Searchin’ for the heart of the stone

[etherial]

From the journal of Gronk Longtusk:

15 Rua, 1424 T.H.
A group of Novice Adepts have identified an earthwork allegedly being raised by a Horror. His Majesty's Corps of Engineers has asked us to check it out and ensure that all Horror activity has ceased. We'll be dropped into the area by an Airship as it's passing by and then reconnoiter with it again tomorrow. The others think this is to try to trick the Horror into thinking that nobody's investigating it, but my gut says that the Dwarves are just trying to make sure none of them are in any danger.

17 Rua
Our Airship has departed Borgan's Rest en route to the earthwork. It is a valley that is being walled off by bricks of clay created from loose baskets with moistened dirt within. It could become a formidable wall if we allow it to continue.

18 Rua
With utmost care, I snuck on ahead to guard my allies as they explored the lost valley. First we arrived at a small homestead under construction by a single Elf. He greets Romari warmly in a language none of us recognize, but Romari and I quickly decipher the words and understand it to be the Theran tongue - not often heard in this part of Barsaive. He is also unfamiliar with our greeting ritual. Art is performed by all sides and he informs us that he was unaware there were other survivors nearby. Very strange as we are well within Throal's pre-Scourge sphere of influence.

Beyond was a village, built like those pre-Scourge towns I've read about that had no defensive measures in their periphery. We are able to walk right in and speak to some manner of Construct made of Steel that claimed to be its Mayor. A small child appeared and began pleading with the "Mayor", and right before I concluded we had to interfere, the child revealed itself to be a Construct as well, unleashing its tendrils on Varis and trying to siphon his lifefore.

As I unslung my bow and prepared to unload on the creature, some gigantic preying mantises appeared, coated in black ichor, ambushing my allies. Ceadda was seized and his attacker tried to bite his head off. Varis was likewise brought down, but was able to cast his Death Rain spell before being knocked out. This was...not the best plan. The acid rain killed the mantises, sure, but it began to melt the entire village. Including the villagers. The cries of the children certainly made me question whether Varis were Horror-marked.

We began to explore the ruined village and found a half-dead infant. We tried to apply healing aids to it, but it blew away to dust in our hands. Everyone in the village was a Construct. As the search went on, I found a tunnel in one of the houses. I couldn't make out any of the tracks, but it was clear there was a large number of the villagers had gone down there. Down into the tunnel we went. Thane kept running off ahead triggering traps. I would've preferred to find them myself, but at least he found them all.

A turn in the tunnel opened into a crossroads, which made for a nice little kill zone. A sole figure stood in the center of the crossroads, so I went to parlay. It charged. Ceadda and Thane moved forward to form a line, which was a very smart move since the figure had friends. The four of them were like ambulatory suits of plate mail, empowered by Corruption itself. They were tough opponents and threatened to overwhelm us when their master, a Gharmek of Unusual Size, burst through the wall into our midst and they started pouring in to flank us. Fortunately the master proved weaker than the servants and with us focusing fire on it, the Gharmek went down.

That move was not without cost, however. Ceadda had ceased to move and the Constructs were still quite far from being defeated, so we sounded the retreat. Romari and Thane holding the line in the retreat and we made it out of the tunnel with our skins intact.

19 Rua
Having properly revived Ceadda, we are picked up by the Dwarves and report in.

PCs:
Ceadda, male Human Warrior
Gronk Longtusk, male Ork Archer/Liberator
Romari Savre, male Elf Wizard
Thane Cawdor, male Troll Sky Raider