July 9th is still hot but the rain has has stopped.
Talking to his carpenter, Occa instructs him to build a heavy door to block access to the dungeons. He also wizard locks the secret entrances to the stables and workshop.
It is after lunch before you get back into the dungeon to resume your exploration.
Once back at the ghoul cave, Occa says, "The cemetary is probably to the NorthEast. Let's go that way first."
He casts wizard eye and unseen servant and sends it up that way.
After about 20' the passage ends at an intersection with two others. One passage runs west for 10' and then angles roughly northwest. Another runs east-northeast for ~10' and then angles east. In the south wall of this intersection is rough, ~10' deep alcove.
Lurking in the alcove are five little monsters. They look like red party balloons with three eyes apiece, on stalks.
You are all still back in the cave with the stalactites and stalagmites...being relayed this information by Occa.
"If they're in an alcove can someone blast them with a missile weapon or missle fire ?" BrightAxe remembers too many monster Alcove traps from his youth to rush blindly in.
"Might we try something long range? I can fire some arrows at them, if we want to save our spellpower."
"The only creature that that describes are flumphs?. I had an incursion of them a couple of years ago. Called in some archers to take them down as they do operate well at a distance" says Angst, "Lets see what we can do about clearing them from the area"
"Occa, you have any idea what these things are.. *yawn* ..." Al asks as he miserbaly attempts to stifle a yawn. "My, Connie is an energetic woman !" he says to no one in particular.
Yawning, Gilstrock says, "Ahh, let's just go in and whack on 'em."
Gilstrock rubs his eyes with his left hand. "Sheesh, were those cats and dogs up there last night?" He muses. "Nothin' like a Paladin in heat. They clearly don't get enough. If it just weren't so bloody hot today...." Gilstrock yawns again.
Occa says, "Everyone out of the room...I will do something long range." He will go to the door..and from there, places a fireball in that corridor. After he casts it, he will quickly shut the door to the cave until the blast has subsided. He will then reopen the door and drop another for good measure. "Recon by fire!"
"That should fill the area." He smiles.
He will then re-enter the room and send his eye forward again.
The eye sees no sign of the monsters...so up you go.
Reaching the intersection, you check out the alcove. It is barren...but for a few ashes.
You look northwest. The passage meanders generally west for 60' and on.
You look east-northeast. This passage runs for about 20' east and then forks...a passage continues east while another runs east southeast.
Darian mutters under his breath for a while before saying, "Let's go east."
Occa agrees, "Let's head east and south east...that is the way to the grave yard, I think."
Arriving at the fork in the passage, you look both ways.
The east passage runs that way for 20'...then begins a gentle curve to the south.
The east-southeast passage runs that way for about 10'...then forks again: one branch runs south-southwest; the other runs southeast.
You head down the latter way and take a look.
Reaching this point, you realise that you are looking into an enormous cavern. Many stalactites, stalagmites and rock curtains are present...obscuring your view and making it impossible to judge the full extent of the cave. The palce is rather like a maze...
To the right, the passage curves gently to the southwest. There is another passage some 10' down...running south.
To the left, the other branch runs southeast for 10' and forks again.
You go southeast and then left at the fork.
This path takes you southeast for about another 10', then it ends at a sort of "T" intersection. A path runs approximately northeast - southwest.
Immediately to your left this passage ends at another one which runs northwest and parallels the path you just came down, and south-southeast.
To your right the path curves a bit until it runs west. Just across from you and a little to the right is another passage running south. Just past this intersection is another passage...running more or less north.
Occa says to Angst, "Can you track these ghouls? If so, let's head back to the main chamber (the hollow stalagtite chamber) and track them from there....this maze could go on forever!"
He heads back to the main chamber and we will see if it is possible to track them.
Angst gets down on his hands and knees and looks for ghoul tracks. Despite the fact that your own party has been trampling around here like a herd of buffalo he still finds some and follows them, crawling, through the cave, past the mysterious stalactite, and down the passage to the west.
The tracks lead you back to the octagonal-shaped room...and there, Angst loses them.
Valdar yawns and looks around.
"Y'know," he says, "I've got stuff I could be doing back at base camp and maybe even my castle. If you need me, you know where to find me!"
With that he bids adieu, speaks a word, and vanishes.
"Maybe all the monsters are scared of us..?" queries BrightAxe.
"Let us try and do a locate object for the undead from here" suggests Angst.
Occa says, "Let's forget this section of the dungeon. I will have my carpenter seal that section of the dungeon off with a heavy door immediately. Maybe we should check out the southern part..."
He wizard locks the east door leading to the ghoul area in the room where there was that huge battle (with the worm, bugbears and the like).
He then says, "Maybe we should head back to camp and get back to the dragon dungeon...although Darian still has all his training to undergo."
"Let's do a quick walk through on the southern end."
He heads south to the lake room and then to the East. He takes the first north into the room with the pit and sends his eye up the North East Corridor.
BrightAxe follows merrily.
The northeast corridor runs for about 60' and forks.
You head up there.
The left fork runs approximately north for ~25' and forks again.
The right fork curves around to the east after 10' and runs in that direction for ~20'. After that is a passage running south...while this one edges to the east-northeast.
You go right and pause at the intersection.
To the south the passage almost immedaitely turns south-southeast and runs for 60' and on.
To the east-northeast, the other passage continues for ~30' before opening up into a cave.
You go to the cave.
The cave is irregularily-shaped (right wall runs east for ~20', north for ~10', north-northwest for ~25' (10' wide passage exiting north-northeast out of northern part), then west-southwest for ~25', then close up somehow). This place is bare.
You head across the cave and up the passage. It curves north almost immediately...for 30' then curves northwest. In the 20' - 30' section is a passage running east.
You go up and look.
To the northwest, the passage continues for another 10' and then opens up into a large cavern...which you immediately recognise as being the maze-like cave you were in earlier.
To the east, the passage runs for 20', then turns east-northeast. In the last 10' section is another passage, running south-southeast.
You got down to this passage and take a look.
To the east-northeast, the passage continues for ~40' before turning north.
To the south-southeast, the other passage runs for 10' and then turns south. In the east wall jusat past this turn is a 10' wide opening in the east wall.
Standing in this opening is a minotaur.
"Oh-oh," he says, upon spying you. "I'm toast now!"
BrightAxe will take the delay step in case of a blast coming, then stand in reserve for a round or two, unless their seems to be problems; it seems flippant monsters generally have a reason to be that way.
Gilstrock doesn't think like that, however...
"You got that right!" Gilstrock says, as he draws Thawbreaker and charges the minotaur.
"Who are you ?" Al rumbles with Saddam out. If the minotaur makes any sudden moves, he will cuisinart him.
"He's an infidel who deserves nothing better than a quick death!" says Saddam...tugging at Al to get into the battle.
"No...I'm Bob," says the minotaur.
BrightAxe scratches his head and holds off all decisions with a curious hmmmm.
"...and these are my pit bulls!" Bob the minotaur continues, as four huge scorpions come scurrying up the passage from south. "Sick'em, boys!"
"GRRRRR..." say the scorpions, wagging their tails, as they surge forward at you...
Orlon casts prayer, then goes after the scorpions.
Gilstrock clashes with the minotaur...as Al faces a scorpion.
The fighter wounds Bob...nearly half killing him on the spot. Bob swings his flail but misses...following that up with a head butt which also misses. Gilstrock concludes with another sword hit...though Bob still lives.
Al easily connects with Saddam against the first scorpion, cracking its shell. His second swing kills it.
"MY BABY!" wails Bob, really mad now.
Orlon's prayer goes into effect and he moves up to engage a scorpion.
"Ha!" Gilstrock cries. "Who are you to talk, you big baby? Get outta my friend's basement!"
He presses his attack with his frost band.
"Bob, that was stupid and now you're dead !" Al exclaims as he turns to gut the minotaur.
Occa magic missles each remaining scorpion...to soften them up a bit.
He unloads one spell - five missiles - into the three remaining scorpions, injuring all of them somewhat.
"Hey, don't kill Bob...he might give us some information...surrender Bob! Convert to the ways of Neutrality and Chaos and you will be spared!"
"He gets to decide the conditions for sparing," explains Pharian to Bob, while trying to stay out of the way of the various monsters. "It is his basement, after all."
Gilstrock stops mid stroke, listens to what Occa says, shrugs, and then holds his sword threateningly in the gut of the minotaur. "Yield, or thou diest!" He cries in the minotaur's face.
"What does 'yield' mean..?" asks Bob...looking slightly baffled.
"Surrender, you idiot! Drop your weapons! Put your hands on your head!" Gilstrock says, by way of enlightenment.
"That sounds like a dance," says Bob, as he swings again. "'Put your hands on your head...swing your hips...and do the hoochie koochie!'"
Angst is near the front so he lays into the nearest scorpion...on Orlon.
"Bob just drop your weapons and call off your pets and we might be able to let you live. You do want to live?"
Bob shrugs.
Darian draws his sword and moves up to face the scorpion now moving to attack Al.
BrightAxe also goes after the scorpions with bloodlust and demeanor of efficiency.
Jesse casts two magic missiles at the scorpion on Darian and then waits to see how things are going before casting more. One spell is all it takes to kill the monster.
"EEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAA!" howls Saddam in frustration at Jesse. "We wanted to kill it ourselves! Slime! You shall pay a thousand times over for this! Albert! Take her name!"
Gilstrock again dodges another swing from Bob...and then buries his frost brand in the minotaur's gut.
Bob drops without a sound.
"Sorry 'bout that," Gilstrock says, "but he wouldn't surrender."
Meanwhile, Brightaxe faces a scorpion. Missing with both axes while jumping around the snapping claws, he does not see the incoming stinger until it strikes him. Luckily, his stoneskin saves him.
Next to him, Orlon takes on the last scorpion...with misses all around. Angst is also there...and also misses.
Next, Brightaxe connects with an axe for some minor damage...then with his second axe for some major damage.
Al and Saddam charge in to help him and easily mash the scorpion.
Orlon bops the last scorpion with Big Bruiser while Angst does likewise with his bastard sword.
The rest of you gather around and take bets as Orlon and Angst circle the last huge scorpion...
It is the high priest who lands the killing blow at last...crunching the monster to mush.
You clean your weapons, do the hoochie koochie and look around.
The opening to the east that Bob was standing in leads to a chamber (20' X 30': 10' south, 30' east) of dressed limestone. The place is littered with dead branches and bones...and 1375cp.
The passage continues on south for 60' and on. In the 30' - 40' section past the chamber opening is another opening in the east wall.
You go south to the opening and look in. This is a 10' deep niche...evidently the scorpion lair. It is also littered with bones...mostly those of giant rats. That is all you find in there.
You continue south.
30' past the opening the passage forks. One branch goes west-southwest while the other goes east-southeast...quickly curving east.
A battle was fought here, once, it appears. You see another dead scorpion lying against a wall and a lot of dried blood on the floor.
Looking right, you see that the west-southwest passage runs in roughly that direction for 60' and on...gradually turning more to ths outh as it goes.
Looking left, to the east-southeast / east, this passage runs for 60' and ends.
"Secret door?" wonders Darian.
"Or trap." Occa will send Al up that way to check.
"I can look for your basic stuff, but I'm not too good at finer things," trails off BrightAxe.
"Too bad we still didn't have the two simulcrams, we could just wait here and have them run down each hallway and bring the monster's back, while finding out which passageways are dead ends," He intones while taking a dwarven eyes view of this underground area.
He spots nothing.
Al heads the dead end passage. Since he does not die in the process, you assume that there are no traps up there.
Orlon casts a 'True Seeing' spell to see what is around the party.
Orlon spots a secret door at the end of the east passage in the north wall.
"Should we go through it, perhaps?" asks Darian.
"Sure, let's at least open it," answers BrightAxe.
"Yep!" Occa opens the door.
Beyond is a passage of dressed stone running north for 20'...after which it opens up into a chamber. In the first 10' section of the west wall is a flight of stairs going up.
Occa says, "What in the name of hades!?! This place never ends!"
He sends his wizard eye around the corner and up the stairs...
The stairs go up about 25' and end at a door facing west.
Occa says, "Ugh!"
He moves up the stairs and casts knock on the door above.
"ARRRGH !" Al screams.
BrightAxe draws his holy symbol and turn this evil.
A spectre turns and flees into the chamber.
As it retreats, Occa magic missles the spectre.
The spectre immediately turns around and comes back...gunning for Occa this time.
Darian fires a magic missle into the spectre yelling, "Get away from him!"
At the same time, Jesse casts a magic missile at the creature, killing it for once and for all...and then looks around for other baddies to come.
"AAAAARGH!" howls Saddam in a fury, as the spectre disapates before he can touch it. "You have denied us our rightful revenge!"
You move into the chamber. It is square (30' X 30': 10' east, 10' west, 30' north) and is a mausoleum. The walls are lined with niches within which rest the bodies of the dead. These have all been reduced by the passage of time to little more than piles of bones.
Poking about, you find a small ornamental stone worth 10gp.
"Yes." the bard says. "Sorry metal breath. I figured it was more important to kill it than let it hang around and hurt us more." she says. "Are you OK Al?" Jesse asks the holy warrior.
"Yes, Jesse, thank you for your concern" Al says in a gentle tone. "This is not the first and I won't believe the last time I have been attacked and struck by life draining Undead.
"Saddam, scan for evil, we take section by section until we clear out the area." Al says in a commandeering tone. "Orlon, can you restore my strength?" he asks as he looks around the room. "Ok, folks, this is a shake and bake mission. We shake down the place and bake whatever comes out to play. Move out!" he say as he takes the point and scans for evil.
Jesse starts to giggle. "Shake and bake.... that's a new military term. I had thought that was a famous chinese recipe, or was that secret?" she says.
"This entire heathen repository radiates slight evil!" says Saddam.
"For a sword, he sure didn't get the point. His wit isn't very sharp, is it?" Occa giggles. "The real question is where is the greatest evil... or was that it?"
"Well, you didn't do a very good job of protecting Al, in the first place, Saddam. We couldn't take a chance that he'd be hit again. Al, how do we restore you to your former power?" asks Darian. He looks at the stone. "Hardly seemed worth the bother. Any other undead we can destroy?"
"How dare you say such a thing, infidel! Albert! Take his name!"
"Do you deny it? And the name is Darian Trist."
"Yea sword. Can't you do a better job? Show all of us who don't follow your ethos what powers come from bein lawful and boring." Jesse says, taunting the sword.
"Have you no eyes?" snarls Saddam. "It is I who protect you from most magical attacks! It is you who brings damnation down upon us all...as your actions under the evil temple proved! Convert if you ever hope to be redeemed!"
"How am I bringing damnation down on us?" Jesse asks. "I'm just a sheep following the leader."
"You are a sheep, period! And it was you who brought the evil dungeon down on us all!"
"As I recall tin breath, you were chastizing me for not doing more to combat the evil last time, when I recommended we retreat and rest up. Well, I did do something and I did get rid of that evil." Jesse says hotly.
"Yes...you did! But you exterminated the Good as well! That was evil! You must pay!"
"Excuse me! I thought you were the one talking about the good must sacrifice and that for the greater good there must be sacrifices. Besides, a good person saved us." Jesse counters.
"That was too great a sacrifice for the evil we encountered!"
Darian rolls his eyes. "Um, enough, okay? We can debate the merits of our faiths later. There are evil undead things roaming about that should be eradicated."
Occa says, "If we promise to convert, will you lead us to some more evil to vanquish?"
"You should convert regardless!" replies Saddam. "There is evil to the south of us!"
Occa says, "There!"
He heads south...
"Who is regardless?" Jesse asks, "and why should he/she/it want to convert to lawful boring? Is regardless related to Who Knows?"
Saddam does not deign to answer her.
"I'll convert to lawful good as soon as Al does," says Pharian.
"Cute Pharian, real cute.. I am glad I don't have enemies like you." Al says with a smile.
"Yes...he needs to become more orthodox in his outlook!" exclaims Saddam. "To start, from now on, Albert, you will lie with no woman unless you clear it with me, first! And I will not clear it unless you formally court her for twelve years and marry her, first!"
The sword chortles.
Without making a sound, Al makes a "Yeah right" face.
Jesse starts to laugh. Long and hard. "Al... Al... Al.. there is a human side to you after all. Way to go." the bard says and keeps laughing.
"Yes, lass, there is.. " Al say with a smile as he gives her a slight bow.
"This is apalling! We must exterminate Al's human side!" says Saddam.
Jesse laughs out loud. "Twelve years? I thought the standard was only five. Is he allowed private release?" the bard asks the sword.
"Of course not! In fact...I think we should make you all adhere to that rule! It will be the first step on the long road to your salvation and redemption!"
"And to think you didn't even have to court it for twelve years first," says Pharian about the undead.
Jesse continues to laugh.
"Is it true that that activity makes men go blind and grow hair on their hands?" Jesse asks the sword. "And another thing, can Al lie with a woman in a platonic way?"
"Jesse, my dear, why would I want to do that ?" Al asks with a wide grin.
"Or do you forbid him all contact with the opposite sex?" the bard continues.
"All contact outside of the bonds of holy matrimony are forbidden!" says Saddam.
"He can forbid all he wants, he's just jealous that there's no female scimitar around !!" Al replies with a wider grin.
Occa says to Orlon, "See any secret doors in this masoleum with your true sight?"
Orlon sees none.
"Saddam, South where? Back in the dungeon or South of this room? Or south in the graveyard...Or south of Sandas?"
"South of this room!"
"How far south?"
"Perhaps 60'!" says Saddam. With that he yanks Al out of the chamber, down the passage to the south, through the secret door and back into the dungeon.
The sword leads you perhaps 20' west down the passage, and then stops, facing the south wall.
"The evil is dead - or soon will be - south of here!" the avenger exclaims. "Al! Command these lackeys you allow to accompany us to start digging! They can use their bare hands!"
"Al, with the sword making intelligent comments like that," smiles BrightAxe, "You never have to worry about him overpowering you and taking control."
Darian says, "Um, Saddam? How much wall is between us and the evil? Might it be easier to find another way then spend a few days trying to dig through that? I didn't bring a pickaxe or anything..."
"I cannot tell! A pickaxe??!! Use your mouth! It flaps enough!"
"That might help generate a breeze, but it doesn't help dig through a wall."
"Hey watch who you call a lackey I am as lawful as Al....... Maybe Al should use you as a digging IMPlement to start on the wall or maybe he will lend you to me to do the job. Otherwise we will just leave alone to say ALU, ALU, to passing fiends" says Angst to Saddam. "Your bigotry is is wearing a little thin especially when you put us law abiding good people in bad light"
"I am not a bigot...except to those who deserve it!"
Occa says, "Watch who you call law abiding!"
"I wasn't refering to you just myself and others who are. I still think we should use Saddam as a spade. Teach him/it some humility"
"Forward into the breech" concludes the ranger.
"Occa, ignore my sword... anyway, do you have a disintegrate spell or a passwall spell to get us through ?" Al asks, "and Saddam, I will turn you into scarp metal if you don't behave. Horus forbid that you should even think of apologizing !" he says with a smile.
"Apologise? For what?"
Occa casts passwall on the wall before him.
"Party time!"
The mage casts passwall...and a passage opens up before you, less than 10' long.
Beyond is a large chamber: another crypt (30' X 60': 10' east, 30' south, 40' west; stairs going up in middle of west wall). The walls are lined with tiers for the dead...and all of them are occupied by bodies. Down the middle of the chamber are two rows of ten stone slabs...each with a body lying atop it. The place smells dry and musty.
Floating through the air towards you comes a faintly glimmering shadow of darkness...a wraith.
"Turn away from the power of Silverbeard !", yells BrightAxe.
The wraith turns and flees away to the far end of the chamber.
"Occa" Jesse calls, "Would this room be large enough for a fireball?" she asks. "Or should we magic missile the creature out of existance?"
"I BANISH YOU IN THE NAME OF HORUS" Al declares with Saddam extended at the wraith. "This time, hit him before he hits me," he says to Saddam.
"Only if you promise not to lay with another woman unless you formally court her for 12 years and then marry her!" says Saddam.
"Better promise," says Pharian before he casts magic missle at the wraith.
The missiles swarm into the monster...badly hurting it.
"Saddam, No and do you know who gets you if I die ?? Occa !" Al replies with a smile. "Wouldn't you like that ?"
"You wouldn't dare..!!??"
Occa giggles and says, "I can think of some uses in the name of chaos for that sword...."
Suddenly Al cries out and falls to the floor...shivering uncontrollably and taking 7 hit points of damage. Saddam drops out of his chilled hands.
Hovering over him is the wraith-thing. Apparently Brightaxe did not turn it...it merely reduced itself in size as it closed to attack...making itself appear to be moving away from you!
Occa magic missles the wraith until it is dead.
This takes one spell to do.
Al sits up as the chills abate.
He does not look seriously harmed...but nor does he look like he is having a good day.
"Horus, please heal your faithful servant," Al intones as he uses his paladin's healing. "Saddam, I thought you were some tough holy weapon??" he asks seriously, "If I keep on getting hit like this... Occa will be your new master, because I will be with Horus sooner than he or I planned ! So, let's start getting our act together him!"
"I am only as good as the person weilding me!" snaps the avenger. "If you cannot protect yourself then don't blame me!"
You search the chamber...turning up nothing until you note that one of the slaps in the centre upon which rests a body sounds hollow...
Hmmm...a hollow stalactite and a hollow slab...
The stairs to the west lead up some 25' to a door.
"I didn't have these problems with Claw," Al says with reference to his magical scimitar of speed.
"Al, if you wished to be healed, I can help you." offers Darian.
"Thanks, Darian, but I am fine now. I appreciate it though." Al says with a warm smile.
Darian gives Al a slight bow. "No problem. It is my pleasure to help."
"Maybe we should break through and see what is on the other side?"
"Can any one detect traps on the slab? Oh yes, the shard of metal 'shutupyaface' can. Are there any traps on the slab or if we move the body and lift the slab could we be injured" says Angst, feeling narked at the zealous sword.
"Shut up your own face, heathen!" says Saddam. "If that's what that thing on the front of your head is! I think it resembles another part of your anatomy!"
Al smiles after Saddam's retort and then clears his throat, "heh, sorry, that was a tad amusing. Saddam, must I ask you every hour to behave just a bit.. its not like I am asking you to cavort w/ an evil necromancer... even though Pharian does look like one." he finishes with a wide smile and a wink to the mage.
"They all do, to me!" replies Saddam.
Gonzo detects for traps and examines the slab to determine if it can be opened, using all his thieving skills.
"...Perhaps a secret safe or cache for treasure?..." Comes to his mind as he is making the examination.
It appears as if the entire top of the slab can be lifted off.
Gonzo notes no traps.
Occa says, "I wonder if there is an interconnected under level below all of this....from one graveyard site to another. Saddam, are there any traps here?"
"No!"
Occa says, "Let's just try to move it."
Angst starts shoving the body aside and tries to lift the slab.
Occa joins in pushing it out of the way.
BrightAxe helps as well.
The three are able to lift the top off...revealing a hollow space underneath, filled with money.
You count out 24,000gp, and also find a map at the bottom.
"Cool! Treasure and a treasure map. We should make sure we stop by that hollow stalagtite and check it for treasure." says Darian.
Brightaxe echoes his comments.
"Cool; treasure, and a map. What else haven't we checked out down here, before we move on ?"
Occa says, "That is nice...we will check it out before heading back into the dungeon." Then he says, "I would guess that door leads into the graveyard." He flies up to the top of the stairs and opens the door to check.
It does indeed.
He sighs and says, "We could be cleaning up the graveyard all day. Saddam, are there any more evil sources around..besides the entire graveyard?"
"YES!" replies the sword excitedly. "In that building to the northeast of us...over by those trees to the north of us...and in that building to the southeast of us! We must purge it all!"
"Let us choose the closest one first."
Occa says, "Maybe we should check out the hollow stalagtite...I bet there is treasure in it...however, we need to disarm the trap that will cause the roof to cave in. Gonzo, can you do that?"
Occa says, "I don't like evil either, but should we purge this graveyard? Of course, this one undead, did yeild a ton of money and a treasure map...of course, Al lost some levels."
He pauses and says, "Okay, let's purge the graveyard...Orlon, can you consecrate this place after we have taken the major evil out of it? That way we won't have to worry about more coming to what should be hallowed ground."
He heads out into the graveyard and says, "Great...we have become grave robbers." He chuckles. He heads to the nearest evil.
You head southeast...to another building of solid brick adorned with marble (20' X 30', oriented east west; door in middle of west wall).
You hear nothing when you listen at the door, so you open it.
It is a mausoleum, as you expected. The walls and floor are of marble. Shrouded bodies lie atop polished granite slabs along the walls.
The place is quiet and still.
"Is it robbing when it is your own grave?" muses Pharian. "An interesting question-- I'd have to consult the manual on that one."
"Not that it is your grave in the normal sense, of course," adds Pharian to Occa, "it's just that you bought it along with the rest of the place."
Darian draws his frost brand and whispers, "Al, can you tell where the evil is?"
"Saddam, all dead or do we have some baddies moving around ?" Al asks as he has Saddam in front of him.
"How would I know??!!"
"Ok, let me rephrase, my metallic friend, point me to where the evil lies!!"
Occa says, "Saddam, where is the evil?" He sends his unseen servant into the room with a stick to start poking things.
"Within that slab!" exclaims Saddam...making Al point to one part way down the right side.
Occa says, "No sense anyone risking going over there and pushing on that damn thing and being pummelled whilst opening it."
He casts passwall on the thing.
The slab vanishes and a pit appears in the floor where it once rested.
The husk of a corpse that rested atop it tumbles into the pit...along with the creature that had been sleeping within the hollow slab...
"Owwwwwwwww..." comes a pained voice from within the pit.
From where you are standing you are unable to see into the pit to see who or what it is.
Occa says, "Actually, I don't think the graveyard is included in the deal...could be that it is, though...I would have to look at the contract."
He looks over toward the ruined temple to the North and says, "I have gotta stop killing my neighbors...then again, they are already dead!"
He giggles. "What a bunch of deadbeats."
Darian looks at the others.
"Owwwww? What kind of undead creature says Owwww?"
Occa says, "Well, the only undead I know that speaks are ghosts, liches, vampires...hmm, any others folks? This guy is bad news."
Occa stands back...
Darian cautiously steps closer to the pit to try and see what is down there. He does not get closer than a foot from the pit.
Craning his neck and peering in, Darian sees a vampire sitting in a pile of dirt, rubbing a growing lump atop his head.
Suddenly a ball of light appears just inside the pit...as Brightaxe casts a light spell.
"OWWWWWWW!" says the vampire, squinting...then he sees Darian.
"Uh-oh!"
He suddenly disappears.
"Wait Mr. Vampire." calles Jesse in her sweetest voice possible, "Come back... we only want to talk. Please Mr. Vampire..."
Occa says, "Can anyone see him? Can anyone see invisible?"
"Was this the same guy as before?," BrightAxe asks the Bard.
It didn't look like it to Darian.
Occa says, "Saddam, where is he? Unless he teleported, he must be here...."
"Saddam, keep a lock on him." Al says as he swings the falchion sword...connecting with nothing.
"Floating up to the ceiling!" exclaims the sword.
"Mages, he is floating to the ceiling... take him down."
Al holds his symbol up and chants "BY THE NAME OF HORUS, I BANISH YOU!"
"Still there!" says Saddam. "The evil is slipping into a crack in the ceiling! Infidel Jesse! Make the ceiling collapse like you did the dungeon!"
Occa casts cone of cold up that way.
Occa says to Saddam, "Is he invisible or gaseous?"
"He is evil!"
Darian casts detect invisibility and then locates the vampire.
He sees a narrow wisp of colourless gas slipping into a crack some 15' overhead...apparently unhurt by Occa's spell.
"Can we somehow suck up the gas? Anyone got a spell like that?" asks Darian.
"How deep are we?" Pharian asks Occa. "Could you passwall to the surface so that sunlight flows into this room? We could also fill up his coffin so that he has nowhere to go, although I suppose he probably has another coffin hidden somewhere."
You are on the surface right now...in a small building.
"This vamp is up the creek! Keep an eye on him Darian!" Occa says, "Watch this!"
He cancels his passwall spell (bringing the coffin back) and then casts disintegrate on the ceiling of the building.
BrightAxes takes a step back, thinking that a vampire in a ceiling with cracks over our head, magic, and the desire to use this to destroy said vampire is a lethal combination.
A thin green ray springs from Occa's hand...shoots upwards, and strikes the crack in the ceiling.
Suddenly a 10' square portion of the ceiling vanishes...and weak daylight floods in through the opening.
A fine dust floats down through the air...but the top of the building does not collapse on you.
Darian sees no sign of the vampire.
"The evil is gone!" exclaims Saddam. "Good work, infidel Occa! We shall make a paladin out of you yet!"
"So, I guess a distintegrate spell kills vampires for good? No need to destroy coffins or anything like that? Pretty impressive, Occa." says Darian.
"So the evil is destroyed or just gone ??" Al wonders out loud. "Saddam, any more areas of intense evil ?" he asks as he looks round the brightened room.
"Not in here!"
"Nice skylight, Occa, adds character to the crypt !" Al says with humorous smile.
It is afternoon.
"Next evil, Al?"
"Hey Saddam, you think it's possible to find more interesting evil?," BrightAxe queries in a baiting manner.
"There is always more interesting evil!" replies the sword in its usual serious tone. "There is evil directly to the north of us!"
Occa says, "Let's go!" He heads to the North....
"Where at Saddam?"
"That small building right there!" exclaims the sword. Some 20' north of the vampire tomb is a small, 10' square brick building with a door in the west side.
Occa has his unseen servant open the door.
Inside is a small mausoleum...completely wrecked.
Scrabbling around in the scattered bones is a troll.
With a gurgling cry he leaps at you...
Darian draws his sword and leaps forward to attack the troll. "Just a troll? I expected something of the undead variety."
BrightAxe leaps with a loud cry of bloodlust at this large monstrosity and attacks him with a frenzy of hand axes.
With a deep breath and a muttered, "Sheesh," Gilstrock forgoes his characteristic battle cry as he draws Thawbreaker and charges the troll.
The troll snarls and meets you just inside the doorway as the three warriors encircle it.
It takes the three, two minutes to cut down the monster...each of them doing some damage into it.
Gonzo steps up and torches the remains with his flame tongue.
Seaching through the mess in here, you find 333sp and 333gp.
"Kind of ominous quantities," intones BrightAxe, regarding the coinage.
"Next task, Saddam? Geez, I never thought I'd ask a sword for work..." says Darian.
"To the northwest! To that tree!"
Looking in that direction, you see a gnarled old tree surrounded by several graves. A flock of birds perches in the tree.
"Saddam, what is the evil? The birds or the tree?"
"An evil tree attracting birds?" queries BrightAxe.
"Does anyone else have the feeling that this sword is leading us around?" says Pharian.
"Yes, I do!" replies Saddam.
"Uh, yep. Saddam what is in that tree? Is it another one of those horrors, like in my yard?" asks Occa.
"The birds are evil! There is also evil in the tree itself!"
You cautiously approach the tree. It is an unhealthy specimen. There are several open graves nearby.
The birds, you see as you get closer, are really stirges...15 in all. Then, out of a hole in the tree trunk come three large spiders!
"That is the evil in the tree!" the sword says.
As the spiders move to attack you the stirges take flight and bear down on you as well.
"Oh great Horus, let your might strike this tree with flames !" Al intones as he casts a Flame Strike at the tree.
Jesse launches a lightning bolt at one of the spiders.
Occa says, "What a bunch of blood suckers!"
He magic missles the stirges...spreading two spells out amongst them.
He badly injures 10 stirges.
BrightAxe will be hacking at anything close to him with his axes as he sings a merry hacking song.
"Four legs good, Eight legs bad!" Gilstrock cries, as he rushes the spiders and attempts to skewer them with his frost band.
"Oingo!" mutters Occa.
Pharian scratches an itch behind his left ear. Then he magic missles the stirges.
He injures five more and kills another with one spell.
Gonzo will step in and either hack a spider, or barring that, grab stones and use them to knock the stirges out of the air....mumbling "Karumba" to himself with each strike or throw.
Darian casts a magic missle at a stirge and then steps up to meet one of the spiders. "Shall we dance?"
Darian kills three more stirges.
"Any requests for music?" Jesse asks lightly.
"Sure, got anything festive and uplifting? This graveyard's starting to get me down."
Jesse - evidently a student of the Raz School of Magic Use - blows two of the spiders to atoms with a forked bolt.
The remaining stirges and solitary spider attack...as Al's flame strike engulfs the old tree.
Of course their attacks are totally ineffective against you...while yours are anything but...
By the end of the first minute of melee only four stirges remain...on Gilstrock, Pharian, Jesse and Orlon. The last spider is dead and even Occa managed to kill an attacking stirge.
After another minute they are all dead.
The tree is in flames. You wait for awhile until the flames die down before looking for treasure.
All that remains of the stirge's and spider's loot is a puddle of solidifying slag.
"Oh well... Next evil?" says Darian.
"Hmmm, strange that creatures would keep this slag," shrugs brightAxe.
"Hey Saddam," BrightAxe queries "Should there be anymore evil in this area ?"
"I sense no more evil creatures in this area!" says Saddam, sounding disappointed.
BrightAxe puts a smile back upon his face to help brighten the mood in the dreary place.
"Heh, Horus, if ye want me to build you a temple, I need the gold to stay in solid form !" Al chuckles as he looks at the molten treasure. "Oh well, probably plenty more for us to get here or back at the Mountain !" he says in a positive tone.
Occa says, "Well, I guess that is it with the graveyard...let's head back to the basement." As he walks there, he will get out his wand of metal and mineral detection and speak the command word, "Motherlode."
He says to the others, "No sense leaving buried treasure about if there is any." He shrugs.
On the way, he says, "I am thinking we should head back to base camp and let Darian get his training over with...what about the rest of you?"
BrightAxe is fine with any decision the majority wants.
"Sounds good. I would like to get my training out of the way..." says the elf.
You reenter the dismal dungeon through the secret door off of the spectre chamber.
Occa says, "let's head over here...."
He points to the map and indicates..the southernly corridor where the * is located.
You do so...and then follow this passage roughly southwest from the fork. It runs in that direction for about 80'. At this point is a passage running more or less north while this one continues southwest. You turn north and discover that this passage links up with the tunnel on Occa's map...to the left of the "*".
Returning to the intersection, you continue southwest. After another 30' or so is another barren cave (~30' in diameter; passsage running west out of it). Searching the place, you find nothing but some bone shards.
You head west...and soon realise that you are again in familiar territory. After 60' is a northbound passage leading to the partially collapsed cave. To the west, ~30' distant, is the large cave with the lake in it.
"OK Occa," Gilstrock says, "We've cleaned up your house and the neighboring area. We'll send you a bill. How 'bout now we go back to that Inner Sanctum type place and start killing us some dragons?"
"Let me have one more meeting with Connie and once the matter of the building of the new glory to Horus is discussed, among other things, heh, heh, I will be ready to travel to go to the Mountain.. who knows what evil lurks there still ??" says Al.
"Al would you like me to perform a wedding ceremony for you,?" BrightAxe asks smiling with look towards Saddam, "Nothing like a good 'ole dwarven wedding ceremony performed by a cleric of the Lawful Good Clangeddin Silverbeard."
"That's right," says Pharian. "Saddam here says you can't have any more 'Meetings with Connie' until you join in the sacred bonds of holy matrimony. Isn't that right, Saddam?"
"Pharian, why don't you stick a fireball in your shorts and explode it ??" Al asks in a sweet voice as he looks daggers at him.
"That is correct, Al!"
"Saddam, I think you and I will have to have another chat about who's boss!!" Al says in an authoritative voice.
"I know who the boss is! And it sure isn't the Holy Pecker of Horus that you keep in your pants!!" snorts the sword.
Occa says, "Well, there are whole sections that aren't cleaned up. However, I think we have gotten rid of the worst of the problem. I will seal off this section of the basement for now as unuseable until future cleaning can be done. Let's return to the mountains."
You head back over to Occa's house. It is late afternoon on a hot and overcast day.
Occa teleports the lot of you back to the base camp in the western wilderness.
Much to your surprise, the heat is much more oppressive here than it was in Sandas. The sun peeks out from behind occasional clouds in a hazy sky...and the humidity makes the air thick.
The dwarves are burrowing a mine in the middle of the hollow, now, while Tracy is teaching the prisoners the finer points of pie fighting in the name of Thor.
Occa says, "Here is the treasure from the last few encounters..."
He hands out some gold. "Everyone gets 2433 gps and 33 sps."
He then adds, "A couple of us could go fetch the buried treasure at the end of this map while Darian and Gilstrock do that training thing. I don't think it will take too long."
potion of levitation
scroll: MU2 spell: Leomund's trap.
longsword: when he grasps it he is zapped for 7 hit points of damage. --evil
ring of detect lies
full plate armour +1 (gnome/halfling)
longsword, doesn't glow, sharpness?
travelling spell book
treasure map
After raiding the community chest, Occa grabs Al and whoever else, and they teleport back to Sandas.
Darian resumes training. He will be finished on July 22nd.
After Occa and Al have left, Pharian enjoys the peace. After that, he looks at the travelling spell book.
It contains - sleep, magic missile, invisibility and mirror image.