemical apparatus. Looting the area, Timmy discovered a token, which conferred some minor protection against cold to him.
They passed through this area, into the next, a similar chamber with a ramp, this time filled with piles of bones. A scrap of magical armor caught Timmy's eye, and after the party dug it out, Maxi decided to strap it on. It was well made, and certainly made him feel bolder and safer.
In the next area, the party discovered a battered down door, but they also noticed a second one on the ceiling. Timmy clambered up to inspect it, and found a series of holes in the eye sockets of the figures depicted on the seals. He also noticed that there were switches in them, and stuck both his hands in, to activate the switches. Unfortunately, it was a cunning trap, and Timmy's fingers were neatly severed.
After climbing down (sans fingers), he discovered that there was a cryptic note and a sequence to pressing the switches: East, West, West, East. And when he pressed in order, the portal opened, and bricks started floating downwards, forming a stair.
Moving up, the party discovered an ancient library filled with books. They also noticed an unusual mirror, which Maxi approached. Noticing that it was a portal of some sort, Maxi entered it, taking his light source with him.
As the room below plunged into darkness, the stair disappeared, Hobbes casted a spell to create dancing lights. What he saw, however, spooked him. Shadows were peeling themselves off the walls, and these shadows were turning into solid doubles of the party, which started to attack. Meanwhile, Maxi discovered an emerald tablet in the room behind the mirror, and was fascinated with trying to get it loose.
The party fought as best they could, though they had difficulty seeing in the dark - which their shadowy counterparts clearly had no trouble with, and were quickly beaten back. Gravely injured, Calamari escaped into a Rope Trick, taking the chance to be teleported far and away, rather than slain, and managed to somehow make his way out of the trapped space.
Hobbes was frozen by his own deadly breath, and then stabbed in the back by Knife's double, while Timmy was harassed and chased by his own little clone. Eventually, Maxi stuck his head out of the mirror room, and noticed that the rest of the party was out for the count except for Timmy, who had destroyed his own double. With just the two of them in the secret area, they decided to slay the unconscious Hobbes and steal his treasures.
Eventually, the group returned to the fortified tower and rested, to venture in again the following day.
This time, when the group returned to the secret chamber, they discovered that several new foot prints led in the direction, and when they arrived, noticed a cloaked figure and a large, armored man standing beneath the hidden chamber.
Timmy confronted the cloaked figure, thinking it was Rumbolt, but as it turned out, it wasn't. The figure caught Timmy by surprise with a spell attack, and battle was joined. With some effort, the group finally managed to down the cloaked figure, but the armored man was still uncontrollable, and attacking at random. That was when Maxi decided to use the glowing tablet he'd looted, and discovered he could command the creature.
Ordering it to step down, and with the threat initially averted, the party proceeded to investigate the final chamber, which turned out to be a lavish tomb with a cracked sarcophagus.
Studying the tomb, they realized that it was the tomb of the Wych King of Maiandra, and by examining the portrait behind the sarcophagus, uncovered that there was an inscription stating that the Wych King was a blight that had to be sealed away with the High Marshal's Sword and the Shieldmaiden's Spear.
They also discovered a magical glow behind the wall, which yielded a teleportation circle. Potina tried to shove Calamari through the circle, but failed, and fell through it instead. She was soon joined by Sir Crayon, while the others, thinking they were finally rid of the two, ventured back upstairs the normal way.
They immediately heard a cry for help from the moat, which turned out to be Potina. The cry was cut off abruptly. Maxi and his new armored pet went outside to investigate, and noticed both Potina and Crayon lying still.
He had the golem drag them both back, and after they were pulled into the safe room, sprang an evil and dastardly surprise attack.
Potina shot Timmy with her crossbow and killed him instantly with a sneak attack, while Sir Crayon grappled Calamari. Knife chose this time to flee, leaving Maxi and his golem alone with the turncoats.
Potina and Crayon had conspired to ambush the party to seize the golem, and were now putting their plans to fruition. With Calamari grappled, he was easily shot by Potina with the crossbow, and then the two ganged up on Maxi.
Maxi managed to keep his golem in between himself and Sir Crayon, and did his best to survive. He even fought back, forcing Potina and Sir Crayon to flee. It became a war of attrition, with them exchanging crossbow shots across the courtyard of the keep. Eventually, Potina scored a lucky shot, which knocked out Maxi when he was out of range of his golem, causing it to become inert.
The evil duo then stole the golem, and rode off into the sunset.
And that concludes Wicked! A Fontian Adventure.
Next week, our players come back as heroes and bounty seekers from the Holy Empire of Garamond and the goodly lands around Colonna, ready to hunt for Potina and Sir Crayon.
What will become of Wicked, turned Not So Wicked? Stay tuned to find out!
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