Leaving the village stockade the group journeys through the forest and returns to the mine. They beeline to the hidden door and spend two days traveling along the rough hewn corridor, then find the secret door at the journey’s end. Opening the door reveals a pulsing green obelisk surrounded by a pool of green viscous liquid. The cleric detects a trap and the mage detects strong magic. The group pulls back and lets the mage try and deal with it. A few dispel magic spells later, both magic and trap are suppressed. An ice wall over the pool lets the group proceed.
They encounter a bunch of larvae, egg sacs and full grown death moths. They set the room ablaze and slay the creatures with a minimum of trouble. As they move on to investigate further, there are multiple passages and a couple of secret doors are discovered. They encounter a strange octopusman and after slaying him, are surprised when a smaller creature bursts out of the corpse. The group gives chase but loses the creature.
More exploration reveals another monolith, surrounded by black mushrooms. The cleric spins up a ring of fire and the fungi are roasted. A barrage of dispel spells and a disintegrate later, the menhir is destroyed. A couple of days of camping and the group sets off again.
Sets of terraces are investigated and one way leads to a black menhir on a black lake. A dispel spell, and the whole thing vanishes. The other way leads to a long tunnel with an opening in the ceiling. Malchor climbs up using his slippers and is beset by a trio of angry carpet creatures. They try to slay the mage, but he escapes from them and the party slays the creatures in short order. The way is investigated and it leads to the outside world. He scouts invisibly and finds that they are on the northern ridge of the mountain range, overlooking the forest.
Returning to the party, the reunited party sets about destroying the remaining obelisks, plundering the secret rooms and investigating a long passage that leads to the northwest.
There is some discussion about returning to the mine and slaying the remaining ooze and gelatinous cube they had found earlier. However, the decision is made to follow the northwest passage. They do so until they find themselves at the top of a secret staircase. Trapped steps are found and vaulted. They creep downwards until they exit in the middle of a ceremony of a human sacrifice.
The party springs into action. Elulyn webs off the only avenue of escape. The Gal looses the lions into the crowd and wades into the fray. The mages dispose of the folks in charge of the sacrifice, and the real horror is revealed. A tentacled, glowing beast rises from the abyss. It is immune to most spells it seems, so it falls to the swords of the elf and Co. to dispose of the threat.
The threat has passed and the group loots the fallen, garnering little booty, but recognizes that there are a significant number of Sembians in the mix. This undoubtedly means something, but none are exactly sure what.
Well, there are still two ways to explore, so might as well get to it…
Leave a reply