These fools were no threat to me, that much was obvious: They could barely compose simple cantrips, when they did their repertoire was that of a child. Yet despite my refinements and re castings, they stubbornly appeared in answer to my challenges. They were looting some underground area in the manner of these peoples, then I started: A transmat device, and they were able to use it with the power crystals: They were on my trail. Maybe I should do something, just as a precaution…
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We ventured to the outer door of the complex though several were still shaken up and or injured from the attack of the shadows. Our dwarf who seemed comfortably settled in taking point (sometimes literally) checked the doors out and pronounced them ajar. It was daylight outside and in the valley leading to the door he could see a gnome approaching. There was something else out there too, but we didn’t hang about to find out what. The gnome announced he was out treasure hunting, and the average height of our increasing large band was duly lowered a few inches. I’m beginning to feel downright tall. We checked out the next corridor, although it was another narrow one and showed signs of collapse. With no spell available I felt like a fifth wheel and hung back, along I might say with plenty of others. Gordon meanwhile, apparently suffering withdrawal symptoms from being separated from our treasure announced that he was off to stand guard over it.
Back in the corridor and some graceless corpse robbing completed, our scouting force checked out a couple of doors. The ranger seemed to trigger something though it’s not clear what when he entered the first right hand room, the dwarf definitely did when he opened the left hand door, two giant (and I mean giant) spiders attacked him with venomous bites. Both our rangers got involved as the dwarf fell back and went down and our new gnome friend showed willing too. Thomas was another quick spider victim, but Draegon now showed some nifty swordplay and managed to despatch one before, well lets be kind and call it a strategic withdrawal. Aaveneir the gnome got the second. We surged forward to burn out the webs in their lair and share in the copious treasure spoils, only to find… very little. Except a phenomenally stubborn locked door.
There was a spellbook under the corridor rubble, so at least I got something out of the encounter. Seems that the mortality rate for magic users is uncomfortably high around here. On that comforting thought we rested up to relearn and heal the injured. During that time, the new ranger noticed some strange writing on he magically locked door, that seemed familiar to me and yet was incomprehensible. It looked like magic, but Calenderiel couldn’t decipher it, and it did not seem right to be a spell. Puzzled we sent out for half orc.
On Gordon’s arrival he of course decided to do what he does best: Bring his irresistible force to bear on immovable objects. After some crunching attempts to kick and shoulder charge the door, even he conceded defeat though. Our elf friend then had a flash of inspiration and cast a reduction spell on the door, causing it to shrink within its frame and let us in to… an empty room. Today we were learning that big monsters don’t necessarily have big treasure, and locked rooms are not necessarily packed to the rafters with goodies. Any way, it could have been worse. As the dwarf now decided to prove.
First, he and the halfling checked out a room containing two wells and a mummy. For the second time in his short career he was attacked by a water weird. Fortunately it failed to drag him down the well as he would have sunk like…well a fat dwarf. I wonder how you tackle water weirds? There must be a spell, you can hardly hack it to death. Getting well clear of that he moved well away down the corridor. Oops! A secret door popped open next to him and a ghoul leapt out, paralysing him. It then moved on paralysing several others and tearing Zionestes to pieces even as he turned a few of the zombies that were following the ghoul. I got a good hit on the ghoul with a magic missile, and retired with the warm glow of a job well done. Gordon having failed to turn the dead managed to finish off the ghoul and started bludgeoning the zombies pretty effectively. Unfortunately, a couple did manage to hit him putting him down. Roscoe then did his cameo knife throwing act actually killing a zombie.
Gordon was revived with a precious healing potion and Zionestes turned out to be not as badly hurt as first thought. He went off and finished the turned zombies in their secret room, and gradually those paralysis victims recovered. Thorri then searched the room and his nose for gold found another underfloor cache. I got a rather nice looking dagger in a jewelled scabbard. More arrows for the elf some cash and gems to spread around. Whilst healing went on, Gordon entertained us by commanding the new gnome to do some dancing for us which was all good fun if hardly team building. The gnome decided to lead the way and detonated some sort of exploding glyph on the next door. Others rushed into another empty room and began a search.
Thorri again found a secret panel, this one containing a mace that went to Zionestes, but as he did so, some kind of ghostly apparition appeared and scrabbled at his throat. Though he looked pretty alarmed, it turned out to be harmless and vanished as quickly as it appeared. Roscoe and Draegon meanwhile were opening the tomb in the corner, which triggered the floor beginning to sink. Several of the party in the corridor leapt into the room before the drop got too challenging and the floor descended about 20 feet. I was amongst the rearguard and whilst we got a rope set up to join our comrades below, we decided to check the last unopened door above in case there were any surprises left to lurk behind us. Dagnar picked the lock but another empty room result. We descended to the level below and now another door awaits us…
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