General Summary
The day is 1st September
In the peace that followed the battle with the harpies, the heroes poked around the ravine and caves looking for a suitable place to rest. They uncovered a pouch with a mysterious
Dwarf Treasure Map.
They deduced the location to be somewhere south of the halfling village known to them, so while a diversion from their northerly trek not hugely out of their way to visit and investigate.
The date is Wednesday, 6th September
Cresting a rocky hill you see a wide lake beyond, its waters not yet frozen by the onset of winter. In the centre of the lake is a small craggy island. Dense reed beds surround the margin of the lake and swarms of mosquitos dance in the air. A few ducks bob up and down on the water.
Sellis' druid skills suggested to her that the plant and animal life wasn't quite right. She used more druid powers to take the form of a
Giant Eagle to transport everyone and their stuff over to the island safely.
The lake island is not large but is densely covered in ferns, heather and briars with particularly long, hooked thorns. There is no sign of the small birds and animals you’d expect to be taking refuge here.
There seems to be a dark hole in a bank behind a particularly thick patch of briars. Hacking them back reveals a debris-covered flight of steps leading down into a dark dank hole.
At the base of the stairs was a scary bas relief demonic figure carved onto double doors - presumably, this is what the dwarf note meant by "demonic portal". It seemed frozen shut but with a combination of magical fire,
Tinnan's muscles and magical silence, it was opened without drama.
Just beyond the door, a spiral stairwell descends into the gloom, there is no sound, no movement of air, no drip of water.
The stairs open out into a wide passage with a low arched ceiling. Dotted here and there, high up on the walls, are small lights, their flames gently dance and flicker. The ice-rimmed stonework is well crafted. In the dim light, a set of doors can just be made out ahead.
Heavy, plain wooden doors stand before you, there does not appear to be a lock.
Beyond is a very dimly lit chamber, four large columns hold up the vaulted ceiling. On the eastern side is a large alcove containing an impressively large demonic statue, hands outstretched as if to grasp a victim. Statue base is inscribed with the name "Goracel".
There was a small hatch on the statue front - about to insert an offering when fire squirted from both hands!
Fyren felt some kind of mechanism within the hatch. Decline to investigate further.
The air down here is less cold and smells of ammonia. A loud buzzing can be heard ahead. A charnel pit filled with carnivorous flies which attack. Maggots and demon worms pour out. A very strange undead ("wormhearted suffragen") emerges from the pit. Blast everything to pieces.
The dim wall lights reveal a long gallery built on three levels with wide steps connecting them. Each level contains a pair of raised niches displaying an ornamental set of ceremonial clothing: some of robes and others of armour. A couple of sturdy pillars hold up the ceiling, invisible in the gloom above.
Tinnan found a pair of pit traps. The
suits of armour animated and attacked. From the darkness came animated animal traps and torture implements which proved highly dangerous.
