The Potion of Life

Emelina

They have found their new adventure, and it sounds reasonably simple in the beginning, as it always does. Retrieve a gemstone located somewhere in the Schatzenheimer base. As a group, they don't even have to search for the entrance to the base. Mr. Oudenhuysen has even arranged a guide for them. The guide takes them on a long journey. First, they have to walk through a mountain of waste to reach a hidden alley. Then he leads them to the back of a warehouse where there is a hatch. He opens the hatch, and Emelina sees a staircase leading down. He explains that this is the entrance to the catacombs. Afterward, he quickly sprints away before they can ask him any questions.

Without hesitation, they descend with their group. The only challenge is to obtain the gemstone without attracting attention. Emelina is quite agile and can sneak well. In her eyes, Hugon and H'Jar are real thieves, and they will surely be able to steal the gemstone. On the other hand, Colos and Bjorn are not good at sneaking. Colos is a giant over 2.5 meters tall, and Bjorn is heavily armored. This will undoubtedly make them stand out. They will probably have to wait for her, Hugon, and H'Jar.

If the three of them can secure the gemstone, they will have to receive a share of Colos and Bjorn's reward. They may see it differently, but Emelina finds it quite logical. However, if they were caught stealing the gemstone, having a Viking and a Giant around would be useful. Emelina is a skilled fighter, but having a Giant and a Viking nearby can't hurt. However, after the fights, they will likely beg her to heal them. She is no less capable than these fighters; without her, they would have perished long ago.

The staircase eventually leads to a corridor with a wooden floor. After walking for a few minutes in the corridor, they reach a door. On it is a parchment nailed, saying: "Obey the rules of the catacombs, knock and wait!" A discussion ensues; they need to obtain the gemstone without anyone noticing. However, if they knock on this door, a guard will come. They could also try to break open the door, but that might create a lot of noise. They also have no idea how many people are behind this door. They can handle a few guards, so they decide to knock on the door. Colos knocks, and they wait. A few minutes later, the door is still closed. 

"We just need to wait a little longer; the guards will come," says Hugon. 

"Are you sure, Hugon? We've been waiting here for a long time, and the door is still closed," argues H'Jar.

"H'Jar is right; we can't keep waiting. I also don't hear anyone on the other side of the door," says Bjorn as he puts his ear against the door.

"Can't I just break the door open? Then we're inside right away." 

"No, Colos, that would immediately alert everyone in the catacombs. H'Jar, can you open that door?" 

"I can give it a try, Hugon." 

Then Emelina suddenly comes up with an idea; she stops H'Jar and looks at the lock on the door. After examining it closely, she pushes the handle down. The door opens; it was simply unlocked. Emelina sees the rest of the group looking at her in surprise. Sometimes she forgets that this group of adventurers isn't too bright. With a smile on her face, she looks into the space behind the door.

The first thing Emelina notices is the overturned table in the middle of the room. Otherwise, various cabinets have been broken open, and their contents are scattered on the floor. Clearly, people were here before them. Were they aware of the gemstone? Why would they want it, and is there something special about it? Or did the Schatzenheimers themselves leave quickly? Because there are no bodies in this room. In any case, this looks bad. The only information they have about the gemstone's location is that Kurt Holger, the leader of the Schatzenheimer gang, currently has it.

Without saying much to each other, they move to the next room. Here, they see a much worse scene, confirming her suspicions. The floor of this room is littered with smashed furniture, and everything is covered in dried blood. Six bodies are scattered among the debris, either with various stab wounds or filled with crossbow bolts. Emelina also learns which gang attacked the Schatzenheimers. On four of the bodies, a note has been left: "Congratulations, you have just met the Valentina anti-personnel service." According to Oudenhuysen, the Valentina base should be further down in the catacombs.

In the next room, Emelina sees four more bodies. They are piled up, and they all have the same note on their bodies. The adjacent room seems to have served as a storage room. All the remaining crates in this room are smashed. The three bodies lying here have nothing special about them, except for that note. None of the people she has examined died from a contagious disease. Perhaps the legend about this gemstone is just that, a legend. However, there is currently no trace of this gemstone, so Emelina is not entirely sure.

She goes to the very last body in the room. As she walks towards it, she sees that this man is still alive. She sees him grabbing his crossbow, aiming at Bjorn, and shooting. Before Emelina can do anything, Bjorn takes his throwing axe and throws it towards the man. The man is instantly dead, and Emelina is frustrated. They could have gotten answers from that man. They could have asked him what exactly happened here. They might have obtained more information about that gemstone. Now, the man is dead, and they proceed as a group to the next room without having learned anything.