Overnight, nothing eats you and you awaken refreshed and ready to continue your exploration.
March 5th is another mild, partly cloudy day with a brisk northwest wind.
"Since we have not finished exploring the ruins, I believe, I suggest we continue." says Salaam.
Occa says, "I agree...let's finish the lower level." He marches in and casts unseen servant. When he gets to the door to the lower level he releases the wizard lock long enough to let everyone in. "After you guys." He smiles and bows.
You open the door and head south...down the stairs. They descend about 50', and end at a passage running south. Looking ahead, you see that the passage runs for 30', then opens up into a chamber.
You move forward and look into the chamber.
It is octagonal shaped (10' southwest, 10' south - 10' wide passage heading west at this point - then 10' southeast, 10' east (door in this wall), 10' northeast, 10' north and finally 10' northwest.
This room is barren. Walking about, you find nothing.
Looking west down the passage, you see that it runs for 60' and then out of the range of your lights.
Occa says, "Door or Corridor? My vote is for the door."
"Well, let's follow it down and see what we find. Oh, great Thoth, please illuminate my symbol so your devout follower can see in this blasted darkness." Salaam finishes as he casts a light spell on his symbol. "I agree with Occa, let's do the door."
Occa commands his unseen servant to open the door to the south. It pulls on the door handle...and the door crashes to the floor! If the opener had been anything but an unseen servant, it may have been severely wounded...but the servant continues to function.
Behind the door is nothing but a wall.
Occa says, "Well, that narrows it down a bit...shall we go down the hall?"
"The hallway it is" Op Code comments.
"Wait a second Occa, will you let me at least check this wall to see if there is a secret door hidden in it?" askes Jesse.
Jesse will investigate the wall, begin careful to check to see if there are any traps as well.
He finds no secret doors.
"Let me help," says Valdar, waving his glowing sword about.
"No secret doors around here," it says.
The only trap you discovered has already been triggered...namely the false door.
You head down the passage.
Immediately beyond what was previously described, the passage turns south and becomes 20' wide.
You go down and look south.
From the back wall the passage runs for 70'...but turns east again after 60', becoming 10' wide again.
You go down and look east.
From the northeast corner the passage runs for 40' and then opens up into a chamber.
You head down and look in.
A 40' X 60' chamber (10' north, 60' east, 20' south; 10' wide passage running west in southernmost 10' section of west wall), in here are a pair of giant spiders...dripping venom as they move to attack you.
Some of you seem to be taken off guard by them, as they jump on Op Code and Valdar. As usual, the ranger's armour keeps the monster at bay while he fumbles for his sword.
Valdar is more prepared, and stabs his attacker with his longsword before dancing out of its way.
In addition to Valdar, Salaam and Jesse are not surprised either.
"Oh my," Salaam replies as he pulls out his wand of magic missiles and commands it to fire.
Jesse will cast magic missiles at the other spider. Four missiles pour out of his outstretched finger and strike the spider attacking Valdar, badly wounding it.
Occa - who was not surprised but was only pretending to be so - starts to cast lightning bolt at one of the spiders.
The spider on Op Code again is turned by his armour. The ranger attacks, and plunges his longsword into its belly as a missile from Salaam's wand hits it. The spider is near death.
Occa's lightning bolt releases...but instead of hitting a spider it strikes Valdar who unknowingly moved into its path! He suffers 18 hit points of damage. Surprisingly, though, part of the bolt bounces back off of him and strikes Occa for 4 hit points of damage!
Valdar, though distracted, still manages to kill the spider with one last swing.
Op Code then follows suit and kills the other spider.
Valdar glares at Occa.
"Be careful, will you?"
Searching the chamber, you find nothing of interest or value.
Occa says, "Something is amiss here...I am always careful, Valdar. And, if one of my bolts had hit you, then you would probably be dead...I am no apprentice. If it rebounded back to me, I would surely be dead...this is most odd." He says to Salaam, "Can you cast the true sight spell again and look this place over for illusions and secret doors?"
"Good shootin', pilgrim !" Salaam says with a smile. "Oh great Thoth, let me heal those who have good hearts but don't always think." he intones as he casts a cure serious wounds on both of them. Valdar is not fully healed, so he will casts a cure light wounds on him. That does the trick. "Being something maybe amiss, I will do so, Occa.
"Oh great Thoth, I thank you for all that you always do, so please grant me sight beyong mortal man. Thank you." he finishes as he casts the true seeing spell.
Salaam sees nothing extraordinary. Valdar's armour, cloak and shield radiate strong magic, though...
"The reason it partially rebounded on you is this," the elf lord says, holding up his left hand. You see a small plain ring upon one finger. "A ring of spell turning. As for the strength of your bolt, I will have to take your word for that. All I know is that it is always dangerous to cast a spell such as that into a melee."
Occa says, "Well, I see...seems odd, though." He says to Salaam, "Maybe we should do a quick run through this bottom level with your true sight and see if there are any secret doors."
"Alrightee then, let's do it." Salaam says as he scans the areas that we have been to see if there are any secret doors or any such stuff.
You head back up the passage to the octagonal room and then to the stairs leading back up to the surface. The cleric's true seeing spell reveals nothing unusual, so you decide to continue your exploration of the dungeon.
Taking the passage which runs westward out of the chamber with the spiders, you follow it for 60', after which it ends at a "T" intersection with a 10' wide passage running north - south. Looking north, you see that this passage runs for 50'...then opens up into a chamber to the north and west. To the south, the passage also runs for 50', before opening up into a chamber to the south and east.
Salaam detects magic in both directions. He finds none.
Op Code wants to go south while Salaam wants to go north.
Valdar takes out a coin and flips it.
"Heads, we go north...tails we go south," he says.
It comes up tails so you go south.
As previously described, this passage runs south for 50 before you come to a chamber. This chamber is 40' X 40' (30' east, 40' south; 20' wide passage in south wall, east half; 10' wide passage in north wall, east corner; passage in east wall, 10' - 20' section as measured from the north).
But for a few bones lying about, this place is barren.
You look down each of the passages.
To the south, the 20' wide passage only runs for 30' before it dead-ends.
To the east, this passage runs for 60' and then out of your visual range.
To the north, the last passage runs for 50' and dead-ends.
Using his true seeing, Salaam notices nothing unusual...but for the presence of a trap door at the end of the north passage.
"Occa, please do the honors !!" Salaam says, pointing to the trap door.
You move forward up the passage, and, with the cleric directing the mage who directs the servant, you trigger the trap door.
It opens into a slippery-sided shaft, which curves downwards into darkness.
Occa says, "Let's look down this shaft and see where it goes." He casts wizard eye and then gives his unseen servant a continual light coin to carry down into the shaft. He then sends the wizard eye after it....
He says, "Maybe I can determine how far this goes and what is on the other > side."
The shaft, you discover, twists and turns and spirals downwards, taking some 60' to traverse a 30' vertical distance. At this point the unseen servant abruptly winks out of existance, and the coin it held goes tumbling on down the shaft and out of sight of the wizard eye.
"Very interesting, it seems that we have stumbled across a null magic area. The unseen servant vanished before the expiration of the spell and the "lit" coin winked out. Hmmm, my bet is that there is something of great value hidden behind that dead magic area. Mages in my world would set up dead magic areas to thwart fellow mages and disarm heavily magicked fighters. Quite effective and quite dangerous." observes Salaam.
Occa sends his wizard eye on down the twisting shaft.
At last the shaft ends, as the sides open up into what muct be a very large chamber. With the limited vision that the eye affords, you see rough stone, and surmise that this must be a cavern. Far below you see a glow of light...as if coming from under water...
You send your eye onwards towards the light.
Occa suddenly snaps out of his thoughts and says, "Well, the shaft continues...then there is a drop into a large lake. It is in an equally large cavern...very big."
He turns to the rest of the group and says, "I don't see anything down there, but it is pretty dark. I suggest we carry on, on this level."
Salaam agrees.
Looking a little bashful, he says,"Ok, maybe its not a dead magic area. Ok, Occa, let us continue on this level."
Occa smiles and says, "Well, Salaam, I thought it was a null magic area as well...I just got over eager and sent my servant farther than he could go. Oh well."
He conjures up another unseen servant and sends it and the eye down the hall.
You return to the chamber and head east down the next passage.
After 60' this hall opens up into another, smaller chamber (20' X 20', 10' north, 20' east; passage running east out of east wall, north half; passage running northeast out of north wall, east half). Not much here...this chamber is completely bare.
You look down the east passage, and see that it runs for 60' and then out of your visual range.
Looking down the northeast passage you see that it also runs for 60' and onwards, but, in the 30' - 40' section of the right wall is another passage, running south.
"Let us goto the bare chamber for a quick look, Occa, your unseen servant can only see so much, and then let us go down the East passage, and examine that area."
Actually, you are already in the bare chamber.
Searching it more closely, you still find nothing, so you head east.
In total from the chamber, this passage runs for 190', turning north after 180'. Looking north, you see that it runs north for 60' from the corner, turning east again after 50'.
You move ahead and look east.
Eastward, it runs for 50' from the corner and then opens up into a chamber.
You move ahead and look in. This is a 40' X 40' chamber (30' north, 40' east)...and also completely bare.
You search about for awhile but turn up nothing.
Dani giggles. "We should all have slid down that shaft! Would have been much more fun. Lead on, Oh Great Ones." She laughs, though she is alert and gripping her staff firmly.
You return to the other barren chamber and head up the northeast passage.
After 30' on the right hand side there is another passage heading south. Looking down there you see that it runs for 30' (right wall) and then ends.
Looking on up the northeast passage from where you now stand, you see that it runs for 60' (right wall) from this corner, but turns left (northwest) after 50'.
Op Code will go up and look northwest. The rest of you follow.
From the back wall, the passage runs for 60' and continues.
You move forward. The passage continues for another 60' and beyond. However, in the 0' - 10' section is a door in the right wall.
You investigate the door.
Opening it reveals a parallel passage running southeast - northwest, and 20' wide. Looking both ways, you see that it runs on to oblivion to the southeast; and 50' to the northwest before concluding at a dead end.
Looking ahead up the 10' wide passage, you see that it opens up into a chamber just beyond where you had previously mapped to.
"Off to the chamber it is." replies Op Code to the party.
The chamber measures 30' X 30' (30' north, 20' west; passage running northwest out of north wall, west end; passage running southwest out of west wall, south end; passage running south out of south wall, middle section).
There is nothing here but for an old brown blanket in a heap in the northeast corner.
You look up each passage.
To the northwest, the passage runs for 60' on the right-hand side, then opens up into a chamber to the north.
To the southwest, this passage runs for 60' and then also opens up into a chamber at the limit of your vision.
To the south, this last passage runs for 60' and continues.
Op Code will search the blanket.
As soon as Op code approaches withing 5' of it, he feels a chilling cold and takes 9 hit points of damage from the chill.
At the same time, the 'blanket' starts to slowly grow towards him...
"Ack!" says Valdar. "Brown mold!"
"Brown mold? Is that like the bread mold that grows on bread when it's left out? How do you kill it?" Jesse asks, "Does it like fire, I think that I might have some oil."
Op Code points out to Jesse "It loves fire alright. Exposure to it will cause it to grow alot. Only cold will hurt this thing. Do you have anything?"
Jesse does not answer, so you leave matters be and retreat back down the southeast passage to the door.
There, you pass through it and continue southeast down the parallel passage.
After 100', you come to an intersection with a 30' wide passage running northeast. You look both ways before deciding which way to head.
To the southeast, the 20' wide passage runs for an additional 20' before ending at a wall facing east.
To the northeast, the 30' wide passage runs for 60' on the left hand side before encountering a 4-way intersection with a 10' wide passage running north-south. Beyond, the 30' wide passage continues to the northeast.
You make for the 4-way intersection and look.
To the north, the 10' wide passage runs for 60' on the right hand side and continues.
To the northeast, the 30' wide passage runs for 60' on the right hand side then ends at a wall facing east. In the 40' - 50' section of the right wall is a 10' wide passage running southeast.
To the south, the 10' wide passage runs for 40' on the right hand side and then ends at a wall facing south.
Valdar yawns and creates a carafe of black coffee.
"Any takers?" he asks.
Op Code, tired of walking around, gladly accepts Valdar's offer. "Can you make it extra strong for me Valdar. Thanks."
It is only late morning. You have lots of energy left.
"Valdar, do you have an decaf ? The brown mold made me very edgy and to tell the truth with all these undead, I am getting a little stressed."
"No, but this undertaker's coffee is so pissy that it contains next to no caffeine anyway," replies the mighty elf-lord.
Dani smiles and gets closer to Salamm. She rubs his shoulders with a firm hand. "This should relax you some." She continues the massage ...
"Ah, Dani, ye have the hands of an angel. Oooh, right there is good, aah, I am relaxing, but please continue..."
"Umm. Excuse me, Salaam, Dani. Are we planning to continue or are we going to rest here for the rest of the day?" If we're planning to rest, perhaps we can go somewhere else, somewhere a little more defensible, and then you two can continue your activitites."
"Hush, lad. As ye can see this fine woman is doing an excellent job. Please continue my lady and then when ye choose to finish, I would love to reciprocate at the time and place of your choosing." Salaam finishes with a smile and glint in his eye.
Dani grins at both Jesse and Salaam. She finishes her massage, trailing her hands seductively over Salamm's back before slapping him gently on the butt. "Guess we will have to finish this later." She says, gathering her things together.
Dani grins "I was just ... oh nevermind. Jesse, do you need a massage too? In a safer, more defensible place of course." She adds.
"Well then, lets go ... or do something ... I'm sure I have quite forgotten what we are up to." She smiles coyly.
"Well, we were clearing this old tomb of evil and loot," says Valdar, chewing on his coffee. "But it looks as if this level is pretty well clear. We can make sure we haven't missed anything, though..."
He pulls out a lodestone from his pouch, then chants arcane words, while slowly turning about in a circle while holding the stone before him.
"Nothing," he says, then hurries back off the way you came.
The rest of you follow him back to the last door you passed through...from the parallel passage. There, he slowly turns 360 degrees again with the lodestone.
"Something dead west of here," he says, "But weak. It must be a very small treasure, or very distant."
He continues turning, until he faces northwest.
"Something almost northwest of us...but also very weak," he says. "Perhaps under the brown mold?"
He stops again when he faces north.
"Another weak one...to the north."
He shakes his head and puts his lodestone away.
"Three small treasures within 120' of us," he says. "Is it worth it for us to continue? Or should we be on our merry way to Inner Sanctum to deal with the dragons?"
"I vote for Inner Sanctum." Dani says.
"Now dragons are the stuff that legands are made of. It's a good think that this party has an official bard with them to compose the epic balads that will result from our confrontation with the dragons." Jesse smiles.
"DRAGONS!!" says Op Code eagerly. "Ooh, I haven't seen one of those in a loo...nng time. I hope we meet some red dragons. I hear that they keep lots of treasure. Just think. We would be wealthy. Be able to to buy what we wanted. Be able to get any beautiful woman we wanted. AAh what a life that would be. Let's go get the dragons."
"And I of course will be the lovely damsel to be rescued and wooed by all the strong manly types, right?" Laughs Dani.
"If I don't get to them first," says Valdar the faerie with a wink.
You exit this dungeon and gather up Orlon and the gang. After breaking camp, you start the trek back to the Elven Coast Road. It is a mild, partly cloudy day...and early afternoon before you set out.
That night you camp in the woods near the edge of the swamp you passed on your way here.