Pippen really wanted to return to the Hall, did not want to head downstairs. Pippen and Grastic met up again.

We heard from Pippen that Abigail was very proud of that 4-sided statue and devoted to it. We headed down one level (to level 6?) to the 4-sided statue and planning to return, presently, after having drained the aforementioned statue of some of its treasure.

Statue Of The Elder Gods, Revisited#

On the South side of the statue. Alms bowl, black gems within. Evil was still strong down there.

Kyril cast protection from fire (for 96 hp) and headed to the eastern face. Intensely carmine. A flaming amoeba, wreathed in tentacles of flame. The alms bowl held 6 large gems, red, possibly rubies, a ring, lots of magic items and a flask. The ring did not burn him when he plucked it from the bowl. But something happened.

A large creature appeared. More of a pillar of flame. Huge, flaming amoeba. Emanating fiery heat. Kyril with his protection spell in effect took no damage. Tim and Gonchar took half damage, Lycovyne and Flint took full damage (19 points). The heat ebbed after the huge explosion. 30' pillar of fire. Kyril grabbed the flask and then, initiative. Kyril’s protection was slowly getting eaten away. He was in the middle of an inferno; the walls were blackening.

• Kyril won initiative and grabbed the sword in the alms bowl, a long sword
• he got hit again with a heat ray
• Kyril won initiative again
• grabbed the rubies, 6 of them, glowing hot
• saved vs spells, or did not, and took 10 points of damage (absorbed by the protection spell), then 16 more from a heat ray (80 hp left)
• initiative loss, but natural 20 save
• Kyril ran for the stairs, the fire creature followed him
• initiative win, saved
• Kyril shape changed into a cheetah and headed north, back to the clearing
• the fire creature was fast, faster than any party member, but couldn’t keep up with Kyril
• it fell behind but it did get one more heat ray in, bringing the protection from fire down to 9 points (71 points of damage, ouch)

A cheetah ran around Grastic’s hut. We refrained from hitting it. It changed back into an elf druid, gaining 1 point. All of the loot Kyril carried had cooled off. The sword was clearly glowing, giving off light. Kyril handed it to Lycovyne, who found it well balanced. Carvings in the sword resembled flames. Fire brand? Kyril ran back through the area with the 4-sided statue and the fire creature had dissipated.

Kyril scouted up 2 levels (level 4?) and felt that something was following him around. He had his cheetah senses and heard several creatures in the area.

The druid returned to us on the 5th level and suggested going up one and trying to open the clear casket that remained locked. We stocked up on healing spells and rested, to get back to full.

Grastic bugged us while we were resting. Menka and Tim made it through, as Pippen lead him away. Flint and Ulland, interrupted the same way. Cathal and Gonchar’s watch passed without incident. As did Kyril and Lycovyne’s shift.

Thuper Evil Thord, Revithited#

We did indeed go up one level to the glass casket to get the evil sword. On the way back Lycovyne took a shot at some webs with the new sword. At first it did nothing but then later, it did nothing. We made our way back to the room above in search of the thuper evil thord in the crythal cathket. Flint was able to find the thecret door again with ease.

Abecoste was near the sword. She looked revived. Cathal detected evil in the room, but it was emanating from the sword. Cathal suggested she leave and she did so. Menka spoke with her - “the finding, the friend here, not here! Thought: wine: no wine.” She shrugged, looked around, said " world gone, all is different". We offered to take her to the statue of Athena but she declined.

• Lycovyne cast knock on the crystal chest, no luck. Sealed shut.
• previously in this room a clerical scroll made it to the list but not 2 potions
• Flint examined it again. A crystal chest, containing a sword resting on a large pile of gold.
• a vat of vinegar was in the same room
• we could find no way to shatter the crystal chest

We went back to Pippen’s room. On the way back we heard that piercing scream through the wall. Cathal opened the secret door, again. Inky blackness. Magic light didn’t penetrate. A bone chilling scream was heard from beyond the darkness. We continued onward, closing the door. No way to see through the blackness.

Shit Creek Revisited#

Around the corner to where we killed Arkadios and then the byaa-kee, Lycovyne, Menka and Flint mounted the carpet and head toward the treasure room. Lycovyne got sick in shit central, again.

• giant bat bit Menka for 2 pints
• Menka missed his dex save and went flying off the carpet
• Cathal tried to use the Boots of Jumping to try and catch him, but missed
• Menka fell into the pit, 16 points of damage falling in, something large was moving toward Menka
• initiative win
• Menka cast meld into stone (why didn’t this work?)
• huge creature, 3 stump like legs, huge round body, excremental - huge mouth in the middle of the head, sensory organ stalk coming out of its head
• Menka attacked and missed
• it injured Menka for 6 points, possible disease
• Cathal hit it twice for 18 total
• Cathal hit it again for 17 points of damage both made their con saves
• initiative loss
• the disgusting thing attacked Cathal but missed
• Cathal hit twice, once with a natural 20, for 35 points of damage, killing it utterly
• otyugh, 59 pts

Flint, on the carpet, had been assailed the whole time by bats. Cathal got Menka back on the carpet. We made for the northern wall. Cathal cured disease and laid hands on Menka, getting him up to 24 points. The illusory wizard at the far end of the hallway cast a series of illusory magic missiles at us. His illusory female friend did the same thing in the next corridor.

Flint picked the lock in the door we found Arkadios’ note stuck to. The door opened and poison gas leaked out. Flint, Menka and Flint saved, though Lycovyne did not, and passed out on the carpet. We went through the sandstone wall, where darkness fell to the ground. We made it to the sarcophagus where Cathal and Kyril had fought Abigail.

Cathal shouldered Lycovyne and carried him down the stairs. We reached the hidden coffin room landing and jumped back on the carpet and flew to the treasure room. It was a huge pile of silver pieces. More than we could possibly take. Huge piles of gold and electrum.

• 12 white pearls
• 6 black pearls
• 3 amethysts, all in a bleached halfling’s skull (18 pearls)
• 4 elaborate crystal bowls
• (Cathal had taken the cutlery)
• enough EP and GP 3225 25 gp, 1100 ep, probably 5x the silver, 1000s and 1000s of sp, a fortune
• no secret doors or anything

Returning to shit creek, we were assailed by bats. Flint failed his dex check crossing shit creek but his ring of feather fall saved his hairy dwarven ass. Kyril cast neutralize poison on Lycovyne and he woke up.

Is Too Much - I Will Sum UP#

Knowing the way, we made it to the Hall and were reunited with Brugg.

“You I’ve seen before. We know the halfling. And this other one, a big halfling (laughs). Theft is forbidden here. Murder is forbidden here. Mercantile engagements are encouraged as long as the Mages get their share, otherwise they are forbidden.”

A man in a robe with a hood stood behind him. We have some here who can count very well.

“The Ordinator’s judgement Orkinus is final.”

Brugg passed us on to the accountant, the man in the hood.

2000 gp to enter the Hall. We handed him 2000 of our recently discovered gold. Westkeep, the town, is right above the Hall on the surface.

Once we got past the customs house, we went to the Halfmoon Inn. The proprietress recognized us and got some soapy water going and ordered several of us to get cleaned up. She recognized Pippen as long-lost family and she hugged him and welcomed he and Grastic into the inn. They worked on how to house Grastic.

Statue of the Elder Gods loot!

• ring, flask, sword and 6 rubies from the southern face coffin treasure room
• 12 white pearls, 6 black pearls and 3 amethysts, all in a bleached halfling’s skull
• 4 elaborate crystal bowls
• (Cathal had taken the cutlery)
• “enough EP and GP 3225 25 gp, 1100 ep, probably 5x the silver, 1000s and 1000s of sp, a fortune”???