Sometimes months pass before an adventurer stumbles into the place…. The hunger worsens with the years and the shadows eye the forbidden lands beyond. But they cannot go, and they cannot starve to death, much as they might wish to die. They cannot die, for they are the undead, bound by the silence of stone.

It is immortality of a sort.

	--- Glen Cook, Shadow Games

They were all tense as they edged cautiously down the stairs into the ruins. By Anath’s account, it was once a temple to Amaunator, an ancient sun god that only Patricia and Anomen had ever heard of at all, and they only as a name to be memorized on a list of forgotten faiths. The monk and Jan moved slowly downwards, spending several minutes examining each step before venturing to set foot on it. So far, they hadn’t encountered any traps. Jan said it was unlikely that the Shadows themselves would have set any snares, but there was no telling what traps had been placed by the builders. They couldn’t count on the Shadows to have triggered them, either, since these undead had such tenuous ties to this plane of existence. Jan said there were tales of Shadows walking right across rooms riddled with hair-trigger traps and not even disturbing the dust on the floor.

Patricia straightened up as she set foot on the floor at the bottom, stretching out her back muscles. Stairs were always a nuisance to check from the top down because of the awkward positions you had to assume. It was easier for Jan because he was so much shorter. A door could be seen on the right wall some few dozen feet in front of them.

Before she could investigate, however, a shade wolf came loping down the hallway, accompanied by an eerie howl. She had set aside the Blade of Roses while helping Jan search, but that was no matter. The monk shifted in front of Jan to give him some protection while he readied his self-designed crossbow. Behind her, she heard Anomen and Minsc clattering forward even as she sank her fists into the peculiar substance that made up the shade wolf’s body. It wasn’t quite rubbery, or velvety, or slimy, or cold, but it wasn’t quite not any of those things, either. It was definitely unpleasant, however, and no one lacking her specialized training could have hurt the Shadow at all bare-handed.

The shade wolf’s jaws snapped at her left arm as she pulled it back, but its ghostly teeth did not connect with her flesh. The next thing she saw was the bright electrical arc that signaled Anomen had landed a blow with Ashideena, and the beast collapsed, its quasi-body dissipating like smoke in a high wind. A bit like Sarevok, she thought to herself, then shoved the memory away. No, best not to think of that, or you will be too afraid of dying to get on with this. At least you probably won’t become a Shadow even if they do bring you down, small comfort though that be.

“Now what?” Jan queried. “I’m sure you want to go through that door, Tish, so how about I check a little way further down this hall while you see if the entry’s rigged to blow us to bits.”

“All right,” she agreed readily. “Anomen, you go with Jan since you’re already down here. Nalia and Minsc can keep an eye on me and the top of the stairs. Don’t forget to use your lightstone, Jan, they can’t surprise you that way.”

“Yes, Your Worship,” the gnome said sarcastically. “Why, that would never have occurred to me. What an original idea!”

Patricia had barely gotten started on the door when Anomen and Jan returned. “No goin’ much farther that way,” Jan informed her, “there’s a force wall across the passage. How about this door?”

“No traps as far as I can tell,” she replied, “and I can’t hear anything on the other side, not that that means much with these abominations.”

“Then let us see what lies beyond, my lady,” Anomen said. “Perhaps we may find some key to the puzzle there.” He called to the others, and Minsc joined them in front of the door, while Jan moved back to stand with Nalia, ready to provide missile cover for the other three. It was Anomen who lifted the heavy iron latch and thrust open the door, then burst forward into the next room. Several shade wolves appeared at once as the glow of the lightstones sliced through the gloom. More ominously, from the far edge of this chamber Patricia heard a metallic clank accompanied by the dry clicking of bone against bone. Noises she remembered all too well, the sounds of undead guardians springing to action.

The skeleton warriors stumped forward on bony feet, looming up taller than Anomen, taller even than Minsc. “Nalia! Jan! Go for the wolves!” she cried. “Anomen, Minsc, we must take out the skeletons first!” She suited action to words, abandoning her sword for the faster and, in this case, more devastating blunt attack of her fists and booted feet. Less strong than the ranger or Watcher, she could still deliver telling blows; Hands were trained to make proper use of body weight and inertia.

When it was over some minutes later, she could remember few details, save the searing pain across her left side as one skeleton warrior’s great blade caught her along the ribcage, then the cold ache creeping up her right arm as a shade wolf caught her elbow in its muzzle. She’d fought on a minute more despite the pain, until the warrior’s bones fell into a pathetic heap, then dropped away, leaving Minsc and Anomen to dispatch the last skeleton. Hastily Patricia laid hands on herself to heal what damage she could before the Watcher noticed, murmuring the chant as she nursed her elbow. The arm would stay numb for some minutes, she believed, but her strength would slowly return. It was the other injury that was worrisome; a good thing she’d managed to turn enough for the blow to rake a long shallow cut, instead of receiving a deep stab wound into her side.

Nalia and Jan came into the room now, beginning to search the area for traps and anything of value. “The swords,” she croaked as they went by. “Jan, I’ve never fought a skeleton warrior that didn’t wield an enchanted blade. Give them to Minsc to carry, he’s tall enough to strap them to his back.” The gnome nodded his understanding.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, then saw a canteen being thrust before her face. She looked up to see Anomen standing behind her, a grim look on his face. “Drink,” he ordered, and she swallowed gratefully. She saw his eyes turn to the telltale bloodstain down the front of her tunic. Thanks be that the prayer manages to mend rent clothing as well as the flesh beneath. Trust a dragon to think of everything.

Anomen sat down next to her and draped an arm around her shoulder, and she didn’t protest; her right arm still ached abominably and her throat still felt dry. “My lady,” he whispered in her ear, “don’t ever do that again. If I’m not allowed to hide my wounds, neither are you.”

She licked her lips and took another drink. “I wasn’t trying to pretend I was fine,” she replied. “I just….” She flushed self-consciously, then whispered, “It was an awkward position, all right? I… we’ll talk about it later, please. They’re already staring at us.”

At least, Nalia was, with a somewhat stunned expression. Patricia leaned her head on Anomen’s shoulder and glared back at the mage, daring her to comment, but Nalia scarcely seemed to notice. Patricia was too tired and achy to wonder much about the other woman’s behavior; she just let herself rest, waiting for the numbness in her arm to subside.

While she sat, Minsc and Nalia packed up what little treasure was to be had from the skeleton warriors, and Jan called Anomen to come examine a strange little stone box built onto one side of the wall. They lifted the lid together, then recoiled. Patricia watched Anomen sprinkle some holy water inside the sarcophagus, then reverently replace the stone cover.

When she asked what lay within, Anomen said grimly, “The bones of a child, Tisha, scattered and disturbed. Whatever force animated those other skeletons will find it hard to defile this one now.”

Her right arm was warm again and she felt her strength return. Patricia got to her feet. “Good. I don’t want to think about how it wound up in there; enough that it stays at rest. Come on, let’s get moving.”

The Watcher came to join her, the others sliding wordlessly into their usual spots in the formation. Jan had already checked the door at the opposite end of the room; now Patricia and Anomen shoved it open while the others held their lightstones high to illuminate the new area. Low passages led off straight ahead and to the left, but there was no time to examine them closely, because four more Shadows awaited them. As she moved to block the first one’s attack, Patricia noted that these were vaguely humanoid in shape, not lupine. Not part of Anath’s pack, then; I hope not some of the missing villagers. She had no more time to think then; it was all business for some seconds, until these foes, too, were literally blown away.

From behind her, Jan said, “Was I seeing things, or did that one you were pounding on have on some kind of armor, Minsc?”

The ranger stared down at his feet. “Oh, Minsc thought the evil just jumped out of its skin because I hit it so hard.”

Jan came over and examined it. “Looks like a perfectly good suit of leather to me,” he commented. “An extra blade, too, which is more worth hanging on to. Hey, Nally, stuff this away for me, willya?” The gnome handed the other mage a short sword.

Patricia frowned. “Jan, doesn’t that seem a little odd to you? The Shadow wearing real armor, I mean? I didn’t think they did that.”

Anomen nodded his head in agreement. “Aye, I thought they disliked such reminders of their former existence. My instructors said Shadow creatures hate all things that exist fully in this reality, because they are forever trapped between this world and the next.”

“Exactly, Ano,” Jan said. “That’s my point. A Shadow wouldn’t be wearing armor unless someone else, like the Shade Lord, forced it to. And, seeing as how I’ve just found a perfectly real metal key under that armor, it looks to me like this Shadow was guarding something else pretty substantial. Like, oh, say, something behind one of those doors over there.” He gestured at two wooden doors set into the right wall of the passage in front of them. “So how about I go check?” he finished.

Without waiting for an answer, he strode over to the doors, followed by Nalia. Patricia gave Anomen a quick smile. “I knew there was a reason we keep him around, my lord. In addition to his skill as a raconteur, of course.”

The Watcher laid a gauntleted hand on her shoulder and smiled back. “I’m beginning to think brilliance unfettered by wisdom is an occupational hazard for all wizards, my lady. Come, let’s go protect those two from whatever lurks behind those doorways.”

She chuckled as they moved in the wake of the others. “You’re right as always, dear. Jan, Nalia, my sister--- sharp as tacks when it comes to a puzzle, but so engrossed in the problem at hand that they forget to consider what happens after the door opens.”

Jan turned the key in the lock of the first door and threw it open. “See? No sense of consequences,” Tisha murmured to Anomen as she tensed for a potential battle.

Their lightstones cast a glow on the somewhat grimy but nonetheless lovely face of a female halfling. A halfling in the stance of a warrior, holding a lit torch like a club at the ready. She relaxed slightly as she took them in, glancing each over in turn and apparently liking what she saw. She broke the silence first.

“Ho, noble friends! I beg your assistance in this evil place. I heard the sounds of your scuffle in the hall, and pleased I am that you have defeated my jailers.”

“Well met,” Patricia said in a correspondingly formal tone. “I am Patricia Contemplata. May I ask your name?”

“Your grace, I am Mazzy Fentan of Trademeet, an adventurer serving the cause of justice and righteousness. As you can see, I could use your assistance.”

“And you shall have it, milady,” Anomen declared for them all. “How did you come to be imprisoned here? Were you also seeking the source of the evil that has befallen this area?”

Mazzy’s blue eyes grew dark, and Patricia sensed rising distress. “Yes. It became abundantly clear when the Shade Lord slaughtered my companions at the Shadow Altar that lies above. You have fought the Shadows; do you know how they are created?”

Jan nodded. “The remnants of live victims perverted by Shadow magic. But why is it here and what does it want?”

“It is here to dominate and to conquer,” Mazzy said. “This Shade Lord seems to feed on the corruption of souls, nor is it new to this place. The local legends tell of how the Shade Lord was struck down by Amaunator ages ago and imprisoned within this temple. The wards are old and faded, and finally it has been able to break partially free. If it is not stopped it will continue to build its army of Shadows.”

“Through tomes and other clues,” she continued, “my party learned of a perverted altar of Amaunator which can only be reached through the bowels of this place.”

“Jan--- oh, I am sorry, I did not introduce my companions properly, Mazzy,” Patricia said. Hastily the others named themselves to the halfling, and then the monk continued, “Jan says that there is some sort of force wall further along the passage we entered. Do you know how to bypass it?”

“You will need sun gems to open the doors of darkness the Shade Lord has created. They can be acquired if one passes Amaunator’s tests. Also, the key to the door that leads to the horror that the Shade Lord commands has three parts, which must be found as well. The Shade Lord commands a Shadow Dragon, a most deadly foe. We were struck down as he laughed, and I am unsure of how to defeat such a creature.”

Mazzy’s voice trembled. “Most horrible of all, the Shade Lord took the life force of my friends and turned them to members of his cursed army. My beloved Patrick has become a hideous shadow!”

Patricia reeled with the shock of it, tears instantly coursing down her own face. She heard Minsc snuffling, too, which only hurt her more. Sweet Ilmater, no! Don’t make me relive that again. Frantically she drove back the memories of Imoen and Khalid’s torture that Mazzy’s transferred pain was pushing towards the surface. Dimly she was aware of Anomen moving swiftly next to her, fumbling with his gauntlets. His warm fingers slipped over her icy hand, and the contact gave her enough stability to call upon the Fourth Discipline to reassert control of herself.

Mazzy’s own cheeks were wet as she continued, “I would gladly have sold my life with my friends, but the Shade Lord would not let the dragon kill me. He wants me to be what he calls ‘his consort’. He is not a creature of this plane, and to fully use his power must possess a body, feeding on its life. He inhabits Merella, now... and planned to use my own body once Merella grows weak, I suspect. I have come to believe that the secret of the Shade Lord’s power lies within this altar which the shadow dragon guards. A way must be found to pass this beast for he cannot be killed by such as us.” The halfling raised her tear-stained face to them with a look of proud resolve and said, “I am uninjured and ready to fight with you, if you will have me. Do not refuse me this chance to avenge my comrades.”

Patricia looked at the others, seeing what she expected in each face. The monk answered for all of them, for each had suffered some bitter loss. “Join us and welcome, Mazzy. Together we will pull down this Shade Lord and his minions.”