The EARTH story - June 16, 1372
The night passes quietly, and in the morning you are ready to continue your exploration.
Nodding and filling in her map, Beth says, "Yep, it all fits."
After spending the time necessary to rememorize spells, Beth calls the others around for a pow-wow. "Take a look at the map. This room here is one of the portals we've avoided," she says, pointing at the room she's numbered 25.
"As you can see," the sorceress continues, "we've explored and filled in most of that area. There are lots of other places still to go, but hey, why not be anal and fill in that area first? I'd say that we should go up here and open this door on the west wall of that long north-south hallway, opposite the door that opens into the room I've numbered 8, where we were attacked by those weird snakes. Then kind of randomly work our way around in that space we haven't filled in yet."
"Actually," Beth adds after a moment of thought, "I don't think we've been here yet."
She points at the first door on the west wall just north of the intersection with the statue. (That intersection is numbered 1 on Beth's map.)
"Let's go take a look at that to make sure we didn't miss anything, and then go north along that hallway and take the next door on the west wall, the one I originally proposed we first go to," Beth says. "Sound good?"
Ayazin nods, squinting at the map. "I have memorized the Hold Plant spell today, so we can deal with the brown mold -- you know, the, um," he blushes a little, "Mongolian Death Blanket."
"Ah, good," Beth says. "I was looking at that, and there are a number of doors we can't get to without either going through that room, or a room with a teleport trap. Let's head over that way after we fill in the gaps on the east side of that block of rooms.
"One other practical matter," Beth says. "Has anybody kept track of the loot we've picked up so far in this place? This was, after all, a good part of the point: either to find fun magic toys to help us defeat the Drow, or lots of money with which to buy fun magic toys."
Mikodin will volunteer to begin keeping treasure records for the EARTH group, if no one else wants the job. As a Lawful Good monk, he should be trustworthy.
Beth wholeheartedly endorses Mikodin as the Keeper of the Treasure list.
Jon replies that he has been keeping track of the treasure.
"Also, so that we don't have to lug it with us, does anybody have a good way of stashing it here so that it will be reasonably safe?"
You head back to the dungeon. Turning north at Razamataz's statue, you open the door in the first 10' section of the west wall, after doing the usual detects. It reveals a 10' square room with a door in the north wall. It is barren, so you open the north door.
Through it is another bare 10' square room (doors to north and west). Opening the north door, you see the 30' X 40' room that you passed through yesterday on your way to the area where you met the naga and the neo-otyugh.
In order to finish off this area, you open the door immediately to the west in the south wall. Through it you see a 10' X 20' room (10' west, 10' south; door in east wall, door in south wall west half). Geerzo stops you from entering, though, as he announces that it radiates magic in there.
Looking about, you note that the easternmost door in the north wall of the 30' X 40' room awaits your perusal. Opening it reveals a 20' square room (10' east, 20' north; doors in east wall south corner, north wall west corner, west wall south corner). This place is also uninteresting, but for a depiction of a compass painted on the west door. The four cardinal points are marked, as are the northeast, southeast, southwest and northwest directions. Strangely enough, though, the southwest arrow is much longer than any of the other compass points.
Beth also realises that the east door will exit into the passage beyond.
"Interesting. Take a look at this," Beth says, as she shows her map to the others. "We're at number 29 here. The room through that door with the compass is boring enough; the one beyond it to the west, which I've numbered 25, is a teleport trap, or at least was from the far side of the room."
"Now, this compass could be a trap, or it could be a hint," Beth continues, dropping naturally into a rather pedantic lecturing tone of voice. "Either way, it suggests one of two things to me. Either there is something dangerous and/or something we ought to want to find through this door and generally through the complex to the southwest... OR it's indicating to us that the southwest quandrant of the dungeon, using the statue as a center point, is the most interesting quadrant. It is also, incidentally, the quadrant we haven't yet explored at all.
"One thing it might be pointing to is this shaded room here between 24 and 25," Beth muses. "From the west, coming at it from 24 we saw a pine forest. An obvious portal, as it led outside. From the north, from room 16, we saw a large room that wouldn't fit on the map. Perhaps we should try exploring through one of those portals, with wizard eyes or some such?
"One other thing," Beth adds. "Note this shaded area here below 28. We didn't get there, because 28 was a teleport trap. I have to wonder if there's another way to get to that area. Perhaps we ought to look for secret doors on the north wall of the twenty-foot wide passage.
"Thoughts?" the sorceress asks after finishing saying her piece.
Jon replies, "Yes. I was acting as treasurer but lost the documents somewhere."
"Not really relevant to the current discussion, Jon," Jo-owrn says with a smile.
Jon listens at the doors and detect magic on the compass.
He hears nothing through the doors, and detects no magic on the compass.
"I would rather leave going into the teleport rooms or whatever they are until we've exhausted every other possibility," says Jo-owrn.
"Perhaps we should take a break from opening doors and exploring rooms, and follow the passages that radiate out from the mage's intersection, to see where they go...especially the ones which may head southwest," suggests Devlin. "Then, we should open all of the obvious doors that we can; then seek hidden doors; and finally, venture into the magical rooms."
"You've got it all planned out, don't you?" asks the ranger with a grin.
"That is my way. What do the rest of you think?"
Beth says, "Sure, what the heck. It's one possible interpretation of this compass. Or, maybe we should just forget the compass altogether.
"Do you guys want to fill in this corner here first, or leave it for later?" Beth points on her map to the unexplored area in the upper right section of the complex of rooms with doors that they are currently in. "If not, let's go back to that statue intersection and head south, checking out those doors on the west wall."
"I think we should fill in the small, unexplored area first," states Mikodin. "It won't take us long, and then we can put our efforts into other areas, as indicated by the diagram."
"I agree, Mikodin," says Devlin, after examining Beth's map. "You have an orderly, methodical mind. That is to be admired."
"And it makes sense while we are up here to do it too," says Kelar with a grin.
Jon also nods in agreement with the plan suggested, "So let's go, then."
"Sounds good to me," Beth says, and points at the door on the north wall of this room. "Do."
Opening that door reveals a bare room (10' X 20': 10' east, 10' north, door across from you in the north wall, door in west wall).
Opening that north door reveals another bare and uninteresting room (30' X 40': 10' east, 10' west, 40' north; doors in north wall west corner, west wall south corner and west wall 20' - 30' section as measured from the south).
Opening the north door in this room reveals the east-west passage.
Opening the northernmost west door shows you into a third bare room (20' X 30': 10' north, 10' south, 20' west; door in middle of west wall, door in south wall east corner).
You go to the west door and open it, finding yourselves peering into the 40' X 50' room through which you first entered this area.
Opening the south door reveals a previously visited 20' X 30' room (10' south, 10' west; door in west wall, door in east wall, door across from you in south wall).
It looks like you have pretty well finished this quadrant, so you exit the north door and reenter the east - west passage. Turning west, you walk its length.
In all, it runs for 390' end to end, turning south in the last 10' sections at either end. In the north wall there are doors (as measured from the east wall) in the 90' - 100', 240' - 250' and 380' - 390' sections. In the south wall (as measured from the east corner), there are doors in the 20' - 30', 80' - 90', 150' - 160', 230' - 240' and 320' - 330' sections. Note that you have opened some of these doors already.
At the west end you follow the passage south for 70', after which it opens up into a large bare chamber. Before you get there, you observe a door in the 40' - 50' section of the west side of the passage. The chamber measures 70' X 110' (30' east, 30' west, 110' south; 10' wide passage running out of middle of south wall; door in south wall immediately west of passage, doors in east wall 10' - 20' section and 40' - 50' section as measured from the north.
You cross the chamber and walk south down the passage. This runs for 130', turning east after 120'. There are only two doors to be seen: in the west wall, 20' - 30' section and the east wall, 100' - 110' section.
You walk east down the passage. This runs for 390' end to end, turning north after 380'. There are doors in the north wall, 30' - 40', 170' - 180' and 320' - 330' sections as measured from the west corner. There are doors in the 90' - 100', 180' - 190', 260' - 270' and 330' - 340' sections as measured from the west wall. Jon, Mikodin, Farad, Aldarin and Jo-owrn recognise that they came out of the second door in the south wall after going through the teleport trap.
Heading north up the passage, you end up back by Razamataz's statue after 170' (measured from the south wall). There are doors in the west wall, 60' - 70' and 130' - 140' sections as measured from the south corner. There are doors in the east wall, 20' - 30', 100' - 110', 110' - 120', and final 10' sections as measured from the south wall. You recall that you originally were exploring the area through the last door noted when you hit the teleport trap.
From Razamataz's statue, the east passage leads out of this labyrinth. To the west, it heads to the caves that you explored when you first entered this area.
Mikodin contemplates the areas for a few moments, then asks, "Beth, the symbol of the compass pointed toward the southwest, didn't it? Since that was a large, unexplored area, let's do that next. We seem to have no better clues to work with, and I am in sore need of treasure and magic items. I still owe for my last level of training, and the next will be even more expensive. And while I consider myself an ascetic, I could use a little magical protection, and especially a magic weapon."
Beth says, "Well, now that we've seen what looks like a perimeter hallway, it suggests that we've looked at the northeast quadrant of the dungeon. Of course, we've also seen that there are complexes of rooms off of the east edge of this perimeter hallway. Man, this place is huge. If they're all as packed as the space we've looked at, it will take a while to clean it out.
"If we want to follow that arrow's suggestion, we should start with the two doors nearest the southwest corner of the perimeter hallway." Beth will show her map to anyone who wants to see it.
Ayazin looks around in all directions with a confused look on his face.
"What about the brown mold? I thought we were going to disable it and take its treasure before continuing."
"That's here," Beth says, pointing at the room numbered 17 on her map. "You want to go kill it? How do you kill one of those things anyway?"
Ayazin says, "I'd rather not kill it if is isn't necessary, and killing it is rather difficult anyway since it feeds on heat -- fire only makes it stronger, and I doubt we have many cold-based attacks. However, with my Hold Plant spell, I can prevent it from attacking us long enough for a couple party members to enter the room and retrieve the treasure it's guarding. If it's guarding any treasure, that is. I can't remember. If not, I suppose we shouldn't bother it."
"Whether or not it was guarding any treasure itself, it was preventing our access to the doors beyond it," Beth says.
Showing Ayazin her map, she says, "Room 17 is where the Mongolian death blanket is. We never got through any of those doors because of it. We also couldn't get through room 15 because it's a teleport trap. So, it would seem that if we want to get west of those two rooms, we'll have to etiher kill the blanket, or use your Hold Plant business to get past it. I don't recall if there was any treasure in the room itself."
"Do you want to try to do this right now?" Beth asks the party as a whole. "Or do you want to try looking at some of the other doors in this huge place, for instance, the doors to the southwest?"
Mikodin pauses momentarily to consider, then says, "I have changed my mind. Let's finish these rooms, for a 'Mongolian death Blanket' must surely be guarding some valuable treasure."
"I say we try these doors southwest," says Kelar. "I think that our little arrow thing means something and this is our best bet right now."
"I think we should just pick a door and head for that. It will waste less time. And get more things done. Also, we can discuss on the way there," says Kithus, rather impatiently.
"Let's do the easy areas, then tackle the more challenging obstacles - be they magic doors or death blankets - later," says Devlin.
Without waiting for further discussions, he sets off back down the south passage. The rest of you follow.
Per Beth's suggestion, you stop before the last door in the north wall of the east-west hallway. Jon listens but hears nothing, and no one detects any magic, so you bash it open.
Through it is a 30' square room (20' east, 30' north; doors in middle of east and west walls, doors at east and west end of north wall, respectively).
Suddenly the air is filled with flying, bat-like creatures with rusty red to brown feathers, swooping to attack you all.
"Stirges!" cries Jo-owrn, drawing his sword to defend himself.
Farad mindblasts upward toward the majority of the blood suckers, doing so repeatedly as long as he can safely. He'll draw his blade and hack at any who avoid his sweeps or are flying among his companions and couldn't be hit.
Nine of the stirges drop to the floor. The rest are in amongst you, and not available to be safely blasted.
"Oh, bother," Beth says, and lets fly a magic missile spell (targeting a different Stirge with each missile).
Her missiles injure four stirges to varying degrees.
She next says, "If they land on anybody and start eating, pull them off right away!"
"Bloodsuckers!" Brennon says with distaste in his mouth, "I hate these nasty little buggers."
He fires magic missiles spreading them between as many as he can hit.
Two more are injured.
Jon will defend himself only if attacked to see if they can see invisible.
Devlin swats at one with his sword and kills it.
Jo-owrn disposes of another one.
Beth dodges a third stirge.
Sharone madly swings her flail at one but misses.
Kithus also draws his sword and prepares for a fight. He will try to slash the closest target in range and if the attack fails, he will go back to a defensive pose.
A stirge lands on his backside, rams its proboscis through his leathered rump and sucks him for 3 hit points. Desperately swinging about, though, the ranger manages to saw it in half with his two handed sword.
Mikodin launches himself at the nearest stirge, trying to eliminate them in turn as they attack him. "Die, you blood-sucking monstrosities!" he shouts as he punches and kicks.
A stirge dodges his attacks, lands on his shoulder like some malformed parrot, and plunges its proboscis into his neck and starts drinking of his blood. Mikodin suffers 2 hit points of damage.
Next, the door in the northwest corner flies open, and nine zombies come trooping in, arms extended, apparently attracted by the rumpus.
Three stirges remain.
Mikodin attempts to quickly pull the stirge off himself while punching it to death. He is sucked for 2 more hit points as he pounds furiously at the stirge. It remains attached, though.
Jon takes evasive action from the zombies while waiting for Sharone to turn them. Jon asks Geerzo to detect magic just to make sure there isn't anything else hanging around!
"No magic!" Geerzo announces, proclaiming Jon's location to all and sundry.
Sharone shakes her head. "It doesn't rain but it pours... Farad can you keep these blood suckers off my neck while I attend to the undead?"
Aldarin moves to protect Sharone while she deals with the zombies, swinging at any stray stirges that fly by and also taking a position in front of her to protect her from attacks by any undead that make it through.
The stirge lands on Sharone and takes a quick drink for 3 hit points before Aldarin kills it with his unlit flame tongue.
She steps towards the zombies. "By the power of Idun, REST. Your souls are released."
She holds her holy symbol towards them.
Two of them are engulfed in holy fire and drop. The rest are on you.
A stirge hurtles itself into Beth's midsection and plunges its proboscis into her belly for 1 hit point. She is unsuccessful in her attempts to remove it.
Farad, Ayazin, Brennon, Devlin, Jo-owrn, Beth and Sharone also find themselves being attacked by zombies.
Farad easily dispatches with his zombie, as does Ayazin. Brennon, though, is struck for 6 hit points. Devlin kills his zombie, and Jo-owrn does likewise with his. Beth, still trying to deal with a stirge, is hit from behind for 8 hit points. Sharone just evades the filthy claws of the last zombie.
Finally, the door in the northeast corner flies open, and another monster squeezes in to join the fun and frolic. Rather bird like, it stands some 15' tall, with a huge spherical head-body with a powerful beak and a feathered crest, atop four long legs ending in strong claws. Its legs are a metallic blue-grey, the feathers on its body-head a dull scarlet with deep red blotches.
Its intentions do not appear to be benign.
Ayazin mindblasts the tall birdlike beastie, and then turns to help Beth fight off her zombie.
The bird thing is not affected.
Kelar casts magic missile at the bird beast and then moves in to attack it with swords.
His missiles blast into its head-body.
"This is getting to be ugly," grumbles Kelar.
Mikodin continues to attack the stirge on himself, hoping that perhaps someone will notice his dilemma and aid him, despite the fact that a new monster has entered the fray.
Jon moves quickly to Mikodin to help with the stirges.
"Jon's coming to help you, Mikodin. Turn to face me if you can. Well, Geerzo, battle at last."
Mikodin is sucked for 1 one more hit point, as he finally punches it and kills the stirge.
"Not yet!" says Geerzo in a tone of regret.
Jon thinks to himself, not a bad trap, but there is still another door I think...
Beth unloads another magic missile spell, this one entirely into the stirge which is drinking out of her.
She is drained for 3 more hit points before she blows the annoying monster to bits.
The zombie behind her clobbers her for a further 3 hit points. Ayazin swings his scimitar and hacks into its rotting flesh.
The zombie turns to face him.
Aldarin continues to guard Sharone by placing himself in between her and the zombie assailing her. He easily cuts down the zombie, and then rushes over to help Brennon.
Sharone continues to call on the power of Idun to stop the zombies.
Beth takes out her wand of paralysation.
Brennon fires magic missiles on the zombie assailing him. His spell destroys the zombie.
Farad continues to attack whatever creature is most convenient, be it stirge, zombie or big bird.
Given the height of the bird-monster, the best you can do is attack its four legs. Kelar and Kithus take one, Farad takes another, Devlin takes the third and Jo-owrn takes the last leg.
Kelar is clawed for 8 hit points, as he misses with his falchion sword. Kithus lands a big hit into the leg.
Farad all but breaks a leg with his first swing.
Devlin does chop off a leg, then turns to help Jo-owrn.
The ranger sidesteps a kick, then fans with his sword.
All of the stirges are dead, one zombie remains on Ayazin, and then there is the bird.
Farad continues attacking big bird, as does Kelar.
Aldarin turns and flings two daggers at the eyes of the bird-thing (hopefully high enough to avoid striking a companion).
His first dagger misses, but his second one strikes the bird above the eye. It squawks.
"Thanks Ayazin!" Beth calls over her shoulder, as she takes aim at the body of the bird-thing towering over the combat and attempts to zap it with her wand of paralyzation.
The ray strikes the bird but it is not affected.
Brennon draws his daggers and helps Ayazin in finishing off the last zombie.
It turns out that Brennon's help is not needed, as the druid polishes off the last zombie.
After finally getting rid of the last stirge, Mikodin launches himself into the fight against the Big Bird thingy.
Kelar dodges a kicking leg, and then snaps it off with a well placed hit.
The bird-monster sways, then topples. You scatter to avoid being caught, but Farad and Jo-owrn are not quite fast enough on their feet and are pinned helplessly under the bird for 8 hit points of damage apiece.
The rest of you close in.
Mikodin launches a flying kick, and breaks the bird's third leg.
Kithus leaps at the body but misses with his blade, as the monster emits a flatulent roar, and a cloud of foul smelling black smoke or gas issues forth from its anal region. The ranger takes 11 hit points, and drops in a catatonic daze.
Kelar, Mikodin and Devlin are likewise engulfed in the noisome gas, and also suffer 11 hit points of damage. Kelar and Devlin also drop.
The rest of you cannot really see what is going on within the obscuring cloud.
"Cough...gag...twitch," says Kelar.
Aldarin backs away from the cloud and pulls his bow. He shoots into the cloud, being careful not to fire where he last saw any of his companions.
Mikodin backs quickly out of the cloud, gasping for clean air. He allows those with ranged weapons to finish off the bird-demon.
Brennon moves away from the area, and out of the smoke.
Jon returns to the battle, takes out his rarely used sling and prepares a light bullet to throw into the cloud to help in locating the bird.
Ayazin sheathes his scimitar and casts Flame Blade to prepare for a little tougher fighting. He waits for the cloud to clear.
Aldarin's second arrow strikes home, and you hear the creature squawk. In similar fashion, Jon's bullet also elicits a pained chirp from the bird.
Farad slowly fades into view nearby, having used his mental powers to escape. Jo-owrn, however, remains pinned, but not for long. You hear the bird sliding and scrabbling along the floor within the still dense cloud, and after a moment Jo-owrn is able to roll free.
Farad takes up his bow and nocks an arrow.
Out of the north side of the cloud the bird slowly emerges...trying to retreat to the room from whence it came.
Blocking its way is Jon, who draws Geerzo and leaps to attack. The wounded monster is still a challenging foe, though, and pecks him for 3 hit points. As a further surprise, as the wood elf swings Geerzo the shortsword suddenly drops from his hand and a glowing longsword takes his place!
"Hey!" complains Geerzo.
Jon buries the blade into the neck of the bird and it squawks again.
Jon continues to attack like a madman...errrr elf. He can't help himself.
Aldarin shoots two more arrows at the bird, and one strikes. Farad lets fly with two arrows as well, and the bird is finished.
Sanity returns to Jon.
Kithus, Kelar and Devlin are still sitting on the floor, dazed.
The gas cloud slowly clears.
Jon, looking quite puzzled and very concerned regarding the appearance of the long sword, asks, "Geerzo what happened? Has this happened to you or your wielder before? Has anyone else seen a similar effect?"
Kelar slowly gets up off the floor.
"That was some really bad smoke that thing let out. What effect are you talking about, Jon?" asks Kelar.
The incident is related.
"Do you recognize the longsword? It kind of sounds like you have a cursed weapon," states Kelar.
Farad frowns. "Don't blame Geerzo. That longsword you wield now is obviously cursed. Once such a weapon is held, it is stuck to you until the curse is removed."
Jon thinks thoughtfully on Farads words and looks carefully at the long sword for any specific writing or glyphs.
There are none.
Jon tries thinking and speaking to the sword to see if there is any response.
Jon speaks to the new sword, "Geerzo are you around here somewhere? Hey, great magical long sword, do you have a name?"
There is no response from the longsword.
"I'm right here!" says Geerzo, still lying on the floor where he was dropped.
"He didn't say it was sentient," states Kelar. "He said it was cursed. You have to find someone to cast remove curse and then get rid of the sword."
Jon investigates the sword further and then tries to put it away.
He puts it away.
Jon picks up Geerzo.
Jon detects magic around the room and in the open other open doorways.
He detects nothing magical.
Mikodin looks down at the bird-beast-demon, and says wonderingly, "It's amazing that a bird could cause so much damage. I'm quite hurt, in case any healers need to practice their art."
Kithus shakes his head and tries to gather his thoughts.
Farad moves amidst the party, healing everyone as best he can before letting the more traditional healers start.
Farad heals everyone, though by the end he is feeling a little tired (down 101 points), so you pause for a break.
After a bit you continue your exploration by checking out the rooms.
In the 30' square room where you found the stirges you find 250cp and 2250sp.
The room to the north where the zombies came from measures 20' X 30' (10' east, 30' north, doors in middles of east and west walls, door in east wall north section, door in north wall west section). The place is littered with bones...and coins. Entering, you collect 750ep.
The door through which the bird came leads to a 20' square room (10' east, 20' north; door in east wall south section, door in north wall east section, door in west wall north section). This place is also littered with junk. There appears to be a crude nest in the centre of the room.
You next enter here and inspect the nest, finding 3 small rings (200gp ea.).
Feeling emboldened, you return to the stirge room and open the door in the middle of the east wall. Through it you see a small room (10' X 20': 10' east, 10' south; door across from you in east wall). Jon stops you from entering, as Geerzo detects magic from within.
Fearing a teleportal, Devlin leads you into the room from whence came the bird, and you open the door in its east wall.
The reveals another 10' X 20' room (10' north, 10' east; door across from you in east wall, door in north wall). This place is bare, so you enter and open the east door.
Through here is a 20' square room (20' east, 10' north; door in south wall east corner, door in east wall north corner, door in north wall east corner). In here is a life-sized statue of a young man. The expression on the face of the statue is one of extreme smirky geekiness, highlighted by a toothy smile and a pair of aviator-style spectacles.
With Geerzo not detecting anything suspicious from the doorway, you enter.
Immediately upon doing so, though, the sword exclaims, "Statue's magic!"
Suddenly, said statue animates, and begins advancing on you quickly!
Mikodin swallows hard, since he's heard that many such magical statues require a magic weapon to hurt, but nevertheless launches himself at the animated statue trying to kick it in the legs hard enough to knock it down.
"Take that, smiling geek statue!" he screams.
The monk bounces right off of the statue.
"Woah, look out, let me try to turn this thing off," Beth says.
She casts Dispel Magic on the statue.
Her spell does not affect it.
Jon stays out of the way with Sharone, and has a brief discussion. "You don't by any chance have a remove curse with you? It's so annoying not being able to help!"
Sharone laughs.
"Perhaps you should be a little more careful of what you pick up. But as for the remove curse, not a problem and Idun doesn't charge much."
Jon says, "Well, do you have one now? It's a shame not being able to fight to help the group."
After all of the spells fly, Aldarin moves into the room, attempting to flank the statue and begins hacking at it with his flaming sword.
Sparks fly as he connects with his flame tongue, but he does not harm the statue.
The statue ignores Aldarin and instead closes in on Kelar.
Kelar moves up with Aldarin, drawing his swords. He attacks with the falchion and defends with his other.
"Boy, that guy sure does remind me of someone," says Kelar.
The statue attempts to grapple Kelar.
"Gee, what makes me so popular?" says Kelar as he tries to dance out of reach of the golem.
Ayazin is a bit perplexed by the statue's actions, and not entirely convinced that it means harm -- but if it does begin to hurt Kelar, he will cast Stone Shape on the statue and make it very, very, sorry.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kelar notices Ayazin's look. "What do you think, the thing wants to give me a hug?"
The statue moves faster than Kelar anticipates, and it grabs him. Ayazin begins casting his spell.
Annoyed that her spell didn't work, Beth starts a second spell: Levitate. Get that statue off the ground, she figures, and it won't be able to walk at anybody. Then we can pick it off at leisure.
Meanwhile, the statue is roughing up Kelar. It grabs his rod (not the one between his legs, but the crystalline one) and tears it from his belt.
Once it has it in its grasp, the statue lets go of the elf and freezes, still holding the rod. As you watch, the crystal rod turns to stone...the same stone as the statue.
Aldarin stops swinging his sword and with a dumbfounded look on his face he states, "Well, that was really strange."
Beth cancels the levitation spell.
"Kelar, remind me what that rod did," Beth says.
Looking down at where the rod was, the elf replies, "Uhhh, I forgot I had that."
Kithus charges the golem and tries to knock the thing over on its back.
Kithus easily knocks the now inanimate statue over.
Meanwhile, Jon and Sharone continue their conversation.
"Yeah...next time I'm lost and alone in a dungeon running from three different types of monsters I will remember that. So what does Idun charge and can you get it from group treasure if nobody minds?"
Sharone smiles. "Elves are such grumpy people."
But she casts her remove curse spell on him anyway.
"Remember you must sacrifice something beautiful to Idun on the 1st of the month."
She goes to inspect the stony figure.
Jon goes to express thanks to Sharone. However, as she has moved away Jon will leave that to later.
"Geerzo, can you detect any magic in the room now?"
"Sorry!"
Mikodin dusts himself off from bouncing off the golem, and mumbles, "I knew I should have a magic weapon..."
Then, gathering himself, smiles, and asks, "Where to next?"
"Hmm, before we rush onwards, we might want to think a little further on the significance of that statue having targeted the crystal rod," Beth says. "I'd like to know what it did, as that might give us some clue."
The statue appears just as it did when you opened the door...except that now it lies on its side on the floor while Kithus sits on it, and it clutches a stone rod in its right hand. It no longer radiates magic...and neither does the formerly crystalline rod.
The statue's geeky grin seems more annoying now than ever.
Devlin is standing beside the south door, ready to open it.
"Ready to move on?" he asks in his baritone voice, sounding just a tinge impatient.
"Oh, very well," Beth says, sounding resigned. "Kelar, when you remember what that rod was, be sure to let us know. It might be important. Otherwise, we'll ignore this very impertinent rod-grabbing statue."
She points at the door in the south wall and looks meaningfully at Devlin. "Do," she says.
Devlin does, and pops the door open. Through it you see another 10' X 20' room (10' south, 10' west; door in west wall, door in south wall across from you, door in east wall). This place is bare, except for some coffers filled with coins; you count out 500ep and then move on.
Opening the west door, you see yet another 10' X 20' room (20' west, no visible exits). This place is bare, but Jon stops you from entering as Geezo detects magic.
Devlin turns to the south door, and opens it.
Before you is a 20' square room (20' south, 10' east; door in west wall north corner, door in east wall north corner).
In here are seven vaguely ape-like creatures, with dirty gray fur. They have long, prehensile tails, four legs ending in long, bloody red claws, and large, toothy mouths.
"Su-monsters!" Jo-owrn exclaims as they rush to attack you!
"Lovely," Beth mutters. She begins a web spell, and will target it to snare as many of the Su-monsters as she can without ensnaring any of her own party.
Mikodin attempts to guard Beth, the spellcaster, from the attacking creatures, and will attack the first one that comes near. "Take that, you bloody ape-monsters!" the monk shouts.
Ayazin gives the monsters a mindblast before drawing his scimitar and guarding the rear.
Aldarin begins his spell casting dance and places a wall of colors directly in front of and amidst the beasts.
"Anything we should know about them?" asks Kelar as he joins the rush with both swords drawn.
"Tough fight ahead," says the ranger, as he draws his blade.
"Good," says Devlin, as he attacks.
Kithus holds up his sword as a shield as he charges the oncoming su-monsters. Then, he will try to kill as many as possible.
Jon jumps quickly to the side, trying not to be caught in any attack that these monster may have and waits for the initial fighter charge and spell castings to take effect.
Beth's spell takes effects, and a tangled mass of webbing springs into being. However, only one monster is caught, and it only partially. Almost simultaneously, a swirling maze of colours springs up in front of Aldarin. One of the su-monsters stops its advance and sits down, enthralled by it.
Kelar faces a su monster. It leaps at him, biting and clawing for 2 hit points. He in turn fans with his glowing falchion sword and scimitar.
Jo-owrn is next, chopping into it with his glowing bastard sword. He is also clawed for 2 hit points.
Devlin is jumped for 2 hit points as well, before cutting down his foe with two quick swings of his bastard sword.
Kithus is bitten and clawed for 9 hit points, as he misses with his two handed sword.
Ayazin's psionic attack on the su-monsters seems to have no effect on them...but then suddenly he and Farad sense an incoming psionic attack from the monsters!
Ayazin puts up an Intellect Fortress around the party and returns fire with Id Insinuation.
The druid takes a psionic hammering from the su-monsters, as they try to crush his neurons, blast him and skewer his mind. However, he is up to the attacks, and stands undaunted.
However, his counterattack does not seem to bother the strange creatures, and their psionic attacks on him cease.
Mikodin sizes up the situation, and attacks the nearest su-monster, kicking and punching.
Mikodin helps out Kelar...or tries to, as his attack misses.
Sharone shakes her flail free...just in case she has to defend herself.
She also calls to mind the incantation for a hold person spell. To be used on Farad or Ayazin if the psionic attack from the su turn her friends into 'enemies'.
Beth begins targeting the su-monsters with her wand of paralyzation, and continues to do so as long as necessary.
She freezes the one about to attack Farad.
"Come on, I know you guys aren't that tough to hit," grumbles Kelar.
The elf is clawed and bitten for 7 hit points of damage. He then connects with both weapons and carves a couple of good sized steaks off of the monster.
Jo-owrn dings his opponent, dodges all of the incoming attacks, then lands a perfect hit on the su-monster. It lets out a chilling shriek, and seems to weaken before your eyes. At the same time, you see the ranger's wounds heal!
Kithus is mangled for 14 hit points, and is starting to look rather ill. Nevertheless, he lands a hit, and Farad moves over to help him out. The elf lands a solid hit on the monster.
Devlin faces a new su-monster. This one claws him for 3 hit points, before he cuts it down.
Three monsters remain, as the battle continues.
Kelar is bitten for 5 hit points as he lands two more hits on his monster, leaving it close to death. Mikodin again misses.
Jo-owrn is slashed for 11 hit points, as he slices into his foe. Devlin helps out, and the su-monster dies.
Kithus suffers another 4 hit points of damage, but lands a massive hit on his opponent. Farad finishes it off.
And finally, Kelar polishes off the last functioning su-monster.
It is easy to kill the mesmerised and paralysed monsters.
Searching the room, you find a glowing longsword.
Looking over all of his wounds, Kelar says, "Okay, that was a bit tough. Hey Farad, could you spare some of your mind power over here?"
Kelar wipes the blood off of his swords.
"So, Jo-owrn, is that a special property of your sword?" asks Kelar.
The ranger nods and smiles.
"It's a life stealer," he replies.
Beth points at the sword and says, "Anybody able to detect curses? If not, anybody want to give this thing a try?"
"That would be Jon," Jo-owrn says with a smile.
Jon steps forward and turns visible. "I'd try but I don't seem to be having much luck with swords lately and I think someone else could better use a scimitar possibly...but I forget who?"
Jon then bows and moves forward to pick up the sword. "Yeah that's me...the disposable listener, trap detector, curse locator and giant doorstop."
Aldarin responds with a smile, "Well, everyone needs a career goal."
"Yeah," Beth says. "Count your blessings. At least you know how you fit in! So are you going to pick up the sword, or are we going to have to find another suc... er, volunteer?"
"Well, I'll try," says Kithus, smiling weakly.
Mikodin finishes inspecting the su-monsters, and joins the rest in time to say, "I would pick it up, of course, but I am prevented from using such a weapon. So, friend Jon, it would appear that you are the logical su...er, candidate."
Jon the su..er picks up the sword and looks for runes or other unusual events.
He spots none.
Jon tries talking to the sword.
"Hello, sword."
"Now, he's trying to talk to a sword," says Kithus, sighing dramatically, "what will be next?"
"I just hope his other sword doesn't get jealous." says Brennon.
"One must wonder about people who talk to inanimate objects," says Mikodin contemplatively.
However, this sword has nothing to say.
"Are there any warriors who do not have a magic weapon?" asks Devlin. "If so then the sword should go to them. Even if they are not skilled with a longsword, it would enable them to strike certain enchanted creatures."
Farad moves amongst the party, healing the wounded.
When you are ready, Devlin opens the east door.
This leads into a 10' X 20' room (10' south, 10' east, door right across from you). This place is barren but for a dead seal which lies rotting on the floor.
After pondering the implications of discovering the corpse of an aquatic mammal in a dungeon far under the surface of Oerth and finding no answer that makes sense, you open the east door.
Beyond is a 30' square room (30' east, 10' north, 10' south; door across from you; door in north wall west corner). This room is bare.
You continue east, and open the next door.
Through it is another room (20' X 50': 10' south, 50' east; across from you in east wall). In here is a nice pile of unguarded treasure, which you happily scoop up. You count out 2333gp, 13 gems (10gp ea.) and three necklaces (2100gp ea.).
You open the south door, and find yourselves looking back out into one of the east - west passages. There is a door right across from you.
"We are getting away from the southeast quadrant," Devlin points out. He then leads you back into the 30' square room, and you open the north door.
You are looking into another 10' X 20' room (10' north, 10' west; door in west wall).
You see a blur of motion before you, and suddenly Devlin is being attacked by a four-legged, man-sized animal!
"Giant wolverine!" exclaims Jo-owrn.
Kelar moves in to try and help out, without hitting Devlin.
"Farad you going to mindblast this thing?" asks Kelar as he starts in keeping an eye out for more.
Mikodin leaps into the fray, kicking and punching for all he's worth at a creature he feels sure he can hit and damage, for once.
Kithus looks at the wolverine for a moment. Then he will attack it.
Jon thinks about maneuvering for a backstab using the new sword, but sees that as the battle is taking place in the doorway this is not possible.
Ayazin immediately begins an Animal Friendship spell on the wolverine, hopefully before combat has a chance to begin. If he is too slow, he will abandon it in favor of Hold Animal.
Beth steps backwards and watches the carnage. Between Ayazin (lover of animals) and Farad (brainblaster of the weak-minded), she suspects that even the warriors won't have much to do. She'll save her magic for now, stepping in only if things get ugly.
Devlin starts the festivities by jamming his bastard sword into the giant wolverine, opening a massive wound. The creature yelps and attacks, but cannot get past the warrior's armour and shield.
The giant wolverine ignores Ayazin's spell.
Devlin swings again, and cuts the monster in two.
"Them varmints is evil," says Jo-owrn to the druid by way of consoling him, as you enter the room, "You wouldn't want one of them as a pet."
You open the west door.
Through it you find another 10' X 20' room (10' north, 10' west; door in north wall; door in west wall north corner). This place is bare, so you hurry through it and open the north door.
You find yourselves looking into another 10' X 20' room (20' north; door in north wall; door in west wall north corner). In here are a dozen wraiths, who immediately swoop down on you.
Devlin slams the door before the wraiths can get through it.
You hear a cacophony of deadly wails through the door.
Beth casts a "Protection from Evil" spell upon herself, will mutter something about the room being "too bloody small" for a lightning bolt, and will then attempt to "Polymorph Other" the biggest and baddest looking wraith (or a randomly chosen unwounded one if they all look big and bad) into a plate of scrambled eggs with a side of bacon.
Mikodin, realizing that bare-handed attacks against a wraith may not be wise, quickly retreats to the rear, and wishes for magic hands, or at least a magic weapon.
Ayazin casts Flame Blade in order to have a weapon capable of dealing with the wraiths.
Aldarin yells, "Fireball!". He then quickly starts to cast the fireball into the back of the room to minimize as much backlash as possible.
Sharone prepares her holy symbol to attempt to turn the wraiths.
Beth completes her protection spell.
Ayazin's flame blade springs forth.
Just as Aldarin completes his spell, Devlin opens the door a crack. The spell fires, the warrior and Kelar slam the door again, but not before four wraiths get out.
You hear a dull roar through the door as the wraiths attack, followed by more wails.
Sharone, Kithus, Devlin and Kelar are the targets of the four wraiths, as the cleric tries to turn them.
They quail before the Power of Idun, and fly away and out of sight through the east door.
Through the closed and scorched north door, you continue to hear moaning and wailing sounds. Evidently the fireball did not kill all of the remaining undead.
Aldarin draws his flaming sword and states, "Why don't we go ahead and take out the remainder of these creatures before moving on?"
He then prepares to cast a Magic Missile spell as soon as the door is opened.
When you are ready, Devlin reopens the door.
Both Aldarin and Farad get off one magic missile spell each before the eight injured wraiths are on you.
Two wraiths are killed and a third injured even further, as they swoop to attack Mikodin, Aldarin, Ayazin, Farad, Brennon and Kelar.
Kelar attacks the first one that comes in reach of his swords. "Sharone, you could try and turn these guys also," says Kelar as he swipes at one of the wraiths.
Mikodin tumbles to the rear, having no attack form which will injure the wraiths, and vows, "I will search very hard for a weapon I might use in the future."
The wraith flies after him, and caresses him with its deadly touch. He feels his life force sucked out of him, and he suffers an additional 6 hit points of damage.
Brennon, having no spells to fall on, retreats away from the wraiths as fast as he can.
Jon is horrified at how the events have occurred so quickly and throws a magical missile spell at the wraith attacking Mikodin, The wraith is hurt, but not finished. Jon then looks for a opportunity to backstab one of the creatures using Geerzo.
"Hey, I can do that, too," remembers Jo-owrn, and unloads two very potent magic missile spells into the undead. The wraith on Mikodin is killed, as are the ones on Brennon, Farad and Kelar.
Only Aldarin and Ayazin have wraiths on them.
Aldarin attacks with flaming sword.
The elf sidesteps an attack, then fans with his blade.
Sharone loads her sling with a holy water vial and fires at one of the survivors.
Her vial flies wide and shatters against a wall. Some of the holy splashes the wraith on Aldarin, though, killing it.
Ayazin attacks with his Flame Blade and orders his animals to stay out of the way of the wraiths.
Ayazin looks all set to take the touch of the wraith but somehow it misses him. He also misses with his flame blade.
Kithus tries to attack the wraith.
He connects with his sword and kills it.
All of the wraiths are dead, except for the four which Sharone turned earlier. They have not yet returned.
Aldarin sheaths his sword and moves over toward Mikodin.
"Are you alright my friend? I noticed that the wraith struck you." He then reaches down to his belt and pulls forth a dagger, extending it pommel first, "You have mentioned several times about needing a magical item, I am unsure whether your beliefs allow you to use such a weapon but this dagger is magical and could at least provide a minor amount of offense against such creatures, if you wish to use it."
Beginning to come around, Mikodin replies, "I would be most grateful for the gift of such a weapon. It would at least allow me to attack such creatures successfully. I shall attempt to repay your generosity at first opportunity."
The monk takes the drow dagger. However, as he does so, it breaks and crumbles to a metallic dust.
Jon as he moves over and shuts, then spikes the east door through which went four wraiths fleeing from Sharone, says, "Well. that went better than expected. Sorry about the hit, Mikodin. Mikodin, you're welcome to try this magical sword as well if you can use it."
Jon then detects magic with Geerzo, "Any magic here Geerzo? On the bodies and in the room, please?" and then searches the bodies and moves forward into the room to investigate for treasure locations and traps.
"No magic!" the sword replies.
He finds no treasure.
While working and looking to the group, he asks, "Does anyone have a plan for taking out four healthy wraiths??"
"Maybe it's time to seek out Laurie for a restoration," says Jo-owrn.
Mikodin, in a near state of shock from the level-draining caress of the wraith, finally finds his voice and replies, "Indeed. If such an aid can be found, I would be most grateful. The life of a monk is a difficult one, as one attains ever higher levels of mastery, but there is no reason to compound the difficulties by letting a life-drain from the greater undead stay unrestored."
"Let's leave, then, and in the morning head back to Earth," says the ranger.
You carefully open the door, then quickly slam it again, for the four wraiths have returned and are waiting for you on the other side.
You reopen the door.
Beth tries a polymorph other on one of the wraiths, turning it into a plate of scrambled eggs with a side of bacon, while Sharone tries her luck at turning them again.
Suddenly a wraith becomes a plate of eggs and bacon floating in mid air. It quickly drops to the floor, shattering the plate and leaving a mess at Beth's feet.
The other wraiths turn and flee again before the power of Idun.
Not waiting around to see if they return a second time, you also make your exit.
A half an hour later you are back safe and sound in your cave.