Session 7: Delving the Darkness Report

General Summary

The heroes have now adjusted to the caverns to which they were transported and are delving deeper. Water flows through many of caves, in and out of spaces through worn openings in the rock walls. A nearby cavern held two troglodytes. Mi'tsuru'gi snuck in to best them, but their chameleon (camel-lion) skin hid them and they in turn, suprised the elven archer-rouge. Other party members rushed in just as one of the Trogs opened a gated passage to release a brown bear. Even the stink of the trogs could not save them as the party rushed in and overpowered the lizards-- the bear too was killed as he took a swipe and then rushed toward a rough hewn passage leading up and out of the caves.   Several natural passages led from the trog and bear cavern. Exploring the southern passage the party emerged into a massive cavern with glittering, phospherescent lichens and fungus all over the ceiling, 50 feet overheard, presenting an imag of a starry sky. Below, the surface of the cavern was massive mushroom forest with some caps as tall as a human, and other areas covered in a blanket of toadstools, morels and othe fungi. Some well trod paths wound through the mushroom forest, one to the east and ending in an iron bound door, one across the way to a set of flowstone stairs leading up to a passage and one to the west leading to a large ledge platform upon which were placed numerous sarcophagi. Falkas called upon his diety to to detect the presence of evil, and found, a white substance on his own chest and neck that was undead! He had been afflicted by the "disease" that had taken over Jedda of the Knights of the Watch.   Not sure what to do they party went back to the trog cavern and the hewn passage. This inclined upward for perhaps 500' and then emerged on the lower flanks of the northeast The Barrier Peaks. The party emerged with the sun at their backs, late in the day, and looking east they could see where Steigs Stand would be, on the Thwar to Thornward Road about 3 days walk away. After discusion the party decided to burn away the undead taking over Falkas's flesh, and although he now has scars, burning away the afffliction did rid him of it. What is this undead sickness? Is it linked to these rumours of the Old One?   The party wondered if they should return to Steigs or continue to explore these new-found caves. They decided to explore, but after night's rest in the open. Near the end of their recuperation, an Alarm spell set by Brimble Knackles in the corridor went off. Mitsu went to investigate and found a trog inspecting the cavern. One well-placed arrow assasinated the lizard.   Time to move on. And they did, exploring nearby caves where Brimble's Mage Hand pried a +1 longsword from a dwarven skeleton entombed in poisonous mould. Wandering through the mushroom forest to the metal door two gricks emerged from a rockfall and attacked. Arrows, swords, and spells defeated them. The metal door at the eastern end of the cavern with a dwarven rune, the clan name Durgeddin, proved too tricky for Mitsu's nimble hands and remains shut, for now. The sarcophagi above the mushrooms at the western end appeared to hold dwarves, given the dwarven runes on them, although the party disturbed none of the tombs. Three of the tombs held warnings to not distrub the honourable dead and names of the interred: Borgol the Old, Gharin Orc-Doom, and Numik the Unlucky. According to the runes, the most recent tomb was sealed about 100 years ago.   The final exit from the mushroom cavern to the south took the party up into long cavern with swift flowing stream against the far wall that carried water to the east and through large gash in the stone to thunder 60 feet down into a cavern below. A large flowstone spiraliing stair seemed to follow the water down. Walking up to the stream Falkas slipped on the wet stones and was almost carried over the falls, but he managed to crawl back to the cavern floor. At this point, the stairs seemed a better bet.   The stairs took the party down to a cavern filled with mist from the falling water, the water itself exiting through a hole to the south next to a natural passage. To the east was a long stone wall with two wooden doors, swollen shut from moisture. The heroes managed to wrench open the northern door and were confronted with a large store room full of barrels, crates, and sacks of rotting food, barely discernable as such, drink and other supplies. These once-comestables must have been in place for decades if not a 100 years or more. Entering the room further, Mitsu stepped in a wettened patch of floor -- that sudden rose up to attack. The Gray Ooze punched at both Mitus and Falkas who rushed in to slash with his double-bladed scimitar. The ooze was killed, but its acidic nature damaged one of Falkas's blades (permanent -1 to damage rolls).   Our heroes must decide where their hearts and minds will take them: further exploration of these caves and seeming dwarfhold? Back to Steigs to report Jedda's death and partake of some warm bread, meat and ale at Marcus Wrathbone's Inn?

Rewards Granted

3 x troglodytes: 150
1 x brown bear: 200
2 x grick: 900
1 x gray ooze: 100   total XP per PC: 337   Thomen Jax has a +1 longsword from an ancient dwarf skeleton.
Falkas has 35 golden coins from the pouch of long-dead dwarf, not a recent minting as they do not bear the Lion mark of Bissel.