Ullen Vale

When they arrive at the vale the next morning it is quite clear no people have lived here for a long time. There once was a road next to the stream but now it is all but gone. Nature has had a free reign and trees and bushes grow haphazardly. Animals are quite abundant and hardly afraid of the party on their horses. During the short trip down the vale, they spot jackals, wolves, even boars, which are quite rare in the rest of the country.

After a short time, they reach the village of Adleren, or what’s left of it. Time has destroyed most buildings to their foundations, only some of the larger and more important buildings like the inn, the school, and the church are still around, if in ruined form. From the village a path leads to the rock wall that makes up the western edge of the valley. Fresh horse dung shows that someone used the path recently so our friends decide to check it out.

The path ends at the entrance of what was probably a mine of some sort. From what they can tell, a long time ago a large number of large rocks were dropped down to close of the entrance. The recent earthquake shook these rocks loose and someone used their horse to pull the last few rocks away.

Speaking of said horse; it is laying on the ground, huge chunks of it have been taken out by something with a large mouth, many claw marks are also visible on the poor creature. It was, and still is, tied to a rock, leaving it with nowhere to go when attacked, the rope is quite frayed but did not break. The saddle and saddlebags are on the ground, they were taken off before the attack.

Inside the saddlebags are some mundane items like a bedroll, clothes, etc. But also in there is an ornate and very interesting looking lantern. And finally there's is a small ledger that Sarnan is more than happy to see; it’s what he has been searching for for years now.

A large, heavy metal door once closed the mine but it is all twisted now and easy to bypass. Inside are some signs that this used to be a coal mine at some point; there are a few minecarts, a few tracks still in the floor, and a number of mining picks and coal dust.

But clearly the place was adapted to serve a different purpose; new, straight floors were laid, continual flames attached to the ceiling light everything up. Signs were placed, the first one reads, in archaic common: “Restricted Area, no admittance. Ott Special Research Division.” This is preceded by a symbol of a red hand and followed by a symbol of a lightning bolt in front of a pentagram. Things seems to be in a reasonable state even after the recent earthquake, though the place looks ancient.

Beyond is another sign: “Visitors report to the duty sergeant.” The desk beyond is unmanned but a very old security log lays on it, time has nearly destroyed but maybe a page could still be rescued. Alas, no one manages this feat.

A door with a sign saying “Level 1” leads to a large space where a wagon stands, laden with barrels, two lay on the floor. They are filled with mead that has definitely gone off. A note must once have lain there as leaking mead has transferred some words to the wood: “Any tampering with the content will have you reassigned to the western border.”

A corridor leads on with a door to a break-room halfway down; everything is covered in dust and the little food that was there has turned to mold and the mold has then turned into something unidentifiable. Around the corner of the corridor there is a whole lot of blood and two dead bodies; they look like soldiers but their grey-yellow uniforms don’t look familiar, the Ott these days wears something completely different. Just like the horse there are claw marks all over them and huge chunks taken out of them.

More stairs and a new sign: “Level 2”. This leads to a huge cavern where mining has created a pit tens of meters across and almost as many meters deep. A ramp runs along the inner edge to the bottom but a set of switch backing stairs have been built for quicker access.

Down on the floor our friends see two soldiers in the same uniform as before being attacked by a strange creature. It is a tall and thin humanoid creature with elongated limbs and a slimy skin. It seems to be able to walk on both two and four feet, claws on all of them. Its head appears to lack facial features until it unfurls the flesh like a flower to reveal "petals" lined with many sharp teeth, and a large open mouth. The soldiers stand no chance and then the creature looks up before it lopes off down the only corridor.

In front of the corridor downstairs is another sign: “Level 3”. There is a door to the left that leads to a security station. Inside are some desks, lockers, chests, and a row of crystal balls, all broken.

Suddenly a voice of what sounds to be an old female gnome talks in Marnab’s head. “You, why are you here? No matter, you are here, you can help. We need to close the gate to the Shadow Place before it takes over this world.” Her common is quite archaic.

When asked she gives her name as Drei. “There is a gate deeper inside this complex to another dimension, at level 6, I can guide you there and show you how to close it.” She explains that she is also inside the complex but the earthquake caused a cave-in that has trapped her on the other side of where the party is. She tried to remove the rocks but they are too large and too many.

When the soldiers are mentioned she tells them that since the earthquake some soldiers have woken up and are now roaming the complex looking for enemies. She has tried to talk to them but it seems the long sleep has not been good for their minds. She isn’t sure if the soldiers were left behind on purpose. Interestingly the party don’t ask her about Rudi, at all.

Our friends search the room and find that the lockers and chests are mostly empty, a few ancient leather armors and short swords remain, none in good condition. There’s a letter inside one of the desks that miraculously survived the onslaught of time. Someone named Nella wrote to Euger that she has been here only a month but is already so sick of this assignment, having to spend day and night underground. She misses Euger and the kids and hopes that she will be able to visit soon.

A painted sign next to the door holds instructions:

HOSTILE PRESENCE PROTOCOL

• Sound alarm
• Lock down all exits
• Lock down gate room
• Ensure you are armed
• Observe fellow soldiers
• Kill any hostiles on sight
• Ensure hostiles are fully deceased
• Collect remains for examination
• Reconvene in war room
• Await further instructions

Following the corridor there are more stairs down and a sign: “Level 4”. Sounds of talking, in archaic common, can be heard, “we need to find the intruders”. Marnab tries a stealthy approach but fails quite badly. Combat breaks out and the three enemy soldiers prove to be quite tough. But in the end the party prevails.

They find a kitchen and beyond it a mess hall. There is not much of interest here, whatever was left has fallen to the ravages of time. From there they go to another room and find a map on the wall. It is of the immediate area, showing Adleren and the valley, certain places have been marked. When asked, Drei explains they were marking the Shadow Place.

The next corridor has an open doorway to a nicely appointed office with a large desk and some cabinets. On a side table sits a silvered tray with crystal glasses and decanter containing an amber liquid. The papers in the cabinets have all turned to almost dust. The desk drawers hold a box of what was once tobacco and a piece of vellum that can still be read:

TOP SECRET

From: Ott Special Research Division, High Command

To: Colonel Brenner

Order: Assume command of Project Keyhole, immediate relocation to test site designated RB7.

Period: Indefinite

Mandate: Resume suspended research previously assigned to Lieutenant Colonel Teulieb. Utilize any subject to continue cross-planar communication tests, mapping, and study of exposed organisms. Use any equipment and methods to reactivate the Shadow Gate.

At the end of the corridor is a door and then more stairs and at the bottom a sign: “Level 5”. There is only one way to go from here, to a small room with lead lined walls. The closest door stands open, slid into the wall but the further door is closed. A transparent yellow-green chrysoberyl gem is set into the side wall. Drei tells them that she has seen people cast a spell into it to activate the room.

When done so the open door slides shut and the room fills up with a yellowish gas that slowly fades away. Fart jokes are made. Then the door leading on slides open. Beyond it is a small lab area but it is almost completely empty, just a few pieces of equipment remain.

The next lab holds some soldiers as they can be heard talking. Sarnan sneaks inside and manages to kill one but this act is seen by two other soldiers. They attack and Farley and Marnab rush out to meet them. One of the soldiers uses a burning hands like attack but in the end the party is victorious.

Considering the damage they took the party wants to rest for an hour but first they check out what’s in the lab; there’s quite a few things there. On a table there is a large metal tray with on it some kind of black-brownish biological matter that hasn’t completely rotted away, it looks quite nasty. A report lays next to it and Sarnan manages to save part of a page. This is all that can be read:

Type: Tendril. Category: A – infectious. Suggested follow up: inject into test subject, test resistance to all elements.

There are a number of beds in the middle of the lab, all covered with a transparent concave cover. In the beds lay the remains of human adults, still recognizable as such, so much better preserved than most things here. At the far wall there are two large tanks filled with a dirty yellow-brownish liquid, suspended inside are two strange organisms. One looks like a large tendril, the other like a large brain or shriveled potato.

Our friends retreat to the office and rest for an hour before going further, coming to another lab. This one has seen much more destruction. There are hoses lying around, a large metal construction with broken glass stands at the end of the room. Inside one of the cabinets there are many destroyed vials but also a single large vial filled with a glowing green liquid. Drei tells them it is fuel for the device that opens the gate.

A doorway leads to a short corridor and it looks like this part of the complex was really damaged by the earthquake. A large metal door and the stone frame around it have come down, opening a path into the room beyond. Inside are a large number of wooden ‘pods’. They are all damaged and open, Drei explains that this is where the soldiers were sleeping. At the end of the room is another metal door but this one is intact and there doesn’t seem to be a way to open it.

The other end of the short corridor leads to a small room with stairs down. Unfortunately the party wasn’t particularly silent so the two soldiers at the bottom of the stairs heard them, turning around to see Sarnan walking up. But the gnome quickly grabs his bag of ball bearings and rips it open; almost a thousand of the small metal orbs bounce down the stairs and fill the room.

One of the soldiers still tries to go up the stairs and immediately slips and cracks his head. A short-ranged combat ensues, it is handily won by our friends. Now they have to deal with all the ball bearings though. Remarkably they manage to go down the stairs without any real trouble. At the lower lever of the room is another sign: “Level 6”. There is a doorway straight ahead but next to the stairs is another doorway with a sign next to it:

PROJECT KEYHOLE

SUBJECT 3 – EMERGENCY PROTOCOL

If Subject 3 escapes confinement/operates outside of orders:

• Do not approach unless authorized.
• Do not release the Subject from confinement.
• Sound the alarm if the Subject is missing.
• If you must engage with Subject 3, maintain distance and remember your mantra for mental defense.
• Report any objects missing or moved without explanation.

Beyond the doorway is an area with a number of cells on either side and a dead soldier on the floor. At the end is a desk and a cabinet. The party is quite trepidatious, wondering if this Subject 3 might still be in one of the cells. But Farley decides to just go in and see. All the cells are empty, just some debris and dirt left in them. He searches the cabinet and finds many files; most have decayed but two are still legible:

PROJECT KEYHOLE

PROFILE: SUBJECT 3

Abilities:

• Telekinesis – moves object up to about 110 kg, short range.
• Teleportation – transports inanimate objects up to 2 km. Failure to teleport living organisms successfully.
• Telepathy – communication range: 25 km.

Behavior:

History of defying authority, theft, manipulation, failure to comply with instruction. Attempted escape. Injured handlers via telekinesis. Threatened to kill officer via teleportation. Repeated demands to shut down project.

PROJECT KEYHOLE

TRANSCRIPT 274-4-11-1

Teleportation test 7098 – life specimen.

“Are you ready, Three?”

“Uncle, please, I do not want to do this. You saw what happened the last time.”

“You were so very close. It almost survived the transfer. But we need to try again. The more we explore the Shadow Place, the more we need you and your abilities.”

“I do not like that world. We should not be there. It does not like us.”

“What does not like us? This Kalkazehrer? That is just a story to frighten children.”

“It frightens me. It even frightens you. I can feel it.”

“Three, stay out of my mind. I will not warn you again.”

“I cannot help it. Your fear, it is so strong. We must stop, people are destroyed.”

“Get over there, if you’re no good you’ll get no food, no water, no nothing. You are a tool, Three. And a tool cannot speak back.”

Test aborted.

Having read these, the party now has different ideas about Subject 3. Their first thoughts of it being a creature from the Shadow Place now seem unlikely. They ask Drei if she knows anything about this Subject 3 and she replies that she is Subject 3, to the surprise of the party.

They continue on, and come to a heavy, metal door, opened via a pulley system. Beyond is a room with a view of a lower-level cavern, the far rock wall of it is covered with all kinds of weird red/brown growths coming from a central, glowing white point.

Inside the room are broken crystal balls and all kinds of lenses and other items on benches against either wall. A large, metal device sits mostly under this room and sticks out into the cavern but the control surface for it is in here. At the end of the room there is a door and beyond it are stairs that go down to the cavern.

“This is the Gate, we should destroy it quickly,” Drei tells them. At this point someone finally remembers Rudi, they haven’t seen hide nor hair of him on their entire trek through the complex. As they are discussing this fact, Drei interrupts: “the boy? He was taken by the creatures; they took him to the Shadow Place.” This causes more than a little consternation. Drei can sense him and it turns out he is still alive, weak, but alive.

So now instead of destroying the Gate they first have to open it further and go through to get Rudi. Good thing Sarnan took the fuel. Drei explains how to load the vial of fuel and then use the key to unlock the device. When all is ready, they pull a lever.

Metal fingers rotate along the shaft of the device and bundles of white energy shoot out at the wall with the growths. Red and orange energy emanates from them and slowly the white center starts to widen. When the device runs out of fuel there is a 1.5 meter high and 0.5 meter wide membrane in the wall, diffuse red light showing through.

Our friends now go down the stairs into the cavern. There is a painted sign there:

EXPEDITION PROTOCOL

• No unauthorized entry into the Shadow Place is permitted.
• Protective spells must be kept up at all times.
• All expedition members must be armed.
• Do not engage with the Puppe.
• Report all Kalkazehrer activity.
• Complete medical assessment and decontamination upon return from the Shadow Place.

NOTE: IF YOU HEAR VOICES, FEEL ILL OR OVERHEATED, CONFUSED, LOSE CONTROL OF YOUR BODY, HAVE SUDDEN VIOLENT THOUGHTS, HAVE A STRONG DESIRE TO RETURN TO THE SHADOW PLACE – INFORM YOUR SUPERIOR AND REPORT TO THE MED BAY IMMEDIATELY.

A velvet lined box next to the sign is mostly empty but holds one ring made of a dark, rubbery, slightly sticky material, it looks like the same stuff that was in the lab. Drei tells them that the rings were given to the soldiers with the weakest mental resolve, she suggests Marnab might want to wear the ring.

Two strange looking backpacks are set against the wall; they can’t really be opened. Drei tells them that they contain specially prepared canvas that can be unfolded to create a dome that will keep out the effects of the Shadow Place for a short time. When asked she thinks they work for about an hour. The party decides to leave their own backpacks here and take these two.

Before they go through the Gate, Drei tells them that there are some things in the armory that will be useful to them. The air shimmers as she teleports in a large, green Ott crate and a small box. The latter holds three greater healing potions. She explains that the large crate contains vials of an experimental compound called WaffFlamm. A weapon can be coated with this and it will then do fire damage to anyone hit. It can even be used to coat the hands of spellcasters for the same effect but with spells. There is a slight drawback; there’s a small chance of doing fire damage to the wielder.