Re-entering the manor house is a mix of trepidation and excitement. Half the key is in hand and it seems likely (hopefully) that they’ve battled and defeated the worst of the occupants…except maybe the ghost in the gate towers – but they’re pretty sure they don’t need anything from over there. So they return to the tower top where they spied the hellhounds. Now that the dog-loving goat-demon or whatever it was is dead, they set about committing caninicide.
Further investigation results in them slaying the skeleton crew that nearly ended their adventuring career on the first visit, slaying a ghoul, finding a hidden trapdoor in the roof of a square tower and retrieving the second half of the coil-key. Some treasure is found and divided for carrying, then they return the grotesque statue on the first floor.
Armed with the knowledge gleaned from the journals found and read, as well as their experiences from the first two visits – they set up camp and post watches. For once, luck is with them and the statue reveals a secret compartment that seems just about right for a small round object – like the coil key!
The statue slides aside and a ladder is revealed. The ladder is descended and Digin is attacked by a large skeleton wearing some unidentifiable tatters of a ceremonial robe. The group rallies and slays the offending entity. Now, all that is revealed in the otherwise featureless room is a strange fleshy membrane that obviously covers a shaft of some sort. Secret doors are ruled out and no traps are discovered, so the membrane is punctured by a crossbow bolt. Eventually the opening is uncovered and an icy shaft leads downward into a deep freeze.
The climbing rope is used and two-thirds of the party are in the lower, colder chamber when a pair of chaos minotaurs burst forth from their icy prisons in the walls of the frost covered ice-cave. The battle is joined – and KegDrain slays one beast in but a single round with a collection of magic and bladecraft. The other gets in a solid blow against Digin before it too is vanquished. More investigation ensues. Items of interest include a folio wrapped in oilskins hidden in an icy crevasse and the discovery of a waterway that extends downwards into a passage. The water is hypothermia inducingly cold, but luckily they didn’t pawn that ring of warmth they discovered earlier, and so Bayga volunteers to swim the length of the passage to parts unknown. He removes everything except his loincloth and light orb, takes the rope of climbing and swims away. He returns with news of another ice sheet that bars passage to a room beyond. Eventually, two more days pass and with proper spell protections, they make it to the next space – except Fingers. Fingers nearly drowns and it requires much effort to keep him from expiring.
Once revived, the group scopes out their new cold room. This one is occupied by a collection of chests and a large door. The chests bear descriptive inscriptions and the door bears what appears to be an ominous warning. ‘Why are we here?’ ‘Loot’. Ok then.
The chests prove to be a struggle, but everyone pitches in and within a few hours they have opened all of the chests and catalogued the contents. They need a few days to prepare new spells for the return leg and so the mage identifies their loot. Weapons and magic items that seem a bit ‘chaotic’, but powerful in their own right, as well as the object of their quest – the Allkey!
There is a failed attempt to open the ominous door and they flirt with the idea of using the allkey, but the elf urges caution, now they they have their item – why risk it? His prudence wins out – for now – and they set about departing. Again, Fingers nearly drowns but he seems to be getting better at recovering from it. They ascend to the ground floor and remove the coil-key from the statue, which promptly slides back into position.
It is the wee hours of the morning when they exit into the courtyard and into the trap. A glowing orb appears in their midst that plunges everyone save Sniffles and KegDrain into a hopeless despair. Simultaneously, a strange demon-creature flanked by men at arms blocks their exit from the courtyard. Lizard-folk appear on the elevated ledges, one with a wicked double crossbow and the other with a glowing staff. The demon creature menaces them and gloats a bit. It introduces itself and demands that the party hand over the chaos weapons that it has plundered. Being literal, they hand over everything except the key – a key isn’t a weapon, after all – and that seems sufficient to mollify the creature. It taunts them a bit and then allows the group to leave the premises. They skulk back to the weeds and are mightily disgruntled.
They manage to exit Oldtown and soon find themselves back at the flophouse. After all that, they finally have the key that it seems is required to use on the chest…and it works! Inside are a shield, a flail, a wand and a stash of vials of something called ‘Alchemist’s Fire’ that is needed to give the items powers, or enhance the ones they already have. Zaal opines that this Chaositech stuff is whack.
For now, a few days in the square – some sleep and hot food, then it is time to see what mischief awaits…
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