The ladder takes you down to a large, roughly circular-shaped cave (~60' in diameter; doors to the east, northwest and southwest. Note that the ladder continues downwards through a shaft in the floor of this chamber, presumably to the next level. The walls have been painted with large murals, showing scenes of people dying...naturally.
However, your attentions are more concerned with the two large ruddy-furred dags waiting to jump at you the instant you come within striking range.
Farad is still on the ladder, just below the 15' high ceiling of the cave. Above him on the ladder are (in order) Aldarin, Britan, Humphrey, Kelar, Illyana, Ayazin, Ayazin's very talented wolf, Beth, Sharone, Raz, Raz's tween and finally Gamvik.
Farad uses his mental blast against the creatures, and then quickly slides down and draws his sword.
His enormous mind does not seem to affect the dogs.
As Farad hits the floor they jump him. One bites him for 4 hit points, then breathes fire on him for 3 hit points. The other dog misses him with his bite but still engulfs him in a puff of flames for 3 hit points.
Farad attacks back with his longsword, and badly injures one of the hell hounds.
Ayazin, who has just finished a large sneezing fit, stands at the top of the ladder still, and he tuts at Farad, waggling his finger. "You see what happens when you go around mindblasting innocent creatures? Eventually it catches up with you. I could have told you they were not real dogs, if you had stopped to ask me. Next time we see creatures that seem natural, stop and ask the druid!"
Farad ignores Ayazin and continues to slash at the hell-hounds.
Britan leaps down and pulls out his military pick and begins to attack the hell hounds.
"Beware, Evil spawn of hell. Your day of reckoning is at hand."
Farad is gnawed on again for 5 hit points, then toasted for 3. That is the dog's last gasp, though, as Farad cuts it down forthwith.
Britan goes after the other hell hound. The hound bites the cavalier's leg but is unable to penetrate his armour. He skewers it with his pick, injuring the monster. It burps out a puff of flames, scorching Britan for 5 hit points.
Raz steps out of the range of combat and awaits to see how the fighters fare against the beasts.
Gamvik pulls a ball of fur out of his bag of tricks, tosses it down, and watches to see what happens. The ball immediately expands into a full-sized Jaguar with a V-12 engine, 2+2 seating, and a nasty exhaust burble.
Aldarin enters and lends assistance with his flaming sword. He misses badly.
Humphrey gets off the ladder and starts slicing and dicing as well. The big fighter easily cuts the last hell hound down with his shortswords.
Searching the cave, you find 9000cp, a glowing broadsword and a wand.
Once they are dispatched, Farad heals his wounds and any others incurred by the creatures.
Sharone watches the skill with which Farad handles wounds. "Even Idun doesn't give powers as great as yours Farad. Are you able to cure disease and raise dead too? Is your ability almost unlimited as I can alter my spell mix a bit if you can handle all the parties wounds."
She looks to the mage, a smile on her face.
Farad responds, "I can cure disease, and heal practically the entire party. But once I have used my healing abilites I will no longer have the strength to mindblast. I can do nothing against undead however, but skewer them with my sword."
Ayazin says, "Astounding! A new species of jaguar!"
He begins casting Animal Friendship on the strange beast to see if it will be his companion.
"VROOM! VROOM!" says the Jaguar.
"If no one has any objections, I would like to use the broadsword until a magical longsword is found, considering I don't have a magical sword in which to aid the party."
Britan put his military pick away and picks up the broad sword and tests it out.
It seems to be a fine sword.
Farad spins around, thinking. "How about northwest?"
"Yes, that sounds good to me, maybe we can find some evil creatures to test this broadsword out on."
Britan grins under his helm.
You open the northwest door. On the other side, a rough stone passage runs northwest for 50' (left wall). After that the passage forks, with one branch heading north, the other west.
You pass through the door and head up the passage. However, you are brought up short by the sound of a crunch from behind you. Looking back, you see that the Jaguar cannot fit through the doorway, and has dented its bodywork in trying to do so.
Suddenly, ten minutes after Gamvik drew it out of his bag, the strange construct disappears in a puff of bluish smoke.
You head up to the fork in the passage.
Looking north, you see that this branch goes for 40' and ends at a door.
Looking west, you see that the other branch runs for 60' and on into darkness.
Gamvik looks at his bag in delight. "I love this thing," he says.
Ayazin grimaces. "Drat!" He takes out a notebook and begins writing out a description of the new species, along with a sketch.
Aldarin says, "I'll hold on to the wand for the time being."
Britan looks both ways then says, "Gamvik would you please take a listen at the door, and then we can see what's behind door number one."
The gnome does so, and then reports that he hears the sounds of several creatures moving about, through the door. As to what they are, though, he cannot say.
Britan softly says, "Well we know something's in there. Now, let's see if it is friend or foe."
Ayazin says, "If they are creatures of nature, may I humbly request that we try to deal with them in a non-lethal manner."
Farad gives Ayazin a look, but sighs.
"You may request." he says. "But if they are vicious, they will have to die. We've been through this before. We can't leave something alive down here that threatens the local population. Unless you have some means of pacifying them permanently?"
Ayazin gestures to the giant lizard which is still tagging along.
"Occasionally I can. Unfortunately, I used that spell to befriend the jaguar that vanished. I question whether anything in these catacombs can threaten the local population, but you are right, we have been through this before. Self-preservation is a strong natural instinct, and we have a right to defend ourselves. All I ask is an appropriate measure of mercy -- don't attack what does not attack us, and attempt to use magics that charm, sleep, hold or immobilize creatures instead of lethal force. If such options are unavailable, so be it."
Ayazin draws his scimitar and prepares to meet whatever lies behind the door.
"I should point out," Beth says, "that even a creature of nature transported to a place far from it's natural habitat, where it is threatening people, and indeed the ecological balance, hardly qualifies any more as a creature of nature. This party can be a little brutal at times, but Farad's right. If they're threatening the local population, then they are out of hand."
Farad draws his sword and waits by the door.
Britan has his new glowing sword in one hand and pushes the door open.
Aldarin steps up to assist Britan.
Raz steps back away from the door.
The cavalier opens the door with ease. To the north is a large cave (odd-shaped: right wall runs east for 20', north for 30' (door in north section), northwest for 20', west for 40', south for 50' and east for 30' to close up). There is a painting depicting a funeral on the west wall. In here are three giant weasels, currently dining on the body of a previous victim.
They are surprised.
Britan waits to see how many if any fall asleep, and he will only attack the weasels if they attack or if as a group attack.
"Well, either make friends with them or else we will probably have to kill them."
Farad nods to Ayazin. "As you see, a threat to those who properly live here..." pointing toward the victim.
"Sleep spells only please. Their pelts are valuable." Farad murmers the words to put the creatures asleep. As another, since departed, member of this party once noted, this sounds a lot like his normal conversation.
Aldarin also mumbles the words to a Sleep spell, then prepares to defend himself if they attack, leaving room for others to enter the room.
All of the monsters fall asleep.
Ayazin sighs. "I appreciate your merciful gesture. Since I cannot remove the threat of these creatures, I cannot justify their lives to you. I only ask that their deaths be humane, and serve some purpose -- such as taking their pelts."
"Uhh.. Where do these things come from?" wonders Illyana, and not for the first time.
"That is a question I have been struggling with the entire trip. We have seen creatures from every planetary biome, always in isolation, in small areas, and never the same species twice. There is obviously some magic at work here, since the creatures we have found are in numbers far below any viable breeding population, probably without sufficient access to food or water, and enclosed in this sealed environment for hundreds of years. According to the laws of nature as I know them, this simply cannot be. Either the nature of this planet is very different than our own, or these poor creatures are prisoners of some strange zoo-like collection. I have been comforting myself with the latter, hoping that the deaths we cause are in some way setting them free from this eternal imprisonment."
Farad shrugs. "Surely you must realize the answer. The Gods use this world for their own ends. Places like this are tools for them, for what purpose I do not know. Just as we were sent here to fight evils, other gods have sent their minions at one time or another to do their work. Some are gods of chaos, and their actions make no sense to us. Others are nature gods, and animals like this felt the urge to roam here. This isn't to say that everyone here is a cleric, but the Gods rule all, and this place most certainly, is of their making. Why I can not say, perhaps it only exists here to test us."
Farad smiles. "It is not an easy thing to believe, that the gods play games such. But they are gods and we are mortals and who are we to argue with them? I only do my part, and follow my oaths and morals as best I can."
You fight off the effects of Farad's second sleep spell, and slay the weasels. Skinning them, you see that their pelts are exceptionally valuble (6000gp ea.). On the body of the man that they were eating, you find 77gp and a scroll.
You head over to the east door and open it. Beyond is a passage running east. You hurry down it. In total, it is 70' in length, with a door at the end. In the middle section is another passage, running south. It is only 30' long, and ends at another door.
Farad asks Ayazin if he will carefully pack the pelts and prepare them once we have a chance.
Ayazin does so.
After you leave the room and come to the fork, the elf points toward the east door.
Ayazin follows.
Beyond the east door is another roughly shaped cave (right wall runs south for 10', east for 50' (door in last section), north for 40', west for 40', then join up to west door). A mural on the east wall shows an individual choosing a gravesite. Searching this chamber reveals nothing of interest or value.
You exit via the south door.
This takes you down a passage (60' and on). In the 40' - 50' section is another passage, running west. You head down and take a look. The west passage runs for 40' and ends at a door. To the south, this passage continues for another 50' beyond what you saw before, and continues.
You go west and open the door, after Gamvik hears nothing.
The door opens to reveal a very rough-looking cave (right wall heads northwest for 20', west for 40' (door in 10' - 20' section), south for ~35', southeast for ~15', east for ~30', then northeast to close up. In here are two trolls, snuffling around in the refuse that litters the place. A painting on the west wall shows a gravesite.
The trolls look up when you burst the door open.
Ayazin casts Flame Blade in preparation for the fight.
Britan follows Ayazin's lead and pulls out his glowing sword and prepares to attack the trolls.
"If you guy's are going to cast spells do it now before we charge in!"
Raz nods to Britan as he concentrates on casting.
After any initial spells acre let loose by the spell casters, Aldarin will square up against one of the beasts with his flaming sword.
Farad comments, "Save the spells, blades can handle this easily enough."
"Get some oil ready though to burn the corpses before they heal."
Raz sends a flurry of magic missiles against the trolls.
Humphrey waits for the mages to have their fun and then goes a slicing
Raz's one spell pours into a troll, badly hurting it, as Ayazin, Britan, Aldarin and Humphrey move in.
They confront the monsters with blades of steel and fire.
Ayazin immediately is somehow missed by the troll's first incoming claw as he chops at a troll with his flame blade. It claws at him again for 8 hit points, then sends a bite down Britan's way, but the cavalier avoids it. Britan, showing off his new broadsword, chops into the monster with it. By the time he is finished, the troll is in pretty sorry shape.
Over on the other troll, Aldarin lands a devastating blow which sets the creature afire. It screeches at him, and claws the elf for 8 hit points. Farad then finishes the job, and the monster drops in flames.
Over on the last beleagered troll, Ayazin fans. Britan does not, though, and it too drops.
After incinerating the bodies, you search the cave, and come up with 6000gp.
You open the north door, and find a passage leading back into an area that you have already explored, so you return through the east door, and continue south.
From the corner, the south passage heads south for 130', turning west after 120'. Also, in the 70' - 80' section is a passage rinning west. Looking down it, you see that it runs for 20' and ends at a door. Going and opening it, you see that you are back at the chamber where you first climbed down into this level, with the ladder and the dead hell hounds.
You continue south and look around the corner at the end. This passage runs west for 20' and ends at another door. Gamvik listens, hears nothing, and you open the door.
Beyond is an odd-shape cave (right wall runs northwest for 10', west for 20', southwest for 15', west-southwest for 10', south for 25' (door in 10'-20' section), east for 10', east-southeast for 20', east for 20' and close up).
In here are two bears. One is very large, wears a hat and a necktie; the other is smaller, also wears a hat and a bowtie. They are eating lunch out of a picnic basket.
"Hey-hey-hey! We have company, Boo-boo!" says the larger one with a grin.
Britan nudges Raz and says, " Well maybe we should take the pick-a-nick basket Mr. Ranger??"
Raz smiles back at Britan.
"Maybe we should," he replies with a glint in his eye.
"We'll share our food if you share yours, Mister Ranger!" says Yogi.
Sharone rummages through her backpack, looking for her latest issue of 'Jellystone Almanac '
"I'm almost sure that a peanut and jelly sandwich is the only weapon that will overcome these creatures."
She hastily begins to make one.
"Look, Yogi, they're going to feed us!" says Boo-Boo.
"This is our lucky day!" says Yogi.
Ayazin steps forward with a bow. "Greetings, esteemed enchanted talking bears! I am Ayazin, son of Ayazin, servant of Mielikki and druid of the Blackwood on the planet Earth. We are a group of humble adventurers exploring these catacombs, and we are very pleased to meet your acquaintance."
"Enchanted? Yogi, what does en-enchanted mean?"
"We aren't enchanted, Mister Ayazin sir! We are werebears! I see that you are on friendly terms with other lycanthropes, too!"
"Oh. Then why do you live down here in the middle of nowhere?" asks Illyana.
"It beats living in the desert, ma'am!"
"Oh only those that like to be on friendly terms, Not all are as friendly as you two are." says Britan.
"I beg your pardon?" says Yogi.
"Ah, I see! Of course. What do you mean by 'other lycanthropes'?" inquires Ayazin.
They look at Farad and grin.
Farad is insulted, and certainly unappreciative of the humor of this Cartoon Network apparation. "I am certainly not a lycanthrope! And how are we to know you won't pass your evil disease on to others here? I know were-bears are supposedly kinder than most, but you are still cursed by your disease."
The elf fingers his sword, itching to use it.
Raz moves over to Farad and quietly says, "You'll regret it if you attack these creatures unprovoked."
Raz looks deadly serious.
"Get a grip on yourself Raz. If I wanted to attack them, I wouldn't stand about discussing the matter first."
Raz looks thoughful. "That's true," he replies, "But with you one never knows what will happen next."
Raz grins.
"We won't bite you if you won't bite us," offers Yogi.
Humphrey says, "Settle down Farad, These two may be able to tell something of our surroundings." Turning to Yogi and Booboo he asks, "What do you know of our surroundings and yes I will be glad to share some food with you."
Humphrey gives them two food rations.
While the bears dig in, you discuss the Farad thing.
"But why would they make the comparison in the first place? They certainly don't seem evil to me." says Illyana to Farad.
"Maybe we killed the wrong Farad the other day, and this is the evil imposter," says Gamvik.
Britan smiles and says, " Yep that is a possibility. Let's see if this Farad can mind blast you, Gamvik. If so then we know it is the real one but if not then we know he is the fake. So what do you say? Sound good to you?"
Gamvik scowls, now that the joke is on him.
Raz laughs and turns to Britan. "You know friend, you have a twisted sense of humor sometimes... I like it!"
"Thanks, But I don't think Gavmik liked it too much!"
Britan smiles back.
Farad grumbles. "It sounds like a plan to me."
He then pauses and thinks back... "I was badly wounded by the dopplegangers, but I don't recall any lycanthropes... well, wait, there were the two tigers that transformed into women. But they only scratched barely me and Humphrey I think, nothing serious."
He frowns. "When is the next full moon Yogi?"
"The Great Moon is almost new. It will be more than two weeks before it is full again. The Handmaiden will be full on the last night of Needfest...that is eight days away."
"If that is the case then we would probably want to tie you and Ayazin up when the full moon comes for everyone's safety."
Britan looks around to the rest of the group.
Ayazin says, "Strange that you could have been infected -- that usually requires grave injuries. But it might not be such a bad thing, to be part animal, in my opinion. On the other hand, I would not relish being attacked by Farad and Humphrey. Lycanthropy is a powerful disease, and requires a powerful healer to dispel, so perhaps we should investigate this further when we get back to civilization."
The bears tell you a bit about the catacombs.
"This is the second biggest level of the catacombs," Yogi says, taking Sharone's proffered sandwich. "Each level gets smaller, the farther down you go. The bottom level has only one room. Nobody goes there. It is three levels below this one."
He tells you about this level. Apart from the areas that you have seen already, he describes caves to the west which contain mummies and a pair of strange creatures which are not where they appear to be. On the level below is a reptile that can turn you to stone, some giants and a manticore. On the level below that, he knows of a devil-pig, a blue dragon and a vampire.
That is all that they know of the catacombs.
Farad offers them a bit more of his food and waves the bears goodbye.
"Thank you for the information."
Turning to the others, he ponders what he hears. "Sounds like this place is growing more and more interesting. I've never seen a dragon, and the vampire must rest at some point and we can stake him then. But the reptile sounds like a basilisk. It will be hard to fight, and we should scout out all rooms on the level below with mirrors before looking directly and entering."
"Porky, a blue dragon, and a vampire!" Beth exclaims. "We'd better make sure we're pretty durn prepared before we go down there."
Aldarin comments, "I may have to pass on the lizard that is capable of turning beings to stone. Been there, done that!"
Farad smiles. "Expecting it, we should be safe enough. Our scouts will simply have to use mirrors to check out rooms first. Darned inconvenient, but we should be safe."
Britan fingers his sword and says, " I hope so, as long as we don't get careless and forget to use the mirrors, because as luck goes it that will be the time we run into them."
Britan shudders at the sound of being turned to stone.
"I'll kill them but man I don't want to be stoned again."
Sharone smiles. "Pretty good info for the price of a sandwich. Seems we have a bit of work in front of us, and none of it sounds pleasant. Devil-pig ????? Could be a demon."
She turns to the bears. "Thank-you for your help, it's better than the average help."
Yogi abruptly turns into his human form: that of a man clad clad in a spotted skin.
"Yabba-dabba-do!" he says.
Sharone repacks her ration kit. "Farad, Humphrey do you think I should ask Idun for help curing disease and apply it to your wounds? Might help stop the problems likely to occur if you have caught lycanthropy."
Farad attempts to cure disease upon himself.
Nothing obvious happens.
Farad motions for you to proceed.
"Let's finish this place and get off this dual mooned world before the week is out."
Leaving the bears, you exit via the west door. It opens into a passage running west...for 60' and on. After 45' it opens up to the north. Heading down there, you see that the opening is a passage...about 20' wide, heading back to the northeast. Looking up that way, you see that it narrows down to 10' in width after about 20' or so. It runs northeast for about 50' or so...ending at a door facing northeast. Looking at your map, you realise that this door opens into the chamber with the ladder...whence you entered this level. However, about 20' up the passage in the left wall, is a 10' wide passage running northwest.
Looking west down the other passage, you see that it continues on for 60' past this intersection and on into darkness. After 55', though, it begins to open up to the south.
You head back northeast, and look up the northwest passage.
This passage runs for about 35' (right wall), and ends at a door facing north.
You head up to this door, and Gamvik does his listening thing. He hears nothing, so you open it, to see a roughly square cave (~40'X 40'). It is bare, but for a painting on the north wall depicting a funeral procession. Searching the place turns up nothing.
You return to the west tunnel and go west, to where it opens up. This turns out to be another 10' wide passage, running south. beyond it, the first passage continues west for 20', turning north after 10'. To the south, this latest passage runs for 30', turning east after 20'.
You head west and look north. The passage runs for 30' and ends at a door.
You go back south and look east. This passage runs for 30' and ends at another door.
Since you are there, you go to the east door, and Gamvik listens. He hears nothing, so you open it.
Through the door is an odd-shaped cave (roughly 30' square). There is a painting on the wall at the back showing various types of coffins, caskets and sarcophagi. However, you are more concerned with the two vaguely puma-like creatures in here, with the long, horny tentacles growing out of their shoulders.
No one is surprised, and they move to attack you at once.
Humphrey moves in front of the mages with both swords waiting to greet the beasts.
Aldarin points a hand at the creatures, speaking a few arcane words and let's fly a magic missile spell, splitting them equally between the two creatures.
The missiles blast into the displacer beasts, then one attacks him while the other goes after Humphrey.
Farad releases his lightning bolt, forking it to hit both creatures. The bolts hurt the beasts, but not as much as one would think.
He then draws his sword and proceeds to attack if they remain after other spell casters have had their way.
Britan moves in behind Farad and attacks the other beast after the lightning bolt is cast.
Ayazin draws his scimitar and guards the rear of the party, judging that the fighters have this one well in hand.
Raz steps back and lets the fighters have a go at the beasts...
Aldarin easily connects with his flame tongue, leaving the monster critically injured. Still, it lashes out at him with its tentacles for 4 hit points.
Humphrey easily dispatches with the second monster with one swipe of his glowing shortsword.
Aldarin fans with his flame tongue, and is swatted for a further 10 hit points. Then Farad attacks, and kills the displacer beast without further ado.
Searching the cave, you come up with 4 gems (175gp ea).
When you are ready, you continue your exploration, heading west then north to the next door. Gamvik listens, hears nothing, and so you open it. Before you is a large chamber (right wall runs east for 10', north for 40', northwest for 20', west for 10' (door), southwest for 20', south for 40', east for 30'). A painting shows Cynidiceans in mourning.
Staggering towards you, though, come two mummies.
Sharone steps boldly forward, holy symbol held high. "Begone, foul beasts. The mighty Idun gives you peace to rest! "
The mummies seem to hesitate for a brief instant, then resume their advance.
Farad smiles. "Mummy rot I know I can easily cure.... I've done so in the past."
He releases a round of magic missiles toward the closest.
Aldarin extends his hands in the direction of the oncoming creatures and starts to cast a Web spell over them. As he starts to speak, though, a terrible feeling of fear and revulsion comes over him at the sight of these horrid undead, and he falters. Then, he glances over at Britan, and sees the Cavalier standing true and undaunted, and the fear recedes. Aldarin continues his spell with renewed vigour.
The webs spring up, enmeshing the mummies.
Ayazin fires a magic missile from his wand at one of the mummies.
Goldragon swings at the first mummy to make it to the party.
Humphrey wonders who the stranger in the party is.
"Ack! Get back here, Goldy!" says a strange, disembodied female voice, and suddenly Goldragon vanishes.
Farad and Humphrey move up and poke at the mummies with their swords until they collapse into piles of dust and rags.
Searching this cave, you find 5000gp and four rings (800gp ea).
You pass through the north door and head up the passage beyond. It runs for 70' in total, before ending at another door. In the 40'-50' section of the east wall is another passage running east. Checking the passage out, you find that it runs east for 80', before intersecting with passages running north and southeast. You have already explored this area. To the southeast is the chamber where you entered this level.
You return to the original northbound passage, and open the door at the end. It reveals a large, irregularily-shaped cave, which is unoccupied. On the west wall is a painting showing the various stages in preparing a body for burial. Otherwise, the place holds nothing of interest.
You return to the chamber where you battled the hellhounds, and climb down the ladder to the next level.
The ladder ends in a rough, squarish-shaped cave (40' square; doors in east and west walls, 10'-20' sections as measured from north). The walls, floor and ceiling of this room have all been painted the colour of sunlight. Otherwise, the place is deserted.
Opening the two doors, you see passages running east and west, respectively. To the east, the passage runs for 20', after which it ends at a "T" intersection with a passage running north-south. To the west, the other passage runs for 60' and on. In the 30'-40' section of the south wall is a passage running south.
You spend the next three days clearing out the catacombs. You kill a lot of monsters, including Zargon himself, but as seems to be the rule these days, you suffer next to no damage in doing so.
As for Zargon, he was no big deal. Farad lectured him until he died of boredom.
Linking up with Lord Malbar, who has also had enough of this place, you head back to civilisation. In no time at all, it seems, you have crossed the deserts and the barrenlands, and then even interstellar space iteself, to find yourselves back on Earth.