As midmorning approaches you see the ruin ahead. It appears to be another ruined fort, perhaps built by the Empire of Mestom during its first heyday, millenia ago. Now, it is little more than rubble.
You pause and make your final preparations, then advance.
Outside of the ruin you say farewell to those followers who are continuing on to Hlarn's, Kailar's and Equinox's first camp, high up on a mountainside on the north side of the valley. A river flows out of this end of the lake. They intend to follow it east for a few miles, then attempt a crossing. The valley to the east looks to be very marshy.
Vanadil and Umboth remain with you.
Hlarn and Kailar lead you to the flight of stairs that they found before, leading down into darkness. When you are ready, you go down them.
The stairs come out facing south, in a 40' square chamber (10' west, 20' east (passage running north in last section), 40' south; 20' wide passage running west in northern half of west wall; 10' wide passage running west out of west wall, 10'-20' section as measured from the south; 5' wide passage running southeast out of south wall, east corner). The place is bare, but many of you immediately recognise the chamber. It looks just like the first chamber that they encountered when they began exploring the other ruin at the west end of the lake...
You rush back upstairs. Sure enough, you find yourself standing in the ruins at the west end of the lake.
Kadlian loses it. He picks up a rock and throws it at the lake.
"What is it going to take!?!
"Fine! We go back in, go down one of those trap doors and find another way in!"
You help Kadlian find it again, and when you do, you head back downstairs, down the 5' wide passage and to the first trapdoor that the party found.
One way or another, you make your way down to the next level.
You find yourselves standing in a 10' wide passage running northwest - southeast. To the southeast, it runs for 40', after which there is a "T" intersection with a 10' wide passage running east - west. To the northwest the passage runs 50', then opens up. In the 10' - 20' section of the left wall is a passage running west.
This whole area is rather charred. Several burnt bones lie here and there.
You head southeast to the bent "T" intersection. This passage runs west for 60' and on; and east for 40', turning north after 30'. To the west, there is a shaft in the ceiling in the 10' - 20' section (you recall that Zanax descended that); while to the east is a door in the north wall, 10' - 20' section.
You make for the door.
After taking the usual precautions, you open it.
Beyond is a 20' wide passage (10' east) running north for 40'. After that it narrows (the west side angles northeast), leaving only a 10' wide opening into a chamber at the 50' mark.
You head up and look in, seeing a 30' square chamber (30' north, 20' east; 10' wide passage running south out of middle of south wall; 10' wide opening leading into a 20' wide passage running south out of south wall, east section; 5' wide passage running east out of east wall north corner). This chamber is undeniably bare.
You look down passages.
The middle passage in the south wall runs south for 60', turning west after 50'.
The east passage out of the south wall also runs for 60', then ends.
The 5' wide passage runs east for 50', then opens up to the north.
You line up and go east.
The opening turns out to be a a 20' wide passage running northwest. It runs for 60' and on. The east passage continues for 60' and on as well. In the 40' - 50' section of the north wall is a door.
Looking up the wide passage, Hlarn - who has his find traps spell running - spots a trap door in the floor, in the 20' - 30' section. It spans the entire passage.
You go up to check it out.
Kailar has little trouble disabling it and the doors drop open, revealing a shaft, 50' deep. At the bottom, it appears, is a chamber or passage, apparently on another level.
Kadlian curses as he tries to map the maze. "You have to wonder what the person was taking when he or she designed this place. It makes no sense!"
Kadlian consults his map. "Kailar, can you check it out, carefully? Let us know if it is a passage or just a chamber. If it is a passage, we go down."
"Sure"
Kailar flies down invisibly. He is ready to cast wraithform at any sign of trouble and head back up.
It is a 20' wide passage running northwest - southeast for as far as the gnome can see in each direction.
Kailar flies back up and relays this to the group.
"We go down, then."
Out come the ropes and spikes, and down you go.
Aron forgos the rope and climbs down the wall.
After everyone is down, Kadlian says, "We go southeast."
You go southeast. In all, it runs 120', then ends. However, in the 30' - 40' section of the right wall, Logan spots a secret door, proving for once and for all that he actually is good for something, after all.
After ascertaining that there is nothing at the end of the passage worthy of note, you return to the secret door, and after performing the usual rituals, Kailar tweaks it open.
Before you is a 10' wide passage running southwest for 50'. After 40' it turns northwest.
You head down there and take a look.
The passage runs in total for 60'. After that is a 4-way intersection with a 10' wide passage running east - west.
Kadlian maps furiously. His brow beads with sweat.
On your way up to the intersection, Vanadil spots a secret door in the left wall, 30' - 40' section. Again you do the usual detects, and then open it.
Revealed is another 10' wide passage running southwest, for 30'. After that, it turns northwest.
You go down there.
Looking northwest, you see that the passage runs for 60', then ends at a bent "T" intersection with a 10' wide passage running east - west.
You head down and take a look.
To the east, this passage runs for 60' and on. At the limit of your vision is a 4-way intersection with a passage running northwest - southeast.
To the west, the passage runs 55', turning north after 50' and becoming 5' wide.
You go west and look north.
The passage runs for 30' (right wall). After that, it meets a 10' wide passage running northeast - southwest.
You head up there and take a look.
This next passage runs southwest for 25' (left wall), then opens up into a chamber to the south. It runs northeast for 30' (right wall), then opens up into a chamber to the north. In the 10' - 20' section is a passage running northwest.
Suddenly you hear a hissing sound from the northeast. Coming out of the chamber at the end, you see four enormous subterranean lizards, running along the floor and walls towards you!
"Quick, back into the narrow passage!"
"Vanadil, Hlarn, take the lizards along the floor. Sian and I will take the ones on the walls."
Kadlian draws his swords and activates his flying ring to hover midpoint along the right wall, letting Sian take the left wall.
Sian does likewise. "Well I guess now is as good a time as any to see how well practicing with this ring did."
Rage casts a lightning bolt from her staff towards the critters.
Aron turns and watches the party's rear, trusting the front line.
Agulhas complies and retreats into the narrow passage.
Logan magic missiles the nearest one. His three missiles blast into one of the lizards running along the wall.
Rage's bolt goes off, catching two of the lizards. The lizards that Vanadil and Hlarn face are reduced to almost dead and dead, respectively.
Kadlian yells back to the rest of the party. "Are you deaf? Back up into the narrow passage! I do not want to potentially fight a three front battle!"
"Nope," yells Aron, advancing towards the narrow passage.
Sword out, Logan backs up to defend against the lizards.
"He sounds stressed," says Umboth. "Perhaps he should convert to Forseti."
"I'll cut off my left arm first," Aron responds.
"I was not referring to you," replies Umboth. "Though perhaps you should consider it, as well."
"Ok. And just in case, I didn't intend any offense against you and your god."
Kadlian yells back, still hovering in the air waiting for his lizard to come. "Of course, I am stressed. When I give orders in a combat situation, I expect to be obeyed. The regulars in this group know that. I cannot imagine why they are not listening."
"What was that? You say something, boss man?" asks Vanadil.
Logan gives a shrug to Kad and a thumbs up to Vanadil.
"I take my orders from Forseti. Perhaps you should, too," says Umboth.
"Sian, please do something about your followers. Now is not the time to be acting insubordinate."
"Can we keep the preaching to a non combat time? its easier to walk away from," Logan asks with a grin.
"No," says Umboth.
"Come on, be a pal..." Logan pleads.
Kailar zips to his appointed location.
Roganna just stays out of the way.
The surviving lizards reach the four defenders. Vanadil is chomped for four hit points. She swings her sword and kills the lizard.
Kadlian, not quite used to meleeing in flight, manages to evade the snapping jaws of a lizard while landing a glancing blow with his longsword. He lands a second glancing blow with his shortsword.
Sian, experiencing similar difficulties in flight, fans with his longsword as the lizard misses him. He lands a fair hit with his cutlass, though.
Kadlian is bitten for 7 hit points, just before he plunges his blade into the lizard's neck and kills it.
Sian is again missed, but connects with his frost brand, and kills the last lizard.
After cleaning yourselves up, you head up the passage to the northeast, to see where they came. Pausing to look up the northwest passage when you get there, you see that it runs 50', ending at a bent "T" intersection with a passage running east - west. In the 30' - 40' section of the right wall is a 10' wide passage running east.
You continue on to the chamber. It is large (40' X 60': 30' east, 60' north; 10' wide passage running southeast out of south wall, east corner; 10' wide passage running north out of north wall, 20' - 30' section as measured from the east; 10' wide passage running west out of west wall, 10' - 20' section as measured from the north; 10' wide passage running west out of west wall in the 30' - 40' section as measured from the north).
Apart from some odd bones and such you find nothing of interest...except for one gem (650gp).
You look down passages.
The southeast passage runs for 60' and on.
The north passage runs for 50' (right wall)/60' (left wall), ending in a wall facing northeast. There is a door there.
The northernmost west passage runs for 60' and on.
The southernmost west passage runs for 50' (right wall)/40' (left wall), then meets a passage running northwest - southeast.
Kadlian finishes mapping all the newly discovered territory. "Thisplace is a hug maze! Okay, let us try the door in the north. Maybe we can find some way down or some connecting passage to the other ruin."
Hlarn looks over at Logan. "I think it wisest if everyone save their spells as much as possible and not use them unless called for. Thus far in this dungeon we've not come across anything us fighters could not easily handle. And we never know when another group from Mestrom might arrive when all of your powers will really be needed."
"That is why I did not call for spells."
"You got it," he says to Hlarn. "I will use my sword whenever possible, though, I am a tad bare in the armor department, so I will try to do what I can."
"Do not worry, Logan. I will not intentionally put you in a situation where you have to use your sword, but cannot use your magic. That is why I ordered everyone but Sian, Hlarn, Vanadil and myself into the narrow passage. So that we four fighters could use our weapons and save the spells."
"Thanks, I was not concerned, just explaining my decision to Hlarn about spell use," Logan replies to Kadlian.
Kadlian just nods and keeps his mouth shut.
Hlarn nods toward Rage. "Thats not to say that you should stop using your staff... unless of course it has so few charges that it too should be saved. The staff is rechargeable, correct?"
"Correct, and is recharged," the mage says. "When it is low, I will not use it and will let you know."
"It is, but I thought lightning bolts were one of the spells where we lacked components."
Hlarn sighs, but explains anyway. "Charged items, such as staves, wands and rods do not require material components to release their energies. Think of such objects as storage devices containing delayed spells. When the staff is charged, all the verbal, material and somatic components are used then, and only the results of the spell are absent... locked away to come forth only when the device is finally triggered."
"I understand that, Hlarn, but to recharge it requires the components, right? So, saving them is still a good idea."
Hlarn shrugs. "I think this particular staff can be recharged using other spells as well. But if it is fully charged currently then it should be safe enough to use quite a bit before we are in danger of draining it. Rage would know best." He looks up at her, awaiting her answer.
"Indeed."
"My staff harnesses energies from magic and uses them to create the various spell effects you see. I can and do recharge it with spells like light, levitate and fireball, but can still generate a lighting bolt as need be. The spells I recharge it with are ones that do not require spell components. Other wands are not so luckly."
Kadlian looks surprised. "Oh! That is indeed, fortunate. Is there a way to supply Agulhas with a staff as well?"
"Yes, kill a small white dragon alone and find it in the beginnings of the hoard it established," the mage replies. "They are very powerful items and not easy to create or come by."
"Hmmm... Evidently not. Sounds like a long side trip..."
To Umbath, Aron says, "Think Logan's up for a theological discussion now that we're out of combat?"
"Anytime, tough guy," Logan says with a grin to Aron.
"Who cares whether he is or not?" the cleric replies. "I will try to convert him regardless."
"Ohhh sorry, Kad, forgot you didn't like having Furgh around, either." says Sian with a chuckle. "Vanadil, Umboth try and take things a little more seriously. And Umboth try and keep the conversions down while in the middle of the fights."
"Very well, milord," says Umboth.
"Some people have no sense of humour," complains Vanadil.
"After a week with me in the wilderness and you come to that conclusion now?"
"I came to that conclusion ten minutes after meeting you!" replies Vanadil. "Just because you are carrying the weight of the whole world on your shoulders, though, does not mean that I can't be humourous, though!"
"No, you can be humorous. In fact, I encourage it. But, I hope you can understand that I will not appreciate it during combat."
"Yes, boss man, ye need some humor. Maybe Vanadil and I should exchange notes to bring some humor to this group?" Logan comments, winking at Vanadil.
"Will do!"
"The joking and attempted conversions can come at other times. During combat, it is not appropriate. I am desperately trying to keep anyone else from dying. I am also seeking to avoid any additional delays in our mission. The two combined, along with the stress of combat, leave me very little time to joke."
"Joking relieves stress. Try it sometime," she snaps.
Kadlian shrugs. "No one ever seems to get my jokes..."
Hlarn looks up in mock surprise. "You've told jokes?"
Kadlian chuckles. "I did not say they were any good..."
"I can think of other things that relieve stress, Vanadil," Logan says with a wide smile.
"Shut up, Logan."
"Ouch," he says with a wince, "that's not what I had in mind. So, tell me about this deity of yours? who do you worship?"
"Logan you really should pay a bit more attention. If you like women so much you should look at them before opening your mouth. Umboth is the cleric of my followers with us at present." says Sian to Logan. "Umboth it sounds like Logan might be looking to change gods. I think you are best qualified to help him with that decision," says Sian, grinning
"Yes she is....and she is a fighter. That is why I was offering to have Umboth talk to you about gods," says Sian with a wicked grin.
"I could use some fighting tips, not a spiritual headache," he says with a grin to Sian.
"Yes, I see," says Umboth. He sidles over to Logan. "Let me tell you about Forseti, the mighty guardian of the Bifrost Bridge..."
Logan slaps his forehead and utters, "Oy!"
"And when Umboth is finished telling you about Forseti, a very honorable god in our pathos, I will tell you about Tyr."
Logan goes over to Vanadil to discuss the finer points of humor and stress management.
"Sian, I wasn't talking to Umboth, I was conferring with Vanadil, is she one of your acolytes as well?" he asks, sliding over to the woman.
"He slides like a snake, doesn't he?" Vanadil says, moving away from the elf.
Kadlian frowns. "Yes, he does. I am glad that Sally is back at camp."
"Ouch, I am not a snake, and I am trying to stay away from Umboth," he says as he pursues the young female fighter.
Vanadil screams, and goes running off back down the passage to the southwest.
Aron goes after her.
"My, a fiesty one," Logan says, "I'll be back," he replies as he watches her run. He counts to five and...
Kadlian slams Logan into the wall. "Would you keep your hormones in check already!"
"I am only playing," Logan says as he tries to breathe, "Hey boss man, air is essential to my well being," he says as he trie sto extricate himself from Kadlian's grasp.
Kadlian continues to hold him against the wall. "And it is not appreciated. Not by the young lady and not by your comrades. We are here to do a job. Keep your mind focused on that. If you want to play, wait until we are back at camp. And if the lady says 'no', you respect that."
"Ok and she didn't say no, she just said I was a snake," Logan replies.
"Her opinions seemed clear enough to me."
"Sian, Kailar, go get Vanadil. Logan will apologize to her when you get back."
Kailar zips after the fighter, trying to calm her down, with Sian right behind him.
Aron, Kailar and Sian run off down the passage after Vanadil. She hurries past the scene of the battle with the lizards, and on into the as-yet-unexplored chamber beyond, with the others right behind her.
There is a rumble, and you see a stone wall slide across the entrance to the chamber, blocking it.
"Damn!"
Hlarn turns to Rage. "Can you turn the wall to mud?"
"Of course I can," the mage replies. "Waiting to see if Kadlian would like me to make it so."
Kadlian nods. "Make it so."
"Aye aye," the mage says with a nod.
You head down the passage to the scene of the battle with the lizards, and Rage begins her spell.
Before she completes it, though, the wall suddenly slides aside, and there are your companions, right as rain.
Rage cancels her spell.
Kadlian frowns in confusion. "You three all right? Any idea what caused the rock to move?"
"The four of us are fine."
"There's four of us, and we're all fine. This room is odd. When the someone enters the room, the slab moves over the door and then moves back out of the way, but the passageway has changed. I can't find a trap mechanism and we didn't feel like the room was in motion."
Kailar shrugs.
"Well, then perhaps this is a way to get over to the other ruin? Let us all try it."
"Sorry Vanadil, I guess my flirtations get ahead of me sometimes. I meant no disrespect," Logan says with a lowered head.
She sniffs.
"Next time he gets out of line, knee him in the groin or punch him in the nose. Or ask one of us to do it, if you wish. I am sure you could get at least a few volunteers."
You all head into the room.
This is a 20' square chamber (10' east, 20' south), bare but for a stone bench along the south wall.
Suddenly there is a rumble, and the stone wall slides out, blocking the exit and sealing you in.
Almost immediately, the stone wall slides aside again, freeing the exit...but through it you no longer see a passage heading northeast...rather, a passage running west is there instead.
You step out into the passage and look about.
To the right it ends. From that back wall it runs west for 20', turning south after 10'.
You go and look south.
In all, it runs for 40', turning west after 30'.
You go and look west.
In total, it runs for 30', and ends. There is a door in the last 10' section of the north wall.
You go to the door, and after doing the usual detects, open it.
On the other side is a chamber (20' X 20': 10' east, 20' north; passage running west out of west wall north half). Cool, damp, musty air assails your nostrils. The sickly sweet smell of something rotting is faintly evident. This dank and dismal place is lit by one flickering torch set in a sconce high up in the middle of the right wall. The place is deserted. A set of low steps leads up to the passage running off to the west.
You carefully enter and look about, but find nothing.
Looking down the passage, you see that it runs for 30', turning south after 20'.
You head west, noting that there is a large engraving of a leering demon in the middle of the left wall.
Reaching the corner you look around it.
From the corner, the passage continues south for 20', then opens up into another chamber.
Approaching you, though, is the source of the odour: four skeletons and five ghouls!
Kailar gets out of the way of the combatants.
"Hlarn, Roganna and Umobth, attempt to destroy them by turning them."
Kadlian draws his swords. "Vanadil, Sian and I will destroy any who still survive."
Kadlian times his advance and attack to occur right after the clerics turn.
Roganna, shaking the cobwebs from her head, springs into action as well.
"Yes Sir!" Roganna replies, hefting her holy symbol high and speaking the arcane words to rid this world of the creatures .. "Be gone thou foul stinking menaces and trouble us no more...and try some after-shave next time!" Roganna says, wrinkling her nose as well.
One of the skeletons explodes.
Sian does likewise but activates his ring of flying to try and get into a better position.
"I really don't like undead. Maybe we should have Logan go and try and talk to them," grumbles Sian.
Hlarn nods, and raises his holy symbol and with a powerful voice says, "Begone!"
There is a brilliant flash and a crack like a hammer striking the anvil, and the undead are gone.
Umboth, just raising his holy symbol (a medallion depicting the head of a bearded man), stops and looks impressed at the dwarf.
You start to advance again, when...
"ARRRRRRR!!!!" comes a pair of cries from ahead.
You are far enough down the passage now to see most of the chamber at the end. It looks like the main portion of it measures 20' X 30' (10' east, 10' west, 20' south; door in east wall south corner, flight of stairs heading down to the west in southwest corner). You will have to descend three broad steps to enter the room.
The easternmost 20' of the south wall actually consists of thick vertical iron bars. On the other side of it is a 10' deep area extending off out of sight to the west. Glaring at you through the bars is a vrock demon...one of the sources of the growls. Beside him is a pile of large stones, covered in some black, tarry goo. He grabs a conveniently located torch out of a wall sconce and drops it atop the pile, and it bursts into flames.
Closer at hand, the source of the other noise comes into your view: a hezrou demon, looking for all the world like some enormous, bastardized toad. He holds a burning torch, which he also drops onto a pile of tar-covered rocks, engulfing them in fire.
Then, one of the flaming stones rises off of the pile, and sails through the air towards you!
"Does this call for a magic missile?" Logan shouts as he avoids any aerial flaming missiles.
"Hlarn, intercept the stone with your hammer or shield! Rage, douse their flames with a cone of cold or a water spell!"
As Kadlian finishes speaking these words he is struck and sent sprawling by the flying rock, taking 16 hit points in the process. The flaming tar sticks to him, and he takes a further 6 hit points from it, too.
He keeps instructing, as a second rock sails towards you, courtesy of the vrock.
"Sian, if you have any magical arrows left, use them on the demon's. Remember, only magical weapons or magic will harm them."
Hlarn nods and takes a flying leap, using all his strength and his ring of flying to try to bounce the rock into the wall. He succeeds, but the impact knocks him aback for 13 hit points and tar sticks to the shield, leaving it aflame.
He then continues flying down the hall to take the battle to the demons directly.
Hlarn yells back at the mages, "Magic missle them as well, and if the cone of cold doesn't work turn their the floor under their rocks into mud to submerge them."
"Yeah, baby," Logan cries as he intones a few syllables of magic and 3 missiles fly from his hands towards the demon toad.
His spell does not penetrate the creature's magic resistance.
"Hlarn, you are going to be in the wall of the cone of cold if you continue!"
Hlarn yells, "No problem!" as he is protected against an application of both heat or cold.
However he'll try to fly high to avoid it in any case.
Kadlian sighs as he stands back up. "Sian, forget the arrows. We shall follow Hlarn's example.
"Vanadil, stay behind and help guard the spellcasters."
Kadlian flies high as well both swords still drawn.
"Vanadil make sure nothing gets to Rage or Agulhas. Umboth keep your eyes open for any other adversaries. Holler out if you see any," shouts Sian as he follows Hlarn's lead.
Sian uses the frostbrand to attack and opts to just parry with the cutlass.
If attacked, Aron will use the magical dagger given to him by Kadlian.
Rage casts cone of cold at the demons.
She is currently invisible.
Agulhas cone of colds the other pile of rocks (with the vrock) should Rage's cone not encompass both.
Kailar does his best to stay out of the way. He keeps an eye out to make sure that you are not ambushed.
Seeing the three fighter-types coming, the toad hops back around the corner to the northwest, leaving only the vrock as a target for the mages.
Rage's cone strikes the vrock, penetrating its resistance and nearly killing it. An instant later, Agulhas' spell also engulfs it, finishing it off.
They move forward, as the fighters close on the second demon.
A flaming stone sails upwards and nails Sian for 17 hit points. Thanks to the frost brand, the flaming tar does not light him up.
Kadlian, still burning for another 8 hit points, drops on the creature and hits it hard with his longsword while missing with his shortsword. It lashes back at the lightly armoured ranger for 4 hit points of damage. Sian attacks from above, but misses. Hlarn brings up the rear, but misses with both attacks.
Rage gets into firing position, and opens up with her magic missiles. However, none of her four spells are able to penetrate the demon's resistance. Agulhas, next, hits it with his first two spells, which are sufficient to kill the monster.
You search them and the chamber, but find nothing of interest or value.
"Damned creature, magic missiles failed me, damn," Logan whines, "Anyhow, good fight, folks. What now?"
Hlarn douses his shield and scrapes the tar off it as best he can before proceeding.
"Medic!"
"Coming Sir!" Roganna calls out, sprinting over to Kad, panting from the exertion.
She casts a cure light, another if necessary.
She cast two cure light wounds spells into Kadlian, for a total of 13 hit points of healing.
"Do you have anything more powerful, Roganna? I was sorely wounded in that battle."
Roganna nods, "Yes, I can see that now...my goodness...yes indeed, you need something special...ummm...yes, let's see now," Roganna mutters, carefully running her fingers over Kadlian.
Roganna casts her one and only Cure Serious Wounds .. praying that her patron understands the urgency and need.
He does, after a fashion, to the tune of 8 more hit points.
Hlarn waits to see how well Kadlian is healed up. If he looks badly wounded still the dwarf will cast a cure light wounds spell upon the elf, but if Hlarn's own wounds seem more serious he'll cast it on himself.
Hlarn cures himself for 5 hit points.
"I also have some curative magics available, thanks to the power of Forseti," offers Umboth.
"Check for secret doors. There is no real explanation why they are down here. Or why they are behind bars."
"Chaos has no rational explanation," comments Aron.
"Hlarn, can you locate the Rod again? I want to see if we have been transported to the other ruin."
"I think its safe to say we are probably in the other ruin. We saw nothing near their strength at the other place."
Hlarn attempts a locate object spell, but he's pessimistic about the chances it might detect the rod.
His pessimism is justified.
"Either way, we need to find a secret door or two. Otherwise, we have to go back through that teleporting room."
Sian casts a cure light wounds on himself and then starts looking for secret doors.
Sian cures himself for 3 hit points.
"Vanadil, check the walls and floors for any secret doors," says Sian as he starts to look.
Neither of them turn up any secret doors.
As previously noted, though, there are several visible exits from this chamber. A flight of stairs goes down, in the southwest corner. You look down them, and see that they only descend for 10' or so. After that, you see a passage running north.
There is also an unopened door in the east wall, south corner.
Looking through the 20' barred section in the south wall, you see a passage running west for 20', at which point it ends. Carved in the floor at the end is the image of another leering demon.
Just to be sure, you head back the way you came, to the chamber which brought you here. However, at the endo of the passage you are greeted with only a stone wall...and no manner of nonmagical attempts at opening the expected secret door succeeds.
It appears as if your journey through this labyrinth is intended to be a one-way trip.
"Kailar, Sian, search down the western stairs. Give me an idea of where it goes and for how long. Kailar, listen to the east door."
Kailar takes a listen at the east door then proceeds down the stairs on his broom, looking for traps.
The gnome hears nothing at the door.
Sian keeps up with Kailar with the ring of flying.
"Kailar, if you have me run into anything I won't be too happy," says SIan as he follows Kailar
He and Sian go down the stairs to the west. At the bottom is a passage running north, for 30' in all. After 20' it turns west.
Kailar does not turn up any traps, either.
Hlarn looks at the bars. "Shall I open them up for us as well? Right now we have no line of retreat... Even an unknown path is better than nothing."
Kadlian ponders the question for a moment. "Might as well. Despite the bars, we can still be attacked. Might as well make it so we can get to any attacker."
Hlarn uses his giant strength to open up a large opening in the bars.
He easily prys the bars apart.
"Show off."
He does a quick search of that room as well and looks down the area that isn't mapped.
"Take Roganna with you and have her do the scouting."
Roganna grins, "Aye Aye Sir."
Actually, you could see the end of the passage through the bars. It runs for 40' end to end. At the west end a slab of floor stone is engraved in the visage of a leering demon.
Searching, Hlarn finds nothing of interest...though he does not touch the demon carving...
Everyone returns to the chamber and Kadlian completes his mapping.
"Let us go through the door, first. SOP."
Hlarn easily opens the east door and you find yourselves looking into an octagonal-shaped room (angled walls are 5' long, north and south walls are 15', east wall is 10'). Starting in the middle of the room and running down to end at the east wall is a flight of stairs. They descend perhaps 5' in that interval. In the middle of the east wall is a raised carving of the grinning head of a gargoyle-like creature. It is perhaps a foot across...and almost seems to glow faintly.
Looking up, you see the ceiling perhaps 30' overhead. Interestingly enough, the shape of the ceiling conforms to that of the floor below...right down to the stairs and everything.
Otherwise, you see nothing of interest in here.
Aron asks the carving, "Seen any bad guys lately?"
He gets no reply.
Kadlian looks up at the ceiling and at the gargoyle. "Strange place. Suggestions on how to proceed? Should we just leave this room for later?"
"Perhaps this is obvious," begins Agulhas, "but the manner in which the ceiling follows the contours of the floor suggests to me that the ceiling may be part of a trap that lowers it to the floor."
The mage eyes the surrounding walls (not entering the room, mind you), looking for vertical gouges or scrape marks that may indicate stone grinding against stone.
He does indeed note some scrape marks on the walls.
"A trap meant either for crushing the room's occupants, or for sealing off retreat once the stairs are descended," reasons the bald youth.
Hlarn casts another find traps spell. He spots a pressure plate in the floor.
Hlarn looks around. "Careful of that plate. Shall we check for secret doors? Possibly at the base of those stairs? Someone detect for magic as well."
"What about intentionally setting it off? Or do you think it might not reset itself?"
Hlarn shrugs. "I don't see the point. If it didn't reset, we might not have access to some room. If it did, we'd have the same situation as before."
"To learn how the trap works. And to see what various parts of the room do. I am interested in figuring out how the gargoyle comes into play."
"I will go in and look for secret doors. I promise, I will stay away from the plate."
Rage wakes up from her reverie. "I would council against going down there, Kadlian. You are a physical presence, and that might trigger a second trap in the room. I suspect that there may be multiple traps. Having you get crushed would be bad."
Looking to Kailar, she asks, "Do you have that wraithform spell handy? That might be a better way to test things. Or better yet, let's toss some pebbles or coins with the light spell cast on them. To see if there is an anti-magic field in the room, or if those can activate a second trap.
"It bothers me that we see this trap so easily, and it is so telegraphed with all the markings of a trap. That would suggest something more sinister is waiting in the wings."
"I agree with you, Rage. Let's try the anti-magic test and then if that works I can try entering in wraithform. I could also try entering as a jelly or pudding. Something that is very spread out."
Hlarn detected no other traps or triggers.
Kadlian takes out a few coins and tosses them on the plate.
The door suddenly slams shut in your face. From beyond you hear the rattling sound of chains, gears and cogs. After a minute the sound stops.
You reopen the door. All is as it was before.
The coins are perhaps a little flattened.
"That was pretty deadly." says Sian, "Could we get moving or something? I don't really want to be ambushed again."
Kadlian shrugs. "Want to move on or do you still wish to explore this room further?"
"Exploring the room, without first disarming the trap might prove difficult. A rock-to-mud spell could remove the trap, perhaps?" Rage wonders out loud.
"I am satisfied. We can move on."
Kadlian nods. "Very well, then let us check out the western passage."
You turn around and head down the stairs to the west. At the bottom of the short flight is a 10' wide passage running north, for 30' in all, turning west again after 20'.
You look west.
In all, the passage runs for another 30', turning south after 20'.
You go and look south.
From the corner, the passage only runs for 10', then there is a 15' long, 5' wide stone bridge spanning a chamber below. At the other end of the bridge is an opening into an octagonal-shaped chamber.
You walk up to the north end of the bridge and look down.
The chamber below is decidedly odd-shaped. The floor is some 15' below you. From the opening where you stand, the wall runs west for 10', south for 20', east for 5', northeast for 5', east for 10', southeast for 5', east for 15', north for 10', west for 10', north for 10' and west for 10'.
This place is damp and dreary. A 10' square niche opening into a shaft going up is to the southeast. The place is littered with bones, rags and odds and ends. Here and there, you catch a glimpse of coins, though.
You look across the bridge before you - which Hlarn deems to be of solid construction - and attempt to see into the octagonal chamber beyond. The right wall runs southwest for 5', south for 10', southeast for 5', east for 10', northeast for 5', north for 10' and northwest for 5'.
It actually appears to be more of a shaft than anything. A 10' X 5' deep landing is visible through the doorway, with the first steps of two flights of stairs going down around the left and right walls off of the landing being seen as well.
The leader says, "Hlarn, pick a direction and we will proceed down."
He then becomes strangely silent.
Hlarn wishes Zanax were here to detect evil, but shrugs the thought away. "Tie a knotted rope from the base of the bridge to down below in case we can't easily get back up here. Something smells fishy, but let's proceed across the bridge once the ropes are in place. I'll go first to test it."
The dwarf will be prepared to use his ring of flying should the bridge not hold.
You do as the dwarf instructs.
Reaching the other side of the bridge, you look through the opening and into the octagonal shaft.
There, you find yourselves facing five little demonic types, who are lurking a short distance down the stairs.
Now that they realise that they have been spotted, they move to attack.
Hlarn moves forward so that all the front fighters can fill in the landing and we have a front on both steps.
"Hold off of spells for the moment until we find out what these creatures are made of. These don't appear to be full demons and we can probably handle them."
The demons scramble up the last of the steps and shamble towards you. They are small (less than 4' tall), with round bodies and spindly arms and legs. Their smallish heads are set squarely upon their shoulders. Their hair is sparse and bristly, ears are lopped and stick out, eyes are slanted downwards and their noses appear squashed. Their mouths are slack and slobbering with many small fangs.
Hlarn launches his hammer at the closest one and readies his axe for when they get close.
His hammer crunches one right between the eyes, and then returns to his outstretched hand. He sets it aside and takes up his axe.
Sian moves up and gets ready for them to attack.
"Sure are a lot of demons down here," says Sian glumily.
Hlarn nods. "That's why if we can handle these the mages should save their spells. Looks like there will probably only be more later."
Kailar stays out of the way of the combatants.
The injured demon scratches the dwarf for 1 hit point. Hlarn swings his axe, and splits the demon in two.
Another one steps up.
Beside him, Sian swings his blades at a second demon, wounding it. He in turn is scratched for 3 hit points. His cutlass nicks the monster, as he manages to evade its teeth.
Finally, Kadlian comes under attack from a third demon. Dodging a claw, the elf nails it with both blades, but it bites him for 3 hit points. His second thrust with his longsword kills the demon.
The last demon steps up.
Suddenly, three more horrid creatures come scuttling up over the left and right sides of the bridge. They must have been hiding underneath the bridge, out of sight. They are like enormous, multi-legged insects, but with many tentacles sprouting out of their heads, in a ring around their mouths.
They make for Aron, Rage and Agulhas.
Aron attacks with his hands.
Logan checks out the situation and quickly looks back as he is taking the rear, to make sure no beasties are sneaking up on him. Nothing is there, so he rushes in and helps his companions with his sword.
Agulhas produces the supposed wand of frost and aims it at the insectile demons on the bridge. He shouts, "Stop!"
A ray shoots out of the wand, striking the monster. It freezes up solid.
Rage backs up. Logan steps in front of her.
It lashes out at him with its tentacles as he swings his sword, fanning.
"Sian, Kadlian, you two move back and handle those bugs. I will fall back off the landing to the doorway and will finish these off."
Calling back to the others, "Let the fighters get at them. Others, avoid them as best you can... save your spells."
"I am a warrior," responds Aron, standing his ground and attacking when possible.
"Aron, they will only be affected by magic weapons. Use the dagger."
Aron hits it with his fist, as its tentacles flail at him. Suddenly he freezes up solid, as a tentacle connects.
"ZZZZZ, help them out. We gave you a magicial sword, right? Vanadil, please assist if you have a magical weapon as well. Otherwise, keep yourself safe."
Kadlian attacks the closest bug.
Hlarn sends another dretch flying in pieces down the stairs in the octagonal shaft. Meanwhile, the second last one attacks Kadlian as he turns away without effect. Striking at the rear of the carrion crawler on Logan, he easily penetrates its carapace once with each blade, and kills it.
Sian, meanwhile, battles another dretch, landing a third hit on it.
Vanadil attacks the monster on Aron, scoring a hit and leaving it deceased.
Hlarn attacks the dretch on Kadlian as the ranger returns his attentions to it. The dwarf misses but Kadlian lands a glancing blow. The dretch strikes him for 3 hit points. Hlarn misses again, as does Kadlian. Finally, Kadlian catches the demon with his longsword, but still it stands.
Nearby, Sian and his dretch trade misses. Logan rushes up, and misses too.
Vanadil is next...and misses as well.
Kadlian finally kills his dretch.
At last, Sian beheads the last demon.
All of the monsters are dead, and the dungeon is quiet. Aron stands paralysed, as does a carrion crawler.
Kadlian shakes his head at Aron. "Does not have much luck, does he?"
"Do any of you clerics have a remove paralysis spell for him?"
Umboth nods, and begins incanting. Aron thaws out.
"Lucky enough that I wasn't alone when attacked by these creatures. Thanks Umboth," says Aron.
"Aron, you are a warrior trained in the martial arts, correct? So, fighting with weapons is not an option for you?"
"I can use weapons, but prefer my hands."
Kadlian then kills the bug.
Rage turns invisible.
"Anyone badly injured? If not, let us continue to explore. Hlarn, in what direction did you want to proceed?"
Hlarn nods forward across the bridge. "Search that room first, and see if any of the stuff below the bridge might be of value."
Hlarn turns back to the mages. "What sort of spell supply do we have? I'm thinking that if this place is full of demons we might want to stop and make certain we are fully prepared with appropriate weapons. I know I can certainly help with a protection from evil spell to keep them away from our mages."
Rage looks at Hlarn and replies, "Six."
"Six what?"
Rage replies. "Yes."
Then looking serious again, she continues, "If I felt that I was out of magic, I would have already let you know. I am out of magic missile spells, and have cast a cone of cold and a fly spell, but other than that I am well."
"Are not the magic missiles more effective against demonkind than other spells? And it would not take you as long to recover just them."
Rage looks at Hlarn. "You are correct that Magic Missiles can be as effective, or even more than other spells, such as fireball and lightning bolt. However, they are also limited by the inate magic resistence that these creatures have. It seems to me the Kadlain is interested in saving our spells and using you fighters more. So I am not worried at this moment. We are not horribly depleated of spells, and we should continue a little father at least."
Vanadil rubs her chin.
"What she say?"
Umboth replies, "I think she is speaking in tongues. It is a religious thing."
"Besides, it took us a while to get down here. I would like to at least explore a little further."
"I'm just down a few magic missile spells. I've got two left," replies Agulhas. "I'm also minus a cone of cold, but still in very good shape."
Hlarn shrugs. "Ok, we shall continue on then."
"Kailar, you have point again. Please, check out that room."
"Aye, Aye Sir."
Kailar checks out the room below the bridge, searching for traps before he enters it.
The room is pretty much as previously described. The place is damp and dreary, the floor littered with bones and rags...all that remain of the carrion crawler's previous victims. Here and there, the gnome finds treasure scattered about. In all, he collects 1500sp, 1000ep, 4 gems (65gp ea.) and a ring (900gp).
Kailar flies over to the niche. He notes that in the floor is carved the now familiar demon-head. Two parallel tracks run up the back wall.
He looks up the shaft that extends perhaps 15' up, and sees light. Evidently there is a chamber up there.
He flies up the shaft to investigate further...
Less than a minute after Kailar disappears up the shaft you hear a horrible howling noise...coming from both the shaft and from behind you, back up the passage.
"Mages, get ready. Logan, Aron and Sian get ready for attack from the rear. Hlarn, Vanadil and I will prepare for attack from above."
"Umboth, Roganna, spells of protection from evil might be useful if you have them."
Kadlian's swords are both out and his arms twitch in anticipation.
An invisible flying Rage, casts minor globe from her staff and then detect invisible. She will be ready to cast Wall of Ice when she sees what is coming. After each spell cast, she will reactivate her invisibility via her ring and fly to a different location to cast her next spell.
Before she is done Kailar comes flying back down the shaft and into the niche. He joins you, obviously unharmed.
You hear no more noises.
"Kailar, what did you find? And where you able to determine what made the noise?"
"I saw some wights up there, they were going to eat the toad demon until they saw me. I think they howled."
"A toad demon? And how many wights? I gather the toad demon is locked up somehow? Dimensions of the room and any other exits other than the shaft?"
Hlarn nods. "I think he means the corpse of the one we fought earlier, although I'm uncertain how the shaft connects to that area. I'd advise just ignoring the wights. I can automatically turn them should we encounter them, so they pose no threat."
"Well, I would rather not have them at our backs while we are fighting something else. If there is another way into that room, it would be good to know. Besides, they might have the rod. Since we do not know where it is, I think we should be very thorough in our explorations."
Rage shakes her invisible head. "I don't like undead," she says, "And no matter how automatic you can turn them, Hlarn, they are there."
"I think they should be destroyed also. If they had surprised me up there, they could have killed me. "
"Can I send a fireball up that way?" she asks the mage, "Nothing like recon by fireball."
"And possibly destroying what we have come after?"
Hlarn shakes his head. "If the object we seek is as powerful as we are led to believe, it would take a lot more than a fireball to even scratch it."
Roganna grins and nods, "It had better be able to withstand something as simple as a fireball or I want a refund on my little excursion here!"
"A refund? I thought you were paying Logan to keep you safe."
"I am just waiting to get paid," he says with a wide smile and a raised eyebrow.
Roganna chuckles. "Oh, yes ... errr ... well, there is that too," she says cryptically, her eyes sparkling. "But next time I see my travel agent, he is going to get a piece of my mind...what little there is left, that is."
"I'm not sure where they are now. You could fly up and look."
Hlarn nods. "Well, I didn't want to risk the chance they might touch us and our skills are lost, but you have a point about them being a threat, especially if they show up while we are otherwise engaged."
Hlarn asks to see the map. "Is there a point where we can have a good amount of room to attack them before they reach our position? A long hallway would be ideal. I suggest we set up shop there, and get someone to lead them toward us. Then, instead of attempting to turn them, I'll light my candle and attempt to destroy them outright, and the mages can blast what remains, if any."
Hlarn looks at the dimensions of the passageways. "Looks like you'd be caught by the blast... "
"Not with my shield up," Rage replies, "A handy feature of my staff."
"Well, before you did that, I want a detailed description of that room. I do not want us to get caught in the blast because the fire decides to vent down a passage that connects to the one we are standing on. But, I do like the idea of dealing with them from a distance."
"I didn't get a good look around. I was chased out pretty quickly. But the shaft leads to the area where we fought the Vrock and the Toad Demon."
Kailar turns invisible.
Kadlian consults the map. "What if we retreat to where we came in and then let Rage cast the fireball? We should be far away so that we do not have to worry about any overspill. What do you think, Hlarn?"
Hlarn nods. "Get those double doors shut and that should keep the blast out as well."
Hlarn nods to Rage. "We'll be back after we hear the explosion," and motions for everyone to retreat back to point A.
Kadlian nods. "Good luck, Rage."
"So amigos, what's the plan? I'm afraid I've been daydreaming a bit and seem to have lost bits of the conversation," Roganna says with a smile.
Looking around the room, the other elf-ranger adds, 'Not to keep harping on this but we need to make decisions a little bit quicker here. We keep discussing things over and over and we keep getting ambushed," says Sian with a grimace.
Roganna blushes but nods in agreement. "I'm sorry Sian, but...I uh...was communing a bit with my patron and missed some important points when my patrom decided on other methods of communication with me," she replies sheepishly. "Just talk fast while we move on..."
Logan joins into the growing cacophony.
"Hey Boss man, this is taking way too long. That staff we are looking for is probably long gone, because we are sitting here with out thumbs up our butts," he says rather irritated.
Hlarn shakes his head. "If you want to walk into another batch of demons just go running on ahead. We've lived as long as we have by being patient."
"I don't; just standing around makes me edgy..." Logan replies.
Kadlian just ignores Logan.
"Rage, or whatever incarnation you are right now, do you have a wizard eye spell in your book or memorized ? if so, we can search room by room, get the layout and kil whatever is in there. If not, we scout out each room and then kill whatever is in there. All this waiting around is allowing our enemies prepare for our eventual appearance," Logan says, not pleased at the slow progress.
Hlarn shrugs. "The spell doesn't last all that long... 10 minutes perhaps. Hardly useful for general exploration and should rather be saved for times when we really don't want to enter an area but need to know what is there."
"Kailar just came back down from the shaft. I was waiting for a description of the room before determining our next action. Now, that Kailar tells me that he did not have a chance to get that information, I know what we should do."
"I do not wish to go running blindly around this place. Nor do I want to leave foes at our backs. At some point, we are going to run into something really dangerous. I want us to be ready for that and not overextended."
Hlarn nods and speaks. "Remember that this place has several levels. Its likely that what we seek is at the very bottom, or near to it. If what we are finding on this top section is minor demons, then likely the lower levels will be populated with even worse horrors."
Hlarn frowns. "Remember what even a lesser demon can do to our party, with its ability to charm and teleport. Our worst moments have always been with their kind, and someone has always died as a result. The last thing we need is for things we left behind to attack at the same moment."
"I have been thinking about that, Hlarn. Is there anyway to prevent us from being charmed? The teleportation thing is something we just have to accept, but it seems to me that we should have some way of preventing our members from falling under their sway. Otherwise, demons would be ruling everything."
"Does a Protection from Evil spell help ?" Logan asks.
Kailar pipes up again.
"We've already been in the room. It was the room where we killed the Vrock and the Toad Demon. I think they were the ones throwing the flaming rocks at us."
Kadlian shakes his head to clear out the cobwebs. "But, where was this shaft then? I saw no indication of such an exit and the stairs that we took to enter the hallway did not seem to go down as far the shaft would seem to indicate. And that also means if we backtrack to the demon room, we will find the wights."
Kadlian snaps his fingers, with sudden insight. "That would explain why we heard the howl above and behind us, though."
"So do we send a strike team after them? Hlarn and Rage should be sufficient. Hlarn can make sure that they can't get close to Rage and Rage can blow them up from across the room."
"What do you think, Hlarn? I think it means you have to forgo a fireball, though."
Rage shakes her head. "No it does not. Just as when Zanax and I dealt with the werewolves, my shield offers protection in a 10 foot area, so Hlarn can be near me and protected."
Hlarn shrugs. "That was my original idea. Have someone quick and nible lead them down the hallway... some place where we will have a chance to get in the first strike. Then when they come into view I attempt to destroy them outright. The magicians can finish them off with a lightning bolt or the like. A lot easier than a fireball, but I felt like indulging Rage."
"Whom do you suggest? Me? Loan me your boots and I will be even quicker than usual."
Hlarn hasn't had those boots in quite a while, they being destroyed by an anti-magic scroll.
"Okay, I will go. How about a protection from evil spell, just as a precaution."
"Keep a few fighters at the back of the party, in case they circle around. And have Rogana or Umboth facing that way, just in case they need to turn the wights."
"The hallway would be a good place to lay the ambush."
Hlarn shakes his head toward Rage. "Lets try my method for now. We still don't know what magic or purpose, if any, those demonic emblems and the figure in the trap room might have, and I'd not want them possibly ruined or triggered by the blast. They might be our way out of this place."
Hlarn points to the map. "We'll set up position here (X marks the spot) so that they will have to charge down the hallway toward us."
The dwarf smiles at your need for a protection from evil spell. "I can do better than that..."
As you get into position and Hlarn lights his candle, he casts a Negative Plane Protection spell upon Kadlian, and follows it with a Protection from Evil, 10' radius and a Blessing and Aid spell (all gained by use of the candle).
"Go get em!"
Kadlian smiles and draws his swords. "I will be back in a moment or two."
Kadlian departs, and the rest of you move into position, Hlarn and Rage on the point.
Ten minutes later you hear an ungodly howling, followed by the pitter patter of elf-feet.
Kadlian barrels down the steps and around the corner from the chamber and runs towards you, with four wailing wights in hot pursuit.
The Lama of Silverbeard boldly presents his holy symbol, and a pillar of flame explodes out of the rocks, engulfing the undead and reducing them to ashes.
You head back up to the chamber where you battled the demons, and immediately spot an opened secret door in the north wall, west corner. Through it you see a small room (5" X 10', oriented north-south). The place is littered with bones...plus the slightly gnawed bodies of the two demons you killed recently. Also in the room you find 500ep and a crown (900gp).
Kailar leads you through the bars to the south that Hlarn bent earlier, and you look down to the west end of the formerly closed off area. Where Hlarn previously saw the graven image of a leering demon on the floor is now a shaft. Looking down it, you see that it terminates in the alcove where the carrion crawlers lurked. Below is the leering demon-image. In the back wall of the niche are two parallel grooves, and Hlarn realises (being a dwarf and all) that it is an elevator device thingie.
The matter settled, you return to the bridge over the chamber where you fought the 'crawlers and dretch demons, and look though the doorway to the south, into the octagonal shaft/stairwell.
This strange stairwell is about 30' deep. Two flights of stairs - each about 5' wide - run downwards for 10' (vertical distance) to the left and right, ending at a 5' X 10' landing jutting out of the south wall. Note that the bottom of the shaft is still some 20' below this landing. Looking down there, you see a narrow (5' wide) opening running out of the southern section of the east wall.
A pair of parallel grooves runs down the south wall, from the south landing to the bottom of the shaft.
Kadlian looks at Hlarn. "Another elevator device thingie? How does it work?"
Hlarn seems to be lost in thought.
Kadlian shakes the dwarf. "Hlarn, snap out of it. Now is not the time to ignore me."
Hlarn shakes his head. "Yes, it is most likely an elevator. What might activate it is anyone's guess. It could be a magic word, levers or buttons, or need some sort of key. I'd wager these demonic images have something to do with its control."
"Do you think we should attempt to learn how it works? Or is it better to avoid it?"
"We might need to to get to the lower levels. But lets wait until we have no other choices."
Kadlian nods. "Very well. Kailar, take the left staircase and Roganna take the right. Check both sets of stairs for traps and then check out the landing below, together. Explore the passage briefly and try to ascertain if the 'elevator' is the only way down or if we have other options."
"When you think it is safe on the landing, we will join you."
"Sure thing." Roganna replies, proceeding to check out the right staircase.
Kailar proceeds down the left staircase.
Neither of them spot any traps on the staircase.
The two sets of steps only go down to the south landing, which you surmise to be an elevator device. Below the landing there is nothing, except for the two grooves in the wall, until you hit the bottom of the shaft, 20' below.
Hlarn uses his ring of flying to move down underneath to get a better look.
Flying down, you see what appears to be some sort of supports under the landing, and they go into the grooves in the wall. There is no sign of any sort of mechanism, though. Perhaps it is magic.
Or an advanced form of technology indistinguishable from magic, thinks the dwarf.
Hlarn shrugs. "Lets carry on..."
"Okay, everyone let us go down. Kailar, Roganna, check out that passage. We will decide if we should explore or just go down based on what you find."
"Aye, Aye Captain."
"Okie Dokie Sir," Roganna replies, moving off to check the passage.
With Hlarn hovering nearby, the rest of you pile down the steps and onto the south landing 10' below. There is a sound of grinding gears and rattling chains from somewhere within the south wall, and the landing obligingly descends to the bottom of the shaft, 20' below.
Out of the south portion of the east wall runs a 5' wide passage. Looking down it, Roganna and Kailar, with the rest of you behind them, see that after 5' the passage widens out to the north, becoming 10' wide. It continues east for another 30', then turns southeast. The passage is damp and dismal, looking. A solitary torch in a wall sconce provides illumination. The air has the sickly smell of rotting flesh down here, and with good reason.
Staggering towards you are eight of the undead. Three are ogre corpses, animated by some fell magic and now driven by the hateful will of their creators. Behind them come five skeletal figures clad in rotting clerical robes. Perhaps these are the ones who originally animated the dead ogres. What fate have they in store for you? you wonder.
"OOOOOoooooooOOOOoooo..." moan the ogre-zombies, as they close to attack.
Kadlian has fallen unnaturally silent for the moment, and all eyes look to Hlarn for guidance. Or maybe they don't.
Hlarn turns toward Rage... "Blast what remains..."
He then holds out his holy symbol, "Back to true death with you!"
Once done sends his hammer flying at any survivors of Rage's and his actions, and then motions for fighters to close.
"Umboth, try and turn those ugly things!" shouts Sian as he prepares to attack with swords.
"Begone, in the name of Goodness and Law!" says Umboth, holding forth his holy symbol.
"The hell with this," Logan says as he chants a few words of magic and unleashes a set of magic missiles at one of the undead clerics.
Rage waits to see what effect the cleric's and Logan's magic missiles have before following up with a lightning bolt.
"Hold your position, Logan! Your job is to guard the spellcasters. Use your head!
"Sian, Vanadil, prepare to meet the undead that Hlarn, Umboth and Roganna cannot turn."
Kadlian draws his swords and ignites his flametongue. "Roganna help Hlarn and Umboth."
The words of Hlarn and Umboth cause the undead to turn away and retreat...the robed figures fleeing much faster than the shambling monster zombies. Then Logan's magic missile spell blasts into the back of one ogre-zombie, blowing its rotting carcass to bits.
"Yeah," Logan says after he fires the magic missiles. He unsheathes his sword and take point between the spellcasters and zombies.
Hlarn's hammer sails through the air...misses a zombie, and returns to his grip.
"Hlarn, speculation on what the robed creatures are? And suggestions on how we dig them out?"
"Careful... they are not simple undead, or they would have been destroyed by my power."
Hlarn shrugs, "I suggest letting them get at maximum range and then having Rage blast them with lightning."
"Rage, talk to Logan about spell rationing. I am apparently not getting through to him."
Rage looks at Logan, "Logan, ration your spells. Do not waste magic missile spells on zombies, skeletons and the like. Save them for bigger game. As a mage, you should practice relaxing and letting the others do the work until it is time for your special skills to be used. Understood?" the mage says. "In particular, we usually listen to Kadlian on spell use."
He growls at her, but nods in understanding.
Rage looks at Logan, her eyes firm. "Control is the first step in understanding Logan. The more control you have of yourself, your actions, your mental facilities, the more powerful a mage you can become. Your impatience limits you. Also knowing when to use a spell and when not to is important. You initially wasted a spell there, since these are creatures our clerics can usually easily rid us of. Now, with the information that these creatures were not destroyed by Hlarn invoking his divine power, but retreated, we can see that spells will be called for.
"Look, listen and learn, Logan, and you will go far. Erica says, however, your growl is delightful and she would love to tame the wild animal in you," the mage says, with a slight smile.
"Guess my apprenticeship has begun, love," he says with a toothy smile, and nods, "I am more than willin', Erica, just give a growl." He says as he resumes his battle stance with sword ready.
Aron speaks.
"I hear your words. You are strong with your magic and very effective - but we can't always rely on your magic. Before you blast these creatures with your staff, why not let me do what I'm good at. They are retreating to some point, let me follow and find out where."
"Aron, while I respect your courage, I question your wisdom. If I send anyone down to look in on them, it will be Kailar or Hlarn. You have no protection against the undead. Hlarn, I presume you can turn them again, if need be?"
"Then how about letting me go with Kailar or Hlarn? I understand Hlarn's protection comes from his god, but what protection does Kailar have?"
"His magic. Kailar, can turn into a wraithform and he also has a few other spells up his sleeve that can get him out of a tight spot."
"Very well." Aron goes back to party's rear.
"Now, Aron, do not think I am dismissing your offer so quickly. If we do send Hlarn, then I will want someone to watch his back. No reason it cannot be you."
"That is, if we decide to tackle them at all today."
"Let's not be too hasty, Kadlian. Aron might have skills that can get him out of trouble also."
Kailar turns to Aron.
"Do you?"
"If a retreat is called for, I can run fairly fast. Plus I have one of the rings of flying."
Kadlian nods. "I remember. I just do not want to send you to your death because I wanted to boost your morale. Can you wield a sword?"
"I can wield a sword, but not very well. Besides, I have my hands and the magical dagger from you."
"With some undead, a touch can drain you. And weilding a dagger against them, does not give you enough room to easily avoid their touch."
"Well, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to evaluate your skills sometime. Perhaps when we return to camp, if you like."
"Okay, Kailar, and perhaps you could also share some of your knowledge on opening locks and such."
"Certainly. Do you have any knowledge of locks and traps now?"
"Yes, in both areas."
Rage speaks. "What is our plan? I am getting tired, and I suggest we consider a break now, to plan our next moves. It would let us recharge some of our spells, and reselect others. It is at a time like this, when we had lost some spells, we began to get careless."
Kadlian shrugs. "So, you want to leave the undead for tomorrow? If that is the case, we should find a way back up and camp at the room where we first came in here. That is, if it does not transport us back to the other ruin. If it does, there are better places in that ruin to rest. Hlarn, do you think you can figure out how to work that elevator?"
"Ricochet a bolt down the corridor and then we rest. It'll keep them occupied. Then Aron and I can slice and dice some undead," Logan says with a grin.
You turn and step back onto the elevator. It carries you back up to the bottom of the stairs, and from there you make your way back to the chamber where you battled the demons. You then head north, east and south into the chamber with the steps. Passing through the door in the south, you follow the passage beyond, going east, north and then east again.
As it was when you previously came back this way, the door that you came through which led to the transporting chamber no longer seems to exist. You post guards and settle down at the end of the passage.