Having dispatched the troll, Arkadios poured a flask of oil on the troll’s body and the party destroyed it in purifying flame. While the chamber filled with the reek of burning troll the party noticed a writhing form tied up in a corner.

“He will help us if we help him”, quoth the creature.

Untying and releasing the creature, we found it to be a blue-gray and hairless beast about 3 feet tall. Arkadios touched the blue creature and it disappeared and reappeared 4’ away behind a boulder. Among its ceaseless prattling it mentioned that it had found an antique brooch which it referred to as “the precious”. Also:

• “little goblins have the key”
• “wet ogres have one”
• something about “dry wet ogres”
• “big goblins have one”
• “she will have split it up”

The party allowed the creature to remain free while we examined the loot we’d found.

• Gonchar tried on the banded mail and it conformed to his size as if by magic.
• Menka took the shield.
• Kyril took the two potions and a gem
• Arkadios took the ring.
• Lycovyne took a gem.

The party returned to the rune at the dead end (2, map pg. 9) and Lycovyne attempted to read magic. Apparently, it worked, and while he was at it he read a few other things:

• First rune reads “keyhole”
• Second rune (above the first) reads “wizard lock”
• The Kleb’s arrow reads “slay clay golem” ( doh! )
• The scrolls collected so far read: continual light, fireball, dispel magic
• The tattoo on Lycovyne’s arm reads: “I like my magic like I like my men…”

Gonchar The Peeper#

While Lycovyne read magic Gonchar watched at the southwestern door in (3) as we had previously seen a bunch of accursed goblins enter that unexplored chamber. Gonchar burst into the room (3) after seeing “heat” through a keyhole (no comment) and hearing them say something about “the dwarf”. He somehow managed to kill 2 goblins with the door immediately upon entry only to find himself in battle with the 6 remaining goblins and 2 wargs.

Gonchar killed one warg as the rest of the party, alerted by the ruckus, joined in the fray. Arkadios attempted to subdue a goblin for questioning but the foul beast got away and fell down the pit trap in (3) where, apparently, it was eaten by something lurking in the pit. Final battle tally:

• Gonchar: 3 goblins, 1 warg
• Arkadios: 1 goblin
• Lycovyne: 1 warg
• Kyril: 2 goblins

The party approached the secret door in the eastern wall of (3). Gonchar began trying to open the door. Flint (watching at the door to (3)) observed that we were being followed by the little blue guy. Gonchar succeeded in “unlocking” the secret door and looked through. All the goblins seem to be wearing the same uniform – studded leather with smashed skull insignia. He also saw some of the goblins leading the huge goblin “king” away (to where?) who kept saying “dwarf ha ha ha” and apparently wanted to return and fight.

The little blue guy appeared and offered to help us again:

“go as far east as you can and you will find the wet ogres and the eyes” “she has the body”

Party decided to post a guard at the south door in (3) while Lycovyne casts knock on the rune- sealed door at (2). First, the party rests in (3) while Lycovyne reads knock after casting continual light on a torch.

After resting Lycovyne successfully knocked the door open but it closed again within one round. Frustrated and pissed off, Gonchar managed to force the door back open now that the seal had been broken. Flint attempted to hold the door open with remove traps and the party ran through the portal while it was open. Arkadios attempted to hold the open door in place with iron spikes. The door scoffed at Arkadios’ efforts and closed once again via spring action.

Bugbear Battle#

With no place left to go but forward, the party moved on, finding itself in a long, long hallway with an unlocked door at the end. This door opened into a “large, meticulously, surrealistically clean room, probably daily occupied” (7). Luckily for the thief present it was unoccupied at the time. The very nice desk in the corner being ripe for picking, Flint went to work and picked the locks:

• 2 scrolls
• 1 wand
• 1 quiver of arrows
• a sack filled with 230 GP (38 GP each)

(7) is a very luxurious room with black velvet tapestries and lanterns lit everywhere. There is a door in the south wall and a concealed door in the western wall just south of the door we entered through. The party looked through the concealed door before resting and saw a a black cat sitting on a set of steps far down a hallway – a familiar?

The party checked the door in the south wall. Flint listened at the door and heard wind whistling. Lycovyne opened the door, finding a small 5x5 room with a ladder going down into the depths. The party closed the door without descending the ladder. The party then attempted to rest in (7).

Arkadios and Menka took first guard. During that guard duty they heard the door in the western wall rattling. Menka cast protection from evil while Arkadios wakened the rest of the party. 5 bugbears and 2 orcish archers burst through the door!

• Arkadios, Menka and the bugbears do battle while the rest of the party rises and enters the fray. An injured Menka uses the Ram’s Head Ring (found in the Kleen compound) on its highest power setting (how?) on a bugbear and blows its head off.

• Lycovyne skewers an orcish archer and nails it to the door (natural 20).

• Gonchar and Kyril battle a bugbear with Kyril delivering the final blow.

• Menka hits another bugbear with the ram’s head ring while Kyril casts summon insects and Gonchar is locked in mortal combat with another bugbear.

• The DM wins initiative (the big snot!) and damage is dealt to the party all around.

• Gonchar slays his bugbear foe. Menka takes out another bugbear with the ring and then switches to his footman’s flail. Kyril loses summon insects to a hit from a bugbear, but kills both his orcish allies in turn.

• This time the party won initiative (praise Thoth!).

• Gonchar, Lycovyne and Arkadios all take down a bugbear foe.

• Menka casts sanctuary in order to hand out some cure light wounds spells without interruption.

• The party attempted to parley with the remaining, moronic bugbears but to no avail.

• Gonchar killed one in single combat in response to its challenge.

• The last cowardly and badly injured bugbear took off down the hall beyond the concealed door. Lycovyne followed after it to see where it would go. It turned on Lycovyne and he slew it, verily.

  By the notes, the death tally (kind of unclear, DM may need to clarify):

• Gonchar: 2 bugbears

• Menka: 2 bugbear

• Arkadios: 1 bugbear

• Kyril: 2 orcs

• Lycovyne: 1 bugbear

A sorely worn down and bleeding party decided to, yet again, attempt to rest at (7). This decision was aided by the fact that there was, indeed, nowhere else to go.

The Female Voice#

While making this decision the party became aware of a female voice that seemed to be coming “from everywhere” but, most likely, down the steps beyond the concealed door. This female voice stated that “this place is a tomb and she is imprisoned within”, that “we are the entertainment” and that she assumed we were after someone else’s treasure as common thieves. (The party would find out later that she is, indeed, sitting upon what may be a very large treasure.)

Arkadios and Menka, again, draw the first guard duty. Menka made a mental note to change the marching order in the morning. During this first guard duty shift, while the rest of the party dozes and recuperates, Arkadios and Menka “converse” with this disembodied female voice.

• she knows of Melios and his “bauble”
• she requires that “he” (Guldar Heel) willingly come to her and free her
• she wishes to discuss the matter in detail

Menka, Priest of Thoth and seeker of knowledge, casts bless and goes to (9) to meet with her. She told Menka that Hraelock’s treasure is held and hidden by her at (9). She said it was ours if we got Guldar Heel to show up in person and release her. In fact, she successfully commanded or charmed Menka to do just that.