You rest for a bit (leaving time if characters need to run back to grab things or even other people). Harmon pulls out some needle and thread from a pocket and stitches the wounds on Thurton’s chest. To your surprise, after he is finished, he comes to you (first Kaylan’s foot, then Phinkis’s injuries). “I’m not great with this. If you hadn’t had that potion, I don’t think Thurton would have lived. But I think I can fix you two up a little. I get the uneasy feeling wherever we’re headed we’ll need to be in top shape.”
You are no longer 'Wounded.'
When Thurton awakes again, you help him up, and he answers Kaylan’s questions from before. “I didn’t recognize any specific ghost, just their livery. And I haven’t heard from my cousin in a while. Communication is tough so far away…”
Harmon interjects. “You should have told me this long ago, Thurton. The reason everyone mistrusted my son was because those children went missing, and no one knew where they were at…”
Thurton is unusually quiet.
All of you continue on. Harmon suggests Thruton turn back, but for some reason, he doesn’t’ want to leave. The tunnel winds for a ways, then splits. Uncertain which path to take, you pick one and follow it, but it quickly dead ends, and you have to double back. As you go, there are more and more branching paths. The ground becomes hard and the tracks from the cart and horses disappear. At one point you are almost certainly lost, unless one of you has Scout:
If not, after hours you finally stumble upon some muddy ground again, where the tracks are once again visible, and you follow them, relieved.
Then around a corner you spot a light up ahead. You see a young man, perhaps in his twenties, shinning a lantern towards something else far away, and before you can say anything, Harmon dashes forward and embraces him, tightly.
“Darius!” He leans back to look him over. “I was so worried. Where have you been? What happened to you? Are you alright?”
The young man returns the embrace. “Father, I’m fine. What are you doing here?” Who are…?” He suddenly notices the rest of you.
“I’m here for you. And I brought these people to help,” Harmon says.
“It’s not safe here,” Darius remarks quickly. “This is an evil place, with an evil history. I’ve tracked down Dresda’s children. They’ve been taken prisoner here. But you should go back.”
When you collectively disagree and prompt him to explain, he pauses. "Four years ago, when I originally went looking for Christie, Samuel, and Gam, I stumbled upon this place, and made my way down here, through luck or stupidity. I did not find them, but I found their mother instead. This pace was hers. Whether she built it or found it I do not know. She was not as innocent as everyone thinks; she was a dark sorceress. I stumbled upon a ritual in a room just up ahead.” He points down the tunnel. “She had gone mad when her children went missing, I think, or maybe she was already mad, but she intended to murder seven of the Barl family’s most treasured horses. Or so I thought. They were all tethered to stakes in a pit, her chanting above them, horses screaming with fear, each one adorned with strange jewelry. I tried to talk her out of it, but she was livid when I interrupted her. She blamed me for failing to keep her children safe…and rightfully so. But, not just me. She blamed all Barls, including you, father. And, she was not just murdering our horses… She was cursing us. On that day, I witnessed those horses fall dead, before I could react, and rise from their graves. But her hateful spell brought something else with them. I don’t think she intended it, for she was as surprised as I at what form her curse took. Each horse suddenly had a rider to go along with it. I knew from the way they sat those mounts, and from their clothes, they were Barl horselords of old. The Barls have always been protective of their horses. Well, these spirits were none too happy that they had been called back from their restful slumber, it seems, for they started attacking Dresda Badule straight away. I got knocked unconscious in the fray, and awoke outside, in the hillsides. I don’t know how I got there. Perhaps one of the horselords brought me there for some reason. They only seemed spiteful of Dresda, and showed no malice towards me. Well, their spirits still linger, even today. I ran across one yesterday, in the Westwoods, by chance, and for some reason it saw fit to talk to me. It told me much. They live in agony. They’ve managed to find Dresda’s children. They mean to turn those kids undead, much like themselves, as revenge upon their mother, and they’re using her tools to do it! The rider would not listen to me, however, despite my pleas, and it disappeared as soon as I challenged it.”
He leads you ahead to a door made of stone. It is closed, with no door handle, and seemingly no means of opening. On it is a drawing of a dragon and a strange poem. Beneath it is a blank line, as if someone were meant to write something there. “I’ve been here three times over the past four years hoping to find more answers. There is something about this place that just draws a person to it, does it not? The last time I was here, this poem was not here, and the door was open. This is new. I think it needs to be solved in order to open the door now- and seems simple on the surface- but I cannot figure it out. Will you help me?”
He turns to you, and pulls a wand out from his clothing. “Also, I have this, which may help as well. I’ve already used it on myself. Its enchantment is protective.” And indeed, his clothing shimmers faintly. “If you intend to come with me, I could enchant you too, if you like. I think we’ll have a fight ahead.”
Thurton runs forward and yells, “No, don’t trust him! He’s one of them, I tell you. He’s one of those undead horsemen!”
Will you believe Thurton or Darius? Open the door or not?
Here’s the Door inscription
Deep, deep, seven sleep, kings under the hill.
Twenty yards and ten again,
Two hundred men were riding then,
A fathom more, but four less when,
They fell into a dragon's den.
How many feet are we?
______
(note, ignore the text/numbers on the image. I’ve just included it here because I like it).