Rollercoaster Ride
So after much discussion, the slaves split roughly into 2 groups: Obviously we had to take the Steeplefell duo but also came Lily, Ali-May and Monique. The fighter, Porric came too along with a blond bearded fellow called Armanrac. They scavenged equipment and armour from the fallen, even the girls took daggers. The rest we directed back to the sewer explaining that the unexplored direction westwards was their only choice given the unknown dangers we had evaded to the east.
We checked out the doors which the slave told us were storerooms and sure enough they were filled with chains, rations, cheap wine, manacles, everything for the well-equipped modern slaver in fact apart from weapons and armour. We helped ourselves to whatever we needed, the slaves in particular stocked up on rations, basic though they were. In a final division of spoils Malakai was given the luckstone previously taken by the monk, Bernice got the bracers of defence from the fallen magic User, and Zunee took the ring.
Bernice, the monk using her elvish boots to good effect scouted up the stairs at the northern end of the room discovering a further flight of stairs and a short passageway leading to a door. After cautiously following normal door procedures – Listening, checking for traps, examining the lock, opening the door cautiously,* she decided that swift closure was a sensible option as an antman overseeing a group of slave workers in the room leapt towards her wielding 2 swords.
*Varamir take note
The door slammed shut but immediately burst open as the creature struck it from the other side and the monk just avoided being smashed in the face by the heavy oaken portal. Falling back enabled combat to be joined by the ranger and the slaves in the room also tackled their guard from behind kicking and lashing out with bare hands. Malakai fired his wand of paralysation and the action was over. The aspis was swiftly despatched.
The room beyond was a dead end filled with equipment that seemed to operate a system of pulleys that enabled cages to be raised and lowered in the room of slave pens. The dead overseer had nothing but the usual pair of longswords and wooden shields. Undeterred by her narrow escape, the monk scouted the latest set of stairs which led to a landing and another door.
The result another aspis attack; having watched the events below through peepholes the creature was on the monk in a flash. Carefully evaluating the situation Bernice took decisive action: She threw herself backwards down the stairs, her monk like abilities enabling her to tumble to the bottom with no damage to anything but her dignity.*
*I’m sure there is a universe somewhere in the multiverse where pink ponies are a cool motif for your undergarments. Just not this one.
We ascended in force breaking into the room at the top of the stairs but the bird had flown*. An exit opened onto a corridor that ran east west opening into a room on the left. We split up: To the left Zandeep was looking at a large chamber with no floor covered by a grid of narrow beams, the vaulted ceiling supported by large columns. An exit could be glimpsed on the far side.
*Or possibly scuttled in some sort of bipedal antlike manner
To the right, Varamir, Zunee and Malakai headed east, reaching a door at the end of the corridor. The dwarf ‘No prisoners’ Varamir kicked the door in and suddenly the stairs transformed into a chute tipping the trio unceremoniously into a large circular chamber. Still could be worse – there could be half a dozen giant weasels ready to jump on us and drain our blood; ten orcs armed with crossbows ready to percolate us whilst protected by a moat that surrounded the island in the centre of the room where we had landed; and directing it a powerful slave lord.
Meanwhile back at the rear of our extended baggage train of five girls guarded by Porric and Armanrac. There was an unfortunate development as Armanrac attacked Porric. Another doppleganger! What are the chances?
So back at the circular room, what do you think the situation is? Clue – everything I mentioned after the phrase ‘could be worse’ is in fact the actual situation. Oh no wait, the slave lord has just disappeared – so he’s now invisible so actually it’s gotten even worse. The weasels now fell upon us as a cluster of crossbow bolts peppered our group and we were fighting for our lives.
The weasels had a nasty habit of latching on to us once they scored a hit and were in no way the harmless trouser delvers of legend. During the engagement several of us were critically wounded especially Varamir who needed emergency healing administered by Zunee, who was also forced to touch himself whilst wresting with a weasel.
Because of the positioning of various orcs and weasels Malakai was lucky enough to be the main crossbow target.
Bob cast prayer from the safety of the corridor and the Monk slid in and began tussling with orcs. Bob then occupied one of the weasels with his spiritual hammer and Zandeep arrived to take on more orcs only to be attacked from behind by the invisible slave lord, luckily avoiding a fatal triple damage blow twice before he could turn and fight.
Malakai tried a scroll of repulsion but unfortunately mispronounced a key passage and it failed. Meanwhile Porric and the doppelganger slugged it out with the women helping as best they could.* Zandeep had cast Jump on the monk but she failed to put the spell to any use. Malakai fired his last magic missile finishing off one weasel and both he and Zandeep used Mirror Image to protect themselves.
*Which was not at all.
Malakai to the horror of the rest of the party also toyed with reading his scroll of lightning bolt as he felt it would take out the bulk of the weasels remaining, oh and Zunee and Varamir.* He eventually somewhat reluctantly decided against it but for a moment there it was touch and go.
*After all what’s 8-42 damage between friends?
Now the end game was close- Porric fell but the women were at last able to finish off the badly wounded doppelganger. With the weasels almost despatched Zunee was able to hold the slave lord who Zandeep killed. The last orcs and weasel also fell leaving the party battered and bruised but alive, except for poor Porric, treacherously slain.
We searched the bodies and a collection of crates and furniture from the area where the slave lord had been sitting at a desk when we had dropped in. We found gold and jewellery worth about 8000gp, a selection of weapons and armour. The lord wore a +2 ring of protection that Zandeep took. There were also several ledgers showing details of slave sales. The slave lord was named Dibrak, the name we had heard earlier. We decided major rest was required. A ladder on the east wall led up to a hatch which we ensured was secure before settling down.
24.9.22
Experience Awards
Bernice
Gold/Gems this session 1,333
Bracers of Defence AC6 2,000
Aspis 19C 150
Falling down stairs 50
Orcs 50
Total 3,583 LEVEL UP
Reqd 50,218
Bob
Gold/Gems this session 1,333
Healing 50
Mapping 200
Casting Prayer 200
Spiritual Hammer 300
Weasels 200
Total 2,283
Bonus 228
Reqd 9,617
Varamir
Gold/Gems this session 1,333
Orcs 20
Weasels 200
Total 1,553
Bonus 155
Reqd 20,026
Malakai
Gold/Gems this session 1,333
Aspis 19C (Paralysis) 204
Mirror Image 100
Trying Repulsion 30
Weasels 200
Total 1,867
Bonus 187 LEVEL UP
Reqd 28,723
Zunee
Gold/Gems this session 1,333
Ring Of Shooting Stars 3,000
Healing 50
Aspis 19C 150
Dibrak (Held) 400
Orcs 20
Weasels 200
Total 2,577/2,577
Bonus 0/258
Reqd 8,285/20,113
Zandeep
Gold/Gems this session 1,333
Mirror Image 100
Dibrak 400
Ring of Protection 3,000
Orcs 50
Total 2,442/2,442
Reqd 7,882/12,882
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