Faced with a portcullis, and unwilling to touch it or expend magic to open it, they turn back to explore more of the crypts they previously encountered, in the hopes that other avenues of exploration may be discovered. They do find a secret door with a keyhole, warded by a spell-engine that prevents magic from affecting the door. With no key in sight, they return to exploring.

A previously discovered hidden doorway is opened and explored. A hallway lies beyond as well as a couple of rooms, the last of which is some sort of warped menagerie. All manner of twisted mutations in cages are placed in the room. There are monkeys with spider legs and spiders with monkey heads. A human torso is topped by a tiger’s head and the abomination has given birth to a litter of young...

The cleric uses the map o traps to disarm the magical trap upon the double doors and the Lad deals with the physical trap in the most direct way possible. He triggers it. The block of stone only inflicts a flesh woulnd and the cleric, paladin and Lad heave upon the doors and one ponderously grinds open….to reveal a terrifying sight.

Arrayed in front of the doors is a double line of spell-toting cleric/fighters. Behind them are a quintet of spell casters and in the middle of the room – atop a great set of stairs that straddle a pit of lava is another being. The room is huge, shaped like a six-pointed star and is decorated by a huge statue of Orcus – the demon prince. With that, the battle is joined.

The clerics cast various and sundry debilitating spells, dealing damage and attempting to h...

After proper loin-girding is completed, the cleric deploys the rainbow elevator to lift the group towards the spider silk bridge. As they rise, the mage spots a dozen pony-sized spiders hustling along on an intercept course. They intercept a fireball and the flaming husks plummet into the cavern below.

Reaching the bridge, they act with some urgency, fearing the arrival of the demonspider. The mage deploys the globe of invulnerability and they hustle down the passageway, stopping only once they enter the den of the spider – now roused and terribly angry. ‘go away’ suggests the cleric and poof – the spiderdemon is gone.

The group pauses for a moment in stunned silence...

After some more poking about and ending up in places they have already been, the group takes time to consider where to go next. They make some far-ranging excursions and eventually enter a wide and tall hallway that has a distinctly familiar feel to it.

they follow the hallway for many a mile and eventually arrive at a painted sign indicating an inn is nearby. Say what? An inn? Here? Well, since we’re already here…and in they go. Beyond the doors is a spacious room filled with tables, of which only one is already occupied. Here, a quintet of black-clad figures sits quietly and nurses drinks. The paladin eyes them suspiciously, but only the faintest tain of evil can be detected. The cleric counsels patience.

Behind the bar is a stout…cockroach? Well, a bipedal humanoid with a decidedly coc...

The intrepid group spends another 12 days exploring various stairwell, corridors, rooms and the like. Of note is a piece of statuary that grants experience levels to everyone in the party except Malchor, who is swallowed whole.
Also if note are various and sundry traps, tombs and sarcophagi. These recurring themes convince the party that they are in the right area to finally track down the rotting man. Equally recurring are large distances and areas without any seeming connection. These themes discourage the party and lead them towards despair of ever reaching the goal.
They continue the search for the Goldilocks area – not too easy, so there will be good loot, but not too hard, so no one will die...