A week passes, and Banquo recovers.
The weather warms up, with daily highs in the high 60s and low 70s.
"Back into the grind, I suppose." says Illyana.
"Lets go back down the pit and start exploring from there." suggests Farad.
The trip into the dungeon is uneventful, and so soon you find all of yourselves standing at the bottom of the shaft that Farad, Banquo, Aldarin and McTavish fell into.
At the bottom is a 10' wide passage running east west.
East, it runs for 60', turning south after 50'.
West, it runs for 60' and on into darkness.
"West is good," says Farad, so you go west.
40' down in that direction, a spear suddenly shoots out of the wall, parting McTavish's beard but doing no damage.
It clatters to the floor and lies there.
60' down from the shaft, you pause and look ahead. The passage continues for 60' and on. There is a door in the north wall, 40' - 50' section, and an intersection with a 10' wide passage running southwest in the 50' - 60' section.
You head down and look, while someone listens at the door.
To the west, the passage continues on for at least another 60'. In the 40' - 50' section of the south wall is another door.
To the southwest, this passage runs for 30' (right wall) before ending at a door facing west.
You hear nothing through the door beside you, so McTavish bashes it open.
Beyond is a room (10' X 20'), stuffed full of lizard men. There are over a dozen in here, you guess.
Two jump McTavish right away, clawing and biting. The first one misses entirely, but the second lands three hits on the dwarf as he yanks out his longsword...for 7 hit points of damage.
The dwarf swings back...but misses.
Raz casts a sleep spell on the lizard men...followed by a series of magic missle spells.
Three monsters fall asleep. He peppers eight of the remaining monsters with magic missiles.
Illyana draws her two handed sword. "Ack. Here we go again."
"Well at least we don't need magic to hit these creatures."
Kelar draws both swords and marches into battle again.
Aldarin will follow suit a sleep spell of his own. Two more lizard men drop. He then draws his sword and prepares to engage any others.
Sharone takes out her sling. Unfortunately with the melee in front of her, she decides that it is not safe to loose any bullets...yet.
Britan draws his sword and says, "It's lizard trashing time," as he charges into the battle and starts to hack some lizards.
Humphrey slices and dices lizard.
McTavish backs up, and the monsters come pouring out, so that you can engage more of them at a time.
The dwarf easily dispatches with the monster that hit him...but not before it lands a lovely hit on him...causing his magic plate mail to fall to pieces and leaving him standing there in no more than his Dr. Dentons...
"Shit!" says the dwarf. "My armour was cursed!"
The other lizard man takes advantage of the situation and tears into him...for 8 hit points of damage...and another lizard moves up.
Illyana and a monster trade misses...then she connects and nearly kills the creature.
Kelar is clawed for 2 hit points, misses with his scimitar, is scratched again for 1 hit point, then misses with his second scimitar.
Aldarin kills his lizard man.
Britan is nicked for 1 hit point before he kills his foe.
Farad jumps into the fray, misses, is clawed for 2 hit points and then bitten for 1 hit point.
Humphrey misses with his magic sword, has his ear lobe nibbled for 2 hit points, then connects and kills the lizard man.
McTavish takes a further 2 hit points before slicing the next lizard man in half.
Illyana finishes off her foe, next.
Kelar takes two more hit points as he chops into his lizard man. It claws back for 1 more hit point.
Humphrey helps out, and easily kills the monster.
Farad connects easily this time, and kills another.
As McTavish is scratched again by the last monster, Aldarin tries to hit and misses badly. It again scratches the dwarf as he turns on it with a growl and cuts it down in flames.
You quickly stick the remaining, sleeping lizard men.
Searching them and the room, you find no treasure.
"Let's keep going." says Illyana.
Farad quickly heals any who are injured.
Sharone casts Detect Pits and Snares.
" I'm sick of the number of traps we keep walking into. At least this spell will show me where the traps are even if I can't disarm them..."
McTavish, grumbling in his red underwear and little else, stays near the middle of the party this time.
There were no visible exits from the lizard man room, so you continue west to the next door, in the south wall. Looking on from there, you see that the passage continues for 60' past the door and ends.
You open the door.
Beyond is a largish room (20' X 40': 10' east, 40' south; door in south wall west corner; door in east wall south corner as previously mapped).
This room is barren but for an enormous locked chest which sits dead in the middle.
Sharone's spell does not detect any pits, snares or whatnot.
Humphrey looks at the chest and wonders, "This dungeon is a little different, it seems that the treasure and the monsters are in different rooms. Can anyone cast detect treasure and then we only need to check out the rooms with the treasure."
He then walks just outside of the room, to make sure that no suprises the group form the hall way.
Aldarin states rather casually, "OK, who's our local lock picker? How about you Raz, you got a spare knock spell?"
Britan looks at the chest in the middle of the room and says. " This place gets stranger and stranger, It feels almost like it is saying come to me I am a trap for the greedy."
"Have any of you noticed that we get the wierdest of places...first the cursed house then the megadungeon and now this place. Anyway enough reflecting Banquo I think this is your speciality?" says Kelar.
Britan turns around and says, " Well while we wait for someone to open it I will just watch our backs to make sure nothing else sneaks up behind us."
Banquo goes over and looks at the chest. He has his back to the rest of you so you cannot see exactly what it is he is up to.
After a moment there is a click and he flips open the lid of the chest.
Amazingly enough, he continues to show signs of living.
Humphrey, looking into the room, says, "Well Banquo, what did you find?"
Illyana waits patiently. "So what's in the thing?"
Banquo says, "There's a wand, a rod, a robe and a cloak. There is more stuff underneath, too, but without taking out what's on top I cannot tell what they are."
He moves aside to let the others see and starts to carefully remove the material to view what is underneath.
"I think this would be a good time for a magic detection spell." says Illyana, as the rest of you go over.
Raz's interest suddenly peaks. He rushes over near Banquo saying, "wait, don't touch anything yet..."
Aldarin, with a little worry in his voice, "Just to reiterate, doesn't anyone else find this a little strange that this chest or goodies was just sitting in this room by itself? Perhaps we should take some precautions like letting just one or two of us to investigate it further while the rest of us take up a position outside."
McTavish, still in his underwear after his cursed armour disintegrated on him, mutters, "Never in all my days have I come across such a group of damned paranoid individuals! Are ye all escapees from an asylum? You'd think cursed objects were everywhere!"
He starts rummaging through the chest, tossing out items hither and yon.
Soon the chest is empty, and its contents are scattered about on the floor: a wand, a crystal rod, a robe, a cloak, a suit of splint mail (human-sized), a suit of chain mail (human-sized), two sheathed longswords, 12 arrows and a flail.
McTavish starts pulling the swords out of their sheathes. Both of them glow brightly.
"Far out," he says, smiling. "Anyone want a magic longsword or two? I've already got a couple...but a few more won't hurt."
Illyana nods. "I can use one. Do we have any way of identifing the rest?"
McTavish tosses a longsword over to her.
Shrugging his shoulders, Aldarin walks over and examines the cloak, "Well since McTavish is still alive I guess it won't hurt to take a look... Raz, did you get a reading on what's magical and what's not yet?"
The cloak is of black leather, excellent quality. It looks to fit you perfectly. There is no writing on it anywhere.
Looking up from the cloak, Aldarin replies to Illyana, "I can do so, though I will need a day or so to memorize the spell and then cast it upon the objects."
Raz nods in agreement with Aldarian and says, "I don't have that spell memorized yet, but give me a day and I can have 4 such spells memorized."
Aldarin will try the cloak on.
It's a perfect fit...and you do not die...
"Try leaping into the air as if to fly. The black leather might be bat hide." says Farad.
Aldarin does so...but he does not fly.
Aldarin states, "Well if no one objects, I'll try this out for a while just to see what happens."
Humphrey, though, is also interested in the cloak.
Humphrey looks at the find, "Well no short swords I see. I'll try on the Cloak. At least we have identify now, so we can find out what all this stuff is."
Banquo says, "Well since no on wants the other one I'll take a glowing longsword."
He picks it up.
Kelar grabs the crystal rod and examines it looking for writing and the what not on it. He finds none. "Being everyone is fighting over the cloak I will take a look at this."
"Have you cast any spells yet. If not just rememorize your spell."
Raz also examines the crystal rod...
"Perhaps a cleric should give it a lookover." suggests Farad.
Farad does repetative precogs over each item, attempting to determine what might be baneful to use.
Nothing in the trove strikes him as being baneful.
McTavish glances at the rod.
"A rod of cancellation," he says. "Seen lots of them in my time. Great for getting rid of cursed swords."
Raz speaks up saying, "I'm interested in the wand and rod I guess"
Thereafter he moves over to examine the items....casting know alignment on the wand.
His spell turns up nothing. However, he sees some words engraved on the wand: 'over there! over there!'
Farad also examines the wand.
Britan looks at McTavish and says " Super I sure could use the other longsword."
McTavish shrugs.
"You guys can divvy them up as ye want."
" If no one else has a detect magic I have and will cast it " offers Sharone. Reaching down she picks up the flail, " does anyone mind if I take this ? The recent experience I,ve gained with you will enable me to learn the finer arts of flail usage when next we visit a temple. "
All of the goodies from the chest radiate magic.
" I could also use the chain mail but would fore-go the armour if a fighter feels they need it more. "
"Very useful to us then." says Illyana of the rod of cancellation. She asks Sharone, "How often do you plan on getting into combat? There are enough fighters here that I don't think it would happen quite that often. Do we want to maximize our members or spread the power out?"
Sharone looks toward Illyana and shakes her head.
"As a newcomer I am unaware of the groups current situation regarding armour, but as I said 'if a fighter feels they need it more I will fore-go the armour in there favour. If it is to spare I can use the extra protection."
" I am a very strong supporter of the theory that all items of this nature be assigned by the group, to ensure maximum power of the total group. "
She looks to the group " are there any items that the rest of you do not understand that perhaps a clerical eye can decipher. "
Humphrey looks at all the magic, "Well, I already have magical chain mail. Is there a way to see if any of this armor is better then what I have now. I guess taking 8 hours to identify all this stuff is out of the question."
Aldarin sporting his new biker look, says, "Well do we want to identify the items now or press on and do so at a more convenient time? Farad, Raz, what do you think?"
Sharone packs her mace in her backpack and picks up the flail. " s'pose the quickest way to learn is to use it. "
She waves the flail around vigourously.
Looking up from his examination of the wand, Raz replies, "I think we should press onward for now. This was a nice find, but there is nothing here that can't wait to be identified later."
Farad takes the wand from Raz.
Farad looks up. "Probably a wand of detection of some sort. But what does it detect?"
Farad looks about. Quickly he stretches a rope across one portion of the room at ankle level. Then he props a dagger so that if someone trips on the rope, they will hit the dagger. A flimsy trap, but a trap none the less.
He then holds the wand, and says "Over there! Over there!" Does it by chance detect the trap or the treasure present?
Nothing seems to happen.
Britan says, " Well Banquo you opened the Chest I let you make the call, Though the longsword is my preferred weapon of choice and all. Sometime after we leave this Dungeon we will have to look into training because I need to and if anyone else need to train and is going then I would like to go."
"Aye," says McTavish. "We shouldn't tarry long in this dungeon...it's almost autumn and I'd like to be home snug in me daddy's halls before the snow flies. Another day or so in here an' we should be movin' on."
He goes over and opens the south door. Beyond is a 30' wide passage (20' east) running southeast for 60' and on.
He heads down it, and the rest of you wander after him.
After 60' is a 4-way intersection with a 10' wide passage running east - west.
You look each way.
To the west, the passage runs for 40' (north wall) and then opens up into a chamber to the west.
To the southeast, the wide passage continues for 50', then ends at a wall facing south. There is a door in the middle 10' section of the south wall.
To the east, the passage runs for 50' (north wall) and then ends at a door facing east.
"Which way do ye want to go?" asks the dwarf.
"Lets try that way." as Farad points toward the east.
Humphrey, still surprised by chests and piles of gold unguarded, gets at the back of the party.
You head east to the door, and open it.
Beyond is a large room (30' X 50': 10' north, 10' south, 50' east). It is totally bare.
You spend a few moments checking it out but turn up nothing.
You return to the intersection and go west this time...to the chamber. It is a small place (20' X 20': 20' west, 10' south), and barren...but for a small pile of gems, a scroll and a vial, in the northeast corner.
You go over and look at this latest pile of unguarded loot. There appear to be about a score of diamonds here.
"Good stuff!" says McTavish, reaching for the trove.
As he does so, though, a previously unnoticed secret door opens in the west wall, north corner...and four large, four-legged birds come flying out and attack you!
McTavish curses as he sidesteps a swooping bird, drawing his flame tongue and igniting it.
The other birds dive at Aldarin, Banquo and Britan...missing each of you.
Banquo says, "Well let's give this sword a try."
With that he swings the glowing sword at a bird.
Raz casts a forked lightning blot at two of the birds.
Banquo yells, "Boreas save me, he's at it again. Cast a sleep spell or something that won't cause the roof to fall in you bonehead. If you hit the bird you knock him into the roof and with the blast you've got you'll cause a cave in. If you miss it will be even worse."
With that Banquo dodges away from anywhere near where Raz is shooting.
Farad looks at Banquo. "Shutup and keep your ideas to things you know. Its a perfectly decent spell."
Farad attacks with his sword.
Banquo growls, "If you want to die under 100 tons of rock your more than welcome to but I don't feel like a career as a pancake. In fact go ahead and stand where raz is shooting, it might improve the gene pool." Banquo swings at the nearest bird "It's like shooting a large fireball in a closed room. If the blast radius doesn't get you the heat and lack of oxygen will. Great spell, wrong time."
"A lightning bolt is not a fireball, and works perfectly well underground so long as you don't aim for the walls."
"What about knock-back or exploding body parts?" As Banquo continues his education in Magic 101.
Illyana tries swinging the longsword she picked up. "Doesn't the spell bounce around a lot?"
"The spell rebounds toward the caster if the bolt does not have the full length it needs, but I'm sure Raz took that into consideration." says Farad.
Britan draws his sword and attacks any bird creatures around while he says. "Banquo don't worry about Raz he knows what he is doing, and I haven't yet had anything happen to me, So lets dispatch these things and get moving on."
"This about the man who incinerates a whole outpost in one volley where we were supposed to leave some survivors?"
"Didn't someone survive?" says Illyana.
Evidently Raz does not entirely know what he is doing...for the ceiling is only 12' high and so the 40' long bolt riccochets off it after cooking the birds and bounces back on Kelar! The elf jumps aside just in the nick of time and the bolt misses him by a hair.
The bird on McTavish is badly injured...the bird on Aldarin is dead.
Humphrey first disbelieves the pile of diamonds to see if it's an illusion. Then when the birds come in, he takes both of his shortswords and starts carving supper (the birds that is)
"Geez," mutters McTavish as he finishes off the bird attacking him.
Banquo - between uttering diatribes at Farad and Raz - swings his sword and lands a major hit on the bird...not quite killing it. Illyana tries to finish it off but misses with her new sword.
Britan goes at his bird and misses miserably. Farad steps up next and also misses. Humphrey stabs at it as it flies over and skewers it on the end of his magic shortsword.
Finally, Aldarin brings down the last bird with a well-aimed swing with his flame tongue.
Banquo grins, "Trust Raz, right. Pull the other one."
"I believe the spell worked quite well myself", replies Raz thoughtfully.
"Hey Raz it looked like it work to me and I don't think Kelar wanted to stand there anyways."
Britan smiles.
Aldarin plucks some feathers still in good condition from one of the creatures and stores them away in his pack.
Now that the fighting is over Britan goes over, inspects and counts the Diamonds and see how many there are.
"Can anyone appraise these?"
The treasure consists of a corked vial, 40 gems and 6 scrolls, you discover.
You take a look through the secret door that the birds came through. it leads into a trapezoidal-shaped room (right wall runs northwest for 20', then south for 60', northeast for 20' and north for 10'). It is filled with junk.
You go in and search...finding another cloak and another corked vial.
"Payday!" exclaims McTavish happily.
It is midmorning, you guess.
Aldarin moves forward to take a look, "I have some skill in determining the value of certain items. I am very fond of gems," his eyes sparkling as he digs his hands into the gems letting them fall through his fingers.
He will begin sorting them into piles depending on value, while the others discuss what we will be doing next.
All of the gems appear to be about equal in value...500gp apiece.
Raz looks through the scrolls to see if he can find anything interesting.
Opening the first scroll you find that it is actually a map.
Scroll #2: incendiary cloud
Scroll #3: meteor swarm
Scroll #4: comprehend languages
Scroll #5: suggestion, clairaudience
Scroll #6: protection from magic
Scroll #7 (sorry I miscounted): protection from all lycanthropes
The map shows this ruin...a a path leading to a large "X" off to the southeast.
Illyana pauses as the names are read off. "What do #2 and #3 do? Are they any better than what we are using now?"
Aldarin looks to Farad and Raz, "I suggest we mages divvy up the scrolls that only we can use so that not one person has them all. As for the other 2, someone else can carry them, since anyone who can read can use them."
Illyana scratches her head. "Do we want to keep looking, since we've found so much in such a short time? Or do people need time to train? There is still the scale and chain mail armor, what are we going to do about that? It comes down to the humans here, I guess. What armor is everyone wearing now?"
Humphrey answers, "I have magical chain, but I do not know how strong is the magic. Well I guess I will check out this new cloak."
"I happen to have plain old plate mail, which is probably better but much much heavier. I want to try to dump some of the weight which is slowing me down."
McTavish suggests, "Why don't you take the magical splint mail, Illyana? Even the crummiest magic splint is usually the equal of non-magic plate...and you can move faster in it."
First Humphrey puts it on and then sees if he can take it off. Then he will try to fly and then stand still by a wall to see if he blends in with it.
It's a lovely cloak. You sort of blend in with your surroundings when you have it on. It seems to be made of a silk-like material.
Aldarin will feel of the material and look at it closely, if Humphrey doesn't mind, "This looks very similar to the cloaks that my people make to allow them to hide from danger and attack from ambush. It allows one to become somewhat invisible, especially when standing still."
Britan looks at Aldarin and says, "Looks very snazzy and useful and you say your people make them?"
Aldarin says, "Humphrey, if you have magical armor then a magical cloak of protection will not help you any. The magic from the two contradict each other. You are better off keeping your armor until we identify these items."
"I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I think it would be wise to continue onward. We seem to be having a run of good fortune and I'd hate to waste it.", replies Raz with a smile.
"Besides," adds McTavish, "That damned elevator room only seems to operate once every five hours. We've got three more hours to kill before we can leave, anyway."
Aldarin smiles, "I agree with you two. I think we should continue, we are all in good condition and we have a barrage of spells still left. Why leave now?"
"I might be interested in a new cloak as well", says Raz.
Humphrey studies the map and see if the X is a room that we have already been in. If not then he will study the areas that the party has been through to see if there are any doors, which the party failed to notice.
The map directs you outside.
You continue your exploration...returning to the 4-way intersection and heading southeast to the door at the end of the 30' wide passage.
Hearing nothing at the door, you open it...revealing a room (20' X 20': 10' west, 20' south) with five goblins in it.
Banquo, Britan, Farad, McTavish, Raz and Sharone are taken off guard as the monsters rush to attack...
You have initiative...
Illyana tries her longsword again.
Illyana easily dispatches with the first incoming monster.
Aldarin moves forward to attack, sword aflame.
It takes two swats for the elf to kill the next one.
Humphrey attacks the goblins with his two swords. He chops down another goblin. Kelar follows him and chops down the fourth nasty with his fancy new scimitar.
One monster remains.
Upon seeing the goblins..Raz backs out of the range of combat and lets the fighters do their dirty deeds.
Illyana goes after the last monster. It swings its little sword first...and it bounces off of her new splint mail. She then nails it.
The goblins had made a little camp in this room, so you go in to search their stuff.
Once you are all inside, the door slams shut behind you...and you feel that all-too-familiar sinking sensation...
Searching the goblin pile, you find 170sp and three diamond-studded scepters that you estimate as being worth 11,000gp each!
"Holy Crap!" exclaims McTavish.
"Easy money. Where to next?" asks Illyana.
Humphrey looking at the scepters, "These have got to be the richest goblins in the world. I like this dungeon. How much more time before the elevator room moves up."
McTavish shrugs.
"Looks like we just went down in *another* elevator room..."
He reopens the north door. Beyond is not a passage running northeast, but rather a chamber (20' X 30': 10' west, 30' north; passage running north out of north wall east corner) full of orcs. There must be a dozen of them in here.
"AAAAAAA!!" bellows the dwarf, as he charges them.
Aldarin mutters some rubbish and casts a sleep spell at the orcs.
Six orcs nod off.
Afterwards, he brandishes his flaming sword and attacks.
"No rest for the weary." Illyana switches to her two handed sword and follows McTavish.
"That there isn't, Illyana. That there isn't." As Britan Draws his longsword and charges in behind Illyana and start to hacking Orcs.
Humphrey lets his two swords dance with the orcs.
Sharone takes out her flail and positions herself behind the line of fighters ready to brain any orcs that succeed in getting past the front line.
The remaining six orcs fight ferociously but of course without hope.
Aldarin his chopped for 7 hit points before he kills the orc that attacked him.
McTavish - still in his Dr. Dentons, is hit for 8 hit points before killing another orc.
Illyana chops another orc in half.
Britan, though, misses badly as he dodges a swinging scimitar.
Humphrey is struck for 6 hit points as he chops another orc to pieces.
Kelar and the last orc trade misses.
Britan makes short work of the orc on him, but Kelar takes 1 hit point before he beheads the final orc with his scimitar.
You quickly stick the sleeping orcs and take a look around.
In here is a little encampment. You find a pile of motheaten, flea infested bedrolls along with an assortment of foodstuffs of dubious origin. The orcs wore armour and uniforms with the insignias and marks of ranks torn off of them.
"Deserters, I'll warrant," says McTavish.
In a corner sits an enormous stew pot over a small fire. The water is steaming. Standing in the pot is a half-elf...bound but not gagged...watching you patiently.
Banquo quips, "You seem to be in a little hot water my friend, ned a hand out?"
With that he assists the elf out and says, "Names Banquo."
"Many thanks, Banquo. I am Ayazin, and I am deeply in debt to you and your fellow travelers for helping me out of this hot water I've suddenly found myself in."
He cuts the elf's bonds then extends his hand.
Ayazin takes Banquo's hand. He gathers his belongings and rearranges himself. He takes out a small leather-bound book and flips through it momentarily, then reads aloud from it: "As many thanks to you as leaves on all the trees of Earth." He smiles. "So says Mielikki, and so say I. Did any of you happen to see a wolf anywhere around?"
Illyana scratches her head. "Wolf? Not recently, no. Then again we haven't been down here too long."
"You a tree hugger?" asks the dwarf in the bright red underwear. "McTavish here. I don't take no shit."
He looks about, and begins poking around the room and searching the corpses. He finds nothing of interest or value...except for a few things which Ayazin quickly claims as being his own.
The dwarf looks through the opening to the north...and sees a 10' wide passage running north for 60' and on. There is a door in the last 10' section of the left wall.
"What do ye want to do?" he asks. "Explore this level, now? We're probably stuck here for awhile."
He nods in the direction of the door that the party just burst through.
"Elevator room through there," he says. "And another one higher up."
Aldarin smiles, "I'm for continuing our exploration of this level for the time being. I still have plenty of spells and we all seem healthy enough, although I could use a little of you healing touch Sharone, if you can spare it." He says holding the spot where he just took a lick. Looking toward the newcomer, "By the way, my names Aldarin, hope you're up for a little adventure", adding a wink to his devious smile.
"I am for getting the hell away from here," Ayazin says with a shudder. "Lead the way."
"We're stuck down here for a few hours, but there hasn't been anything really dangerous so far." says Illyana.
"Aye," says the dwarf. "We came here for a little diversion and to restore our funds. These fellows," he continues, nodding to the others, "Are escorting me back to my home in Kludar. Yer welcome to tag along if ye want."
A tall, attractive woman steps towards Aldarin with a wave of her hands she stops the bleeding wound on his arm ( 6 hp ) and then puts a clean bandage on it. She nods to herself.
"That should hold you until we can rest properly."
She turns to the stranger , her long dark hair billowing as she turns.
"Greetings Ayazin, I am Sharone, Priestess of Idun. Perhaps when we have time to rest we can discuss the virtues of Idun more fully. " she offers her hand.
Looking around the group " does anyone else require help with their wounds?" she asks.
McTavish shrugs, and leads you north up the passage to the door on the left. Past the door, the passage continues on for 60' and into darkness.
He bashes the door open without much ado.
Beyond is another room (20' X 40': 10' north, 40' west; doors in north wall west corner, both sections of the west wall, and south wall 20' - 30' section as measured from the east). Apart from two old braziers lying on the floor, the place is barren.
You open the south door...revealing a 20' wide passage (10' east) running southwest for 60' (west wall) and ending at a wall facing south. There is a passage running north out of the 10' - 20' section of the right wall.
You open the southernmost west door...revealing a 10' square room (doors in west and south walls). It is bare.
You open the other door in the west wall...revealing a chamber (20' X 20': 10' north, 20' west; passages running out of west wall south half and north wall west half). Apart from a few rusted iron shackles on the floor, this place is also uninteresting.
You open the north door...revealing another barren chamber (20' X 40': 20' north, 30' east; 10' wide passage running north out of north wall west corner).
"Geez...this is boring!" mutters McTavish. "No monsters to beat up on!"
He leads you over to the 10' square room and opens the south door...revealing - as expected - a passage running south to where it joins up with the 20' wide southwest passage noted earlier. He opens the west door next...discovering a 10' wide passage running southwest for 60'.
McTavish leads you down this passage.
After 60' it opens up to the west into a chamber (30' X 50': 10' north, 10' south, 50' west). It too is bare.
Stifling your yawns, you head back to the chamber with the braziers, enter the 20' square chamber and look down the two passages that exit from it.
To the west, you see a 30' wide passage (20' north) that runs for 60' and on.
To the north, you see a 20' wide (10' east) passage running north for 60' and on.
You head west.
This passage runs for 70' in total and ends at a door in the middle 10' section of the west wall.
McTavish opens it impatiently.
Beyond is another 20' square room (10' south, 20' west). In here are three giant toads.
They jump at you.
"Repeat combat, I suppose. Raz want to jump in one of their mouths like last time?" Illyana tries the longsword again.
Raz backs out of the range of combat and casts invisibility upon himself.
"Please, my friends," says Ayazin, "allow me."
Ayazin casts Hold Animal on all three toads.
While the druid is casting McTavish and Illyana launch a premptive strike, as the toads are leaping to attack.
The dwarf all but kills the toad launching itself at him with one swing, knocking it to the floor...as Illyana does likewise...followed by Farad.
The spell goes off...but none of the toads are affected.
McTavish takes a bite for 7 hit points before killing his toad. Illyana next kills her toad...and Farad does likewise.
All of the monsters are dead.
Searching the debris and junk that constitutes their nest, you find 2000sp and 2000ep.
You estimate that you still have an hour or so before the first elevator room will ascend. You have no idea when the second one will operate again.
Banquo observes, "Great spell there Dude. You know I've yet to figure out why magic giant toads collect treasure but I'm not complaining."
Ayazin is a bit distressed at the deaths of the toads. "Ah, poor creatures. Not very smart. They attack whatever moves, you see, and we moved. Such a waste. I tried to save them..." He brings out his book again and flips through it, trying to figure out why his spell didn't work.
"Aren't there quite a number of creatuers who fall under that category?" asks Illyana.
"Not a waste," says McTavish, as he sets to cutting off the dead toads legs, "Dinner. Right, Illyana?"
Aldarin looks to everyone, "What is the consensus? Do we stay here for the night or head back out and return later? I for one am having a lot of fun but we are getting pretty bogged down with loot."
Humphrey: "Well let's keep checking, maybe there is more than one elevator that goes back up."
So you continue your explorations.
You return to the 20' square chamber and head north. This next passage runs north for 70'...turning west after 60' and becoming 10' wide. You follow it west for 40'...after which it terminates at a flight of stairs going down...
McTavish looks at the stairs and then at the rest of the party.
"Well? Should we go for it?" he asks.
"I'm game", replies Raz, "but I'm pretty much out of spells....just so you know."
"Just a quick look, then," says the dwarf, and you head downstairs.
At the bottom of the stairs is a small chamber (20' X 20': 10' north, 20' west). It is totally bare and does not have any obvious exits.
The elves spend awhile looking for secret doors but do not turn up any.
"About time to leave," says McTavish. "Shall we try to get the hell out of here?"
The dinner discussion continues...
"I wouldn't," says Ayazin. "Frog legs, yes, but these are toads. Toxins in the skin. Very dangerous."
"Afraid you'll get warts?" asks McTavish with a chuckle.
Ayazin shrugs. "Fine, eat them if you like. At least history will say you killed the toads that killed you."
"I think I'll pass on the cooking attempt - I don't have much experience with frogs." says Illyana.
"Toads," mutters Ayazin under his breath. "Not frogs."
"Do they cook differently?" the girl asks.
"Yes, they do. Frogs you take the legs and fry in butter or roast over hot coals. Toads you don't cook at all because THEY'RE POISONOUS AND CAN KILL YOU IF YOU EAT THEM! Okay? Look, if you can't tell the difference between frogs and toads, you're better off eating rations than trying to eat either one."
Illyana shrugs. "I wasn't planning on doing it anyway."
You hear Raz's voice say, "A bit touchy isn't he?...Anyway...I agree with the dwarf..let's get out of here...if we can."
You head back upstairs...and back to the room where you rescued Ayazin. Going through the south door and into the elevator room, you are pleased when the door slams shut behind you and you feel the room ascending.
After a moment it stops and you open the door again, to step out onto the next level.
A short time later you are entering the next elevator room...which as hoped takes you up to the top level of the dungeon.
Soon you are outside in the late afternoon sunshine.
You return to your camp some distance away from the Nameless Ruin and count your loot.
"I think it's time to move on," says McTavish. "Banquo, do you know of any other way to cross that damned river without going back to Brach Prol?"
Banquo replies that he knows of no way to get across the river within a reasonable distance...but for the bridge at Brach Prol and the ford a few miles north of that settlement.
McTavish grizzles.
"Well...let's head north and try to get to that ford...unless ye've changed your minds about paying the blood tax..?"
As evening comes on, Humphrey notices a pair of eyes watching the camp from a clump of nearby bushes...
Humphrey remembers the map that was found, "I would like to check that X out on the map that we found in the dungeon. It might be worth our while."
Humphrey then picks some of his stuff off the ground and then turns back to the group. Talking a little softer, so that the people fatherest can barely hear, "Guys off my right shoulder in that clump of bushes, I spotted someone who is currently watching us."
Aldarin uses his superb elven vision to scan the bushes...seeing a wolf sitting there watching.
He tells the rest of you of his observation.
Banquo says, "Hey Ayazin your friend's here."
Illyana frowns. "This makes no sense."
She pulls out a dart. "Let's see if he runs."
Ayazin says, "My apologies, friends."
He then whistles to the wolf. "He will not hurt you, he is my companion and friend."
"Oh, never mind then. I thought there was something strange about the wolf. I was curious to see why he was just sitting there." Illyana refrains from tossing anything.
The wolf nervously enters the camp and goes over to the druid. Ayazin speaks some words in druidic...then conducts a conversation with the animal.
The night passes uneventfully.