Cultists and Crocodile Pool: Game 21

General Summary

The Party cleared out the quarters of the reptile god's higher level human followers, and nearly lost Ankili mac Aevyrn and Monell in the crocodile pool.

Where next?

The Party started in game in the winestorage market as #11, explored the possibility of traveling up the passage in mud toward the area marked #10 on map, but after exploring the passage and seeing a shallow pool of water (#10 on the map), the Party went back went, where the passage turned north toward the area marked #14 on the map.

11. Wine Storage

This room is stoutly locked. When the door is tried, a little dirt will fall from the ceiling. If the door is forced and traps not checked, then a large section of dirt will fall from the ceiling onto any characters within 10' of the door, doing damage to each. The Party checked for traps and the room contained 15 casks and kegs, raised off the dirt floor on wooden shelves. Most of these contain the low-grade wine and watery beer that the Party assumes is given to low level cult members, and four small casks that the Party assumes are the private stock for the reptile god and her higher minions. These are all full. Two contain a strong, dark beer; the others contain Velunan Fireamber and Orlane Special wines. The casks weigh 25 lbs each. The Party spent a lot of time thinking about whether to destory the wine and beer.

14. Human Cultists Quarters

Herein dwell the reptile god's higher level human followers: two trained in the stealthy arts, a fighter, and a cleric. These rooms are the most comfortable in the dungeon seen to date, and three of the four residents are in them. When interrogating Benn Giff, one of the cultist trained an assassin, the Party is told that the fourth, a cleric named Garath Primo, is in the next level of the dungeon, either at the Altar of Evil or maybe in the Throne Room of Explicitica Defilus.

The four rooms included:

14a: Main Room

The main room contains four soft chairs and several small tables. A fire is burning in the large fireplace and a large stack of wood is next to it. A keg of Orlanean wine (about 1/4 full) is set in the corner, and two cups are on one of the tables.

14b: Stealthy Men's Room

The stealthy Benn Griff and Blayze Gobbar shared this room. It contains one shared bed and mattress for the loverboys, two chairs, and six wall pegs. Two woolen cloaks and other nicely made and fashioable clothes are in here, but the room is otherwise empty. Benn Griff had a magic short sword. The Party beleived the sword was poisonous, and after the scimitar, no one wanted Ankili to touch it. The Party hid it, with the intention that it would not be found and used against them.

14c: Fighter's Room

This is Jarvis Inigar's room, containing a bed, chair, and containing a bed, chair, and several pegs on the wall. A woolen cloak hangs from one of these, and a thick quilt covers the bed. There is nothing else in the room. The Party was able to take Jarvis's magic +2 shield, which is a wooden red shield with black eagle Order of the Raveneagle. The Order of the Raveneagle, is old miliatary order that was founded after the Guar Conquest in Northern Fultar. The Order is made up of freemen, who would serve the high nobles (called "Landermen"). The Landermen are among the middle rank of the Fultonian Nobility. The Order of the Raveneagle has largely died out, and the Party is unclear how the fighter Jarvis obtained the shield. One of the few large remaining groups of the Order of the Raveneagle were slain at about 30 years ago during the Battle of Emridy Meadows. The Order of the Raveneagle helped deafeat the evil Order of the Necromantia and Temple of Elemental Evil. The members of the Order of the Raveneagle at the Battle of Emirdy Meadows were slain, along with all of Monell's family (the Alatus Leon), except her mother.

14d: Priest of the Reptile God

This door is locked, and leads to Garath Primo's room. A soft bed, desk, chair, and wooden chest are the only objects in the room. The chest is hidden under the bed. A small, jade image of the reptile god is on the desk. The chest is locked and protected by a magic, which the gnome was able to remove. Within the chest is a clerical robe of black and crimson, a mace, a number of scrolls, and 49 old platinum Gylcon coins (Glycon coins are Money from Fultar have the Glycon snake symbol). The scrolls included:

Priest spells: Heal, Cure Light Wounds, Cure Light Wounds, Cure Light Wounds, Cure Light Wounds, Cure Serious Wounds,
Mage spells: Minor Globe of Invulnerability, Dispel Magic, Knock, Strength, Identify, Comprehend Languages

5: Cave In

The Party continued in a southerly direction, and passed through a tunnel with the west wall of the tunnel having ben collapsed here, burying the supporting timbers under tons of mud. The widened cavern has a layer of mud at least 3' deep over the entire floor. Movement through this chamber is at 1/4 normal speed for humans and elves, but only 1/10 normal for dwarves and halflings.

6: Burial Pool

The door, swollen from dampness, is opened at a penalty of -1. The pool here has been the final resting spot for many a skeleton, after the slimy creatures of the lower level have picked it clean. Two mossy columns support a low ceiling. The floor is entirely covered with clear water, sloping to a depth of 6' in the center. Dozens of skeletons are visible, and a strong smell of death and decay is in the air. The Party quickly closed the door and elected not to investigate this room.

15: Crocodile Pool

This large room has no doors; the passage leading to it simply endsat the water's edge. The Party did not investigate the enitre room and never saw the entire pool, but the Party is convinced that there must be another way to enter the room. In fact, when fleeing southward, the Party exited the room at a boat landing, but did not see the boat. While the pool is shallow around itsperimeter, the pool reaches a good depth in the center. The muck on the bottom will reduced movement. A stagnant, musty smell is strong here. The water is relatively clear and many small fish can be seen. The more noteworthy residents of the chamber are resting on a mud shelf at the northeast end of the room. Any ripple in the water caused them to enter the pool and swim toward the source of the movement. Ankli was nearly killed by being brought under water, with the elf Dorian diving heroically into the water to save his half-human cousin. Having cast enlarge upon Monell, the Party made haste to race down the passages and take advantage of the magic spell before it disipates.

20: Troglodytes's Guardroom

The Party has been told that the network of chambers gives access to the lower level of the dungeon, and as such a permanent guard of troglodytes has been assigned here. The door was be barred on the side opposite the adventurers approach, but they were able to break it down.

20a: Outterguardroom

The outerguardroom has two troglodytes within, each carrying a stone battleaxe. Three wooden benches are the only items of furniture in the room. The troglodytes will release their stench as soon as the door is hit, and one moves to bang on the door leading to other rooms. Initiative!