Choking out the Half-Ogre

After killing the blind warrior the party hears a woman’s voice screaming from behind a locked door. She yells for someone named “Icar” to let her loose. The party speculates that she might be referring to the sightless fighter. Dalliance (MU 11) converses with her through the door. Dalliance tells her that the party has killed everyone inside. The imprisoned woman says that her name is “Melanadress”. She says that if we release her we should not look at her. The party deduces from this information that Melanadress is a Medusa. Lubboch (F 9) , who is immune to the effects of Medusas due to his Helm of Gazes, enters the room and engages the beast. Her snakes attack but are unable to hit and she soon falls to Lubbocks attacks. The group collects her head and fills two water skins of her blood. Dalliance will cast preserve on the blood and they will see if they can bring the blood to market.
Reza (F 9) breaks loose Thad, protector of Thudheim, pulling his chains from the stone wall.
A search of the blind warriors room reveals a secret trap door beneath his bed and a metal chest that is chained to the floor.
As Dalliance and Bud (M 6/D 6) check the chest, Reza, Lubbock and Parker (C 9) attempt to put out the flames from Dalliance’s fireball that are merrily burning away all the food and supplies stacked about the room. The chest cannot be easily opened so the group goes back to the smithy and gets tools to bust open the lock on the chest. Failing that Parker the Cleric uses his Staff of Opening to magically unlock the chest.
Inside the party finds:
· 2,000 gp Gold
· Fine matched sets of Jet (10)
· A Brass chest with:
o 2 crystal Potion Vials ‘
o A ring
o Rolled up scroll tube
o Ravens Feather wrapped in gold wire
· 10 matched opal and silver bracelets
The trap door beneath the bed opens to a straight 3 x 3 ft shaft dug 45 ft down into earth, with rungs bolted into wall. Thad of Thudheim declares that being without armor or weapons he will not venture down. He will barricade himself in the room and await the parties return. At the bottom of the shaft there is a long hallway which dead ends. Reza uses his Wand of Secret Door Detection and finds a secret door at the end of the passage. Reza investigates the secret door but can’t figure out how to open it. Others try but all fail as well. Dalliance comes down and shows group how to open the portal.
The door rolls straight up and a hallway lies beyond with two alcoves. In each alcove lies a chained Dire Wolf. They both spring at Dalliance but miss as she dances away from them. In response she casts mirror image and two replicas of her appear. As she begins backing away, Parker runs to the front and swipes at the Dire Wolves, and misses. Bud Feaster, the plucky Hobbit Monk/Druid, slaps one of the fowl canines. Bud Feaster then delivers a stunning blow (20) then strikes with his other small hand (20) and yet somehow manages to do almost no damage.
At this point, for some reason, the party begins to laugh about “Choking out the Half-Ogre”.
The rest of the fighters move in to finish off the stunned the creature.
The group decides that they have left Thad of Thudheim too far behind. Dalliance and Parker the Cleric return to him.
While exploring below Reza, Bud and Lubbock are subjected to a mid size lightning bolt coming down the hallway. They rush towards the source of damage but find only a door of iron bars across the passageway. They rush up to it and attempt to break through. Hearing the noise Parker casts haste on himself and climbs back down the trapdoor.
They enter a room that is half lab half bizarre showroom. There is motion on the balcony in the far corner of the room and a “”Frankenstein” like monster begins to rise from a work bench in front of them. Reza uses his gloves of lightning on the creature. Reza is struck by an arrow from the balcony. He then attacks the monster on the work bench with his long sword. As they attack Reza and Lubbock are struck by a volley of Magic Missiles. The Monster is cut down and the three fighters head up a set of stairs with Parker right behind them. A noise like a bottle breaking is heard up the steps and a blue smoke wall begins to form up. They try a side passage around but are ambushed by a volley of arrows fired by six Goblins. A secret door opens and Owl Bears emerge. Parker is bear hugged by the Owlish beast (20) and Bud is also savaged, he runs away as he is close to being killed. Parker joins him but far out paces him with his haste spell in effect. Both Owl Bears chase the near dead Bud. The savage him and bring him to the razor’s edge (1hp). Reza attacks the Owl Bear chasing Bud and strikes a mighty blow into its back. Lubbach kills the other critter. Bud Heals himself and Parker helps too.
Reza is determined to open ONE more door. He believes it to be the lair of the Magic User. That door leads to many, many more doors. Reza tries to convince Dalliance to explore more of the dungeon without Bud. Just the four go on to open ONE more door finding a library beyond. Parker the Cleric casts detect magic but finds nothing.
The party turns back to rejoin Bud, Thad and Dalliance. They head back to the Shadow monster area and kill the beast with Magic Missiles. The group figures out how to feed the captives and begins to figure out a strategy back to Thudheim. The party exits and Dalliance polymorphs into a Crow and begins to scout. The troop heads back to return Thad and the former slave prisoners to Thudheim.