Returning to the room of evil tiles – the group retraces its footsteps but someone is left in the complex, for when they open one of the concealed doors discovered during their last outing they trigger an alarm. While Lad looks for the source of the noise, a dagger sprouts from his thigh and the battle is on. Within twenty seconds, the battle is over and a bugbear lies dead on the floor while the other surrenders.
Brief communication is attempted and while some answers are forthcoming the group is suspicious of the motivation of their captive and ‘persuade’ him to walk in front. While the group is investigating a firepit and piles of straw a commotion rises at the end of the line. The group has been seen by a trio of orcs, and the orcs flee pell-mell.
The group gives chase and ends up following the fleet-footed trio through a harem of scantily clad goblin ‘women’ , into and over a pair of surprised harem guards, but the group steadily loses ground with each new encounter. Eventually, loud shrieks are heard from the area of the throne room. The group investigates to find the three are dead, and the tiles of evil are probably to blame.
Steps are retraced and the group enters, discovers and crosses a large underground lake courtesy of Goldpiece’s folding boat and investigates an labyrinth of collapsing halls and ceilings before finding a repository of records kept during the occupation. Many boxes, scrolls and vellum sheets…and a guardian whose wail is so terrible as to cause half the party to flee in fear. Gala unlimbers her oath bow and slays the beat in a matter of seconds. Much time is spent in finding the fleeing party members and the rest of the labyrinth is explored. The last room is a sacrificial altar dedicated to the Horned One, who apparently stands above the dukes of hell. The record hall is further explored and the discovery of hundreds of unique signet rings raises more questions than cash.
Leaving the underground goblin cemetery, the group searches for further victims to pillage and plunder and within a week, the ranger has detected the lair of critters. Turns out the critters in question are kobolds and rats, but the party doesn’t care and presses on until they are in the midst of a giant trap – as dozens of the critters start hurling missiles at the intrepid group. A fireball destroys the bulk of the attackers and the party overlooks a large cavern full of the yapping yipping yelping creatures.
As the group backtracks a bit, they hear the sounds of hundreds of rodents and a distant flute, both of which draw closer at an alarming rate. Malchor casts spider climb and stands on the ceiling with his wand of frost at the ready…
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