The descending passage looks a bit dodgy from a dwarven point of view, but the chamber with floor, walls and ceiling made of green slime is decidedly uncool. Zaal’s arcane eyeball is used to scope the rooms ahead, including a central chamber with a hand-shaped platform that can be lowered into a pit. The stone of the chamber is twisted and warped, transformed into a variety of shapes, textures and materials. Some figures are in the room chatting. All bear signs of transformation and mutations.
Once again, Kegdrain is transformed into an Umber Hulk and the group tunnels around the chamber, intersecting the rough-hewn passage on the other side of the offending slime chamber.
While the rest of the group waits, Fingers goes on ahead, lured by the sound of speech. He peeks from concealment and watches an apparent ceremony, overseen by a green-skinned priestess and attended by a variety of cultists, priests and other unknown entities. When Fingers returns to inform the party, he notes that he too has been mutated, gaining the ability to elongate his arms. The party is somewhat alarmed by this revelation and they decide to launch an attack, lobbing fireballs and bolts of lightning into the mix. The surviving cultists scatter and the group picks a tunnel to traverse in pursuit.
They scout rapidly, finding some minimal resistance and manage to locate another lift that leads to the surface (presumably), as well as evidence that the area can house a significant number of cultists. They sweep on quickly, using Bayga’s trap detection magic to ensure none of the doors are dangerous, and eventually they are forced to double back and traverse the room of the chaos pit.
The return passage has long-lasting effects, as each of the party members save Bayga gain additional mutations, including flexible bones for Kael, an additional set of elbows for Fingers; extensible arm, metal skin for Zaal, a second face for Sniffles and a poisonous throat sac for Kedrain. The group is understandably dismayed by these transformations – perhaps with the exception of Fingers…and maybe Sniffles, ’cause Sniffles ain’t quite right. They demonstrate an admirably narrow view of what is important, and killing cultists is what matter right now.
Luckily, the cultists are assembling in a large room up ahead, presumably making a stand. The angry party resumes fireball and lightning bolt deliveries and the few survivors break and run with the party in pursuit. While the party is momentarily distracted by a bunch of slaves they discover and question, their prey goes to ground.
The group advances methodically and breaches the door to a bedroom. Bed and table have been used to make a crude barricade and a short demon and a couple of three-eyed wizard types man the other side. Kael vaults into the room while Fingers tries to go around one side of the table. Kael chops the demon while dodging blasts of energy from the third eye of the wizards. Fingers joins in and Zaal vaults into the room while Kael is struck dead by the high priestess that suddenly appears in the midst of the action. Blows are traded, blasts of energy are absorbed. Missiles fly and blades flash. In the end the party (sans Kael) is victorious.
Kael’s corpse is placed on the bed, magic is screened and light looting is undertaken. A return visit to the slaves leads to more questions and few real answers. A brain is preserved and then consumed for information the following day. The group rests, fairly secure in the belief that there are no significant threats of the cultist variety in their immediate area. The pit, however, is another thing altogether. More Umber Hulkery is used to dig two escape routes from the area and the loving touch of Sniffles restores Kael to the living. The slaves are slain, then raised as zombies.
Before availing themselves of escape, they decide one more door is in the cards. The first door leads to an antechamber that looks like it was decorated by deranged toddlers and avant-garde artists. The other end of the chamber has a door, barred. A zombie is sent to open the door, which releases a flood of regenerating horrors that swarm through the opening. Magic and fire are used to beat back the attackers with no loss of life. Whew! Exciting stuff. They embark on a second tour of the areas previously swept with trap detecting magic to see what can be looted, discovered and/or murdered.