The Way, or the How to get to/out of the Underworld Guide

[Staring Death]

by Benjamin Winderhem

The page following the title is furnished with a drawing of the side of a halfling's face looking off to the left. There is a small smile on his face, and his head is tilted slightly upward. Beneath the head in bold lettering the words William Bell University appear.

Dedicated to the late Saida, Rhiannon Baines, Grunor, Zach, Darik Darkbane, who fell in the discovery of the dark world.

Preface:
Before one embarks into such an expedition, one must accept that the challenge may claim his or his comrades' lives, that no treasures will be found on the Way, that no coins should remain unspent, if not to live a grand last day, to spend it on helpful wares, and that one will be tested in his fate, body and mind.

To undertake the Way from above means one will only proceed towards greater perils, and one will want to go back to the sun-bathed surface.

The Way was built by the Ilythiiri elves, a civilization of long ago, that became the Drows as we know them. The entrance to the Way is located in the Mountains of Ymph. Finding purple crystals are a good indication that one is deep into the earth. The first steps are to float down the vertical halls. Such is easy, as the levitation spell in place seems permanent.

The rest of the Way is rather straight forward, therefore the Guardians will be described first, followed by a description of particular places.

The Green Emerald Guardians: Golems of emeralds, armed and shielded, those are resistant to physical attempts to damage them. They have the peculiar ability to emit a frightful howl, that will tear an unprepared group apart, allowing their group of six to focus on only the handful that kept their wits together.

The Red Fire Guardians: Dwarf-like creatures, robed in flames. Those are less resistant to blows compared to the previous guardians, but have the ability to produce fire in various fashion to harm their opponents. They usually are in groups of three or four, including a larger one of them.

The White Sphinx Guardian: Named for their resemblance to Sphinx creatures, they have powerful sonic attacks. Like the Sphinx varies its riddles, they vary their screeches, which can hurt, scare or paralyze. They usually are in pairs or alone, as their cries likely interfere with one another, reducing their effectiveness.

The Ilythiiri Elven Spirit Guardian: These spirits have an elven silhouette and adopt a fighting style favored by many of the elven heritage: combining martial weapons and magic. Spells favored are dispelling spells, retribution spells (otherwise known as Death Armor) and the Dirge spell, which enhances itself and allies, while draining its foes. They are however very fragile of body, and thus, often accompany groups of other guardians.

The Beholder Guardian: Although not properly beholders, the stitched parts are meant to look like them. Furthermore, unlike the models, they do not have gaze attacks, but rather the ability to mimic divine spells, such as Hammer of the Gods and blade barrier spells. Also, they have the ability to turn invisible. Similarly, they have a weak body, due to the stitches, and like the Elven Spirits, they will rather accompany a group of other guardians, rather than more of themselves. A strategy they like to adopt is to hammer the front liners when they are grouped up, and use their invisibility spells to go around and attack the support team.

Way Hoppers: Similar to monstrous dogs, these beasts seem to hop by in small groups. Albeit not terribly strong or resistant, they tend to be annoying when against larger groups of guardians.

The Great Guardian: Only one or two such guardians will be encountered, just after crossing the Puzzle Bridge, if you go downwards. Its overall appearance reminds a giant minotaur fused with powerful magic. With such a size comes strength and constitution well beyond any mortal body. To come near it is a test of wit and will, as reason will scream for one to run away and cower, rather than face their furious blows. If such is not impressive enough, they have the ability to produce spells, Lightning balls, which will spread and shock the group. It is best to stay grouped against such a spell, as a single one will receive a greater concentration of orbs to shock him.

No Guardians should be underestimated and magic ought to be rationed, due to the possibility of several dispel events from the Guardians. Furthermore, no Guardians is fooled by magical veils of invisibility, and have the ability to sense nearby creatures, negating the ability to stealth around.

The following is neither a place nor a Guardian, but is as deadly:

Obelisk of Magic: Those will be encountered throughout the Way. They aim randomly at random times, but often, rays of pure magic, searing the flesh. It cannot be dodged, or deflected, but only endured. It is best to make haste through them, and move as a group, as it will dilute the chance it will aim at the same person continuously.

To move on the particular places, which are few:

Puzzle Bridge: One cannot miss it: there will be four stone tablets written in Ancient Ilythiiri. They can be grossly translated as:

Only filled and brought to equilibrium by the tokens of the Guardians will you be spared.

I am the color of snow, of dove and of cloud. My value is three.

I am the color of ruby and of blood. My value is two.

I am the color of spring's leaves, of moss and of emerald. My value is four.

The riddle is simple. Further, there are three urns, each bathing in red light, green light or white light. Six red tokens must be inserted in the red urn, four white and three green in their respective urns. The tokens are dropped by the three first types of Guardians, each in respect with their colors. Attempts to cross the Puzzle Bridge without solving it will only result in painful death.

The Narrow Way: When one reaches this place, one is close to the end. One must run in between several Obelisks of Magic, dodge several groups of Guardians, and avoid falling down in the dark abyss. Only well coordinated groups will make it past, as anyone will be on their last legs once reaching this destination.

Upon reaching the end, one will be confronted to four gateways, each with a unique destination. From left to right, the first leads to an ancient Ilythiiri ruin, none too far from Dunwarren. The second will lead into the Sewers of the Drow City of Traensyr. The third will lead into underwater ruins, and the last will lead into a sandy canyon. I leave it to the travelers to choose the one best suited to them.

End note:

We, of the Ilythiiri people, have built this Way, filled with every delight, protected from every danger, to speedily transport from the island paradise above, to our new realm in the quiet darkness below. May any not of our blood be destroyed by the guardians.