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Merric Blackman
Australia
Waubra
Victoria
Ramping up my reviewing.
Happily playing games for many, many years.
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The Characters
Five players this time: Chris, Rich, Jackson and Tait returning, with Greg joining us for the first time with an elf Fighter/Magic-User.
Chris - Bjorn the human Cleric 4
Tait - Grak the half-orc Fighter 1
Jackson - Rathralen the human Cleric 1
Rich - Human Thief 4
Greg - Elf Fighter 1/Magic-User 1
10 Wealsun CY
Chris was still against going on Baron Sigmund's voyage, and so the group resolved to explore the dungeon more - especially that area around the rainbow portal. Chris is currently using an application on his iPad to map - in my megadungeon games, it's very good idea having a good map, especially with all the little tricks they have to disorientate the players!
Their first expedition saw them making their way westward from the starting chamber into the lair of the Bloody Tongue orcs (so much less objectionable than the Severed Hand orcs of the level below). Ten orcs were waiting for them, but they were swiftly slain by the party and their treasure - a hefty lot of electrum and silver pieces - was taken. Following a passage north, they discovered steps leading downwards. Halfway down the stairs, there was a click and the entire stairway turned into a slide, which deposited them in a short corridor leading to more of the Bloody Tongue tribe: 18 of them!
Greg used his sleep spell to negate 10 of the orcs, and Chris cast hold person to negate one more, but Jackson, charging unsupported into combat, was swiftly surrounded and knocked unconscious (to -8 hit points). The four remaining party members were able to slay the remaining orcs, but it took too long for Jackson's character, who expired - mostly unmourned - on the floor, under a pile of orc corpses.
It had been a hard fight, and the group returned back to town and their rewards (489 XP each). Rathralen was buried, and Jackson rolled up a new character; I think it's a half-orc fighter, but I'll need to check next session.
14 Wealsun CY
After a few days of resting, the group (with its new member) returned to the dungeon. This time they used the elevator room to explore that part of the dungeon better. Much to their surprised, they found a withered pot-plant in the chamber. Who'd put it there? What was it used for? They couldn't work it out (though their theories were very entertaining to hear).
Making their way to the room of four statues (Thor, Freyr, Freyja and Frigg, in fact), the headed east into unexplored territory. Turning south at the crossroads led to a dead-end with a 10' pit, which Jackson fell into (hooray!), but only took 1 damage. North led to a room in which stood a table made of ash, upon which the dust indicated something had once stood (perhaps orb-like) but had been removed recently. "Ah-ha!" the party exclaimed, "This is where the pot-plant came from!"
So, they returned to the elevator room, then carried the pot-plant back to the table. It proved to be bigger than the object that had been removed, but they left it on the table nonetheless. No boulders appeared to crush them, either, though I was tempted.
Further north brought them to a shallow flight of stairs leading to an underground stream with blind cave fish swimming in it. (And yes, they tried to catch the fish). Wading the stream (with Greg's elf being carried), they went up another shallow flight of stairs and found - of all things - an oracle, which appeared to be a woman sitting in a throne. It proved to answer one question per petitioner, and the questions included such gems as:
"What is the Rainbow Door?" "It is a portal to the land of the gods."
"How do we open it?" "You need the seven rainbow keys?"
"Where are they?" "Scattered around the dungeon and the lands of men."
"Where can I find magic treasure?" "Follow this map." (That was Greg's question).
"Can you tell us more about the Door?" "Yes."
I enjoyed that last one.
The map led the group back to the pot-plant room and off to the east, where twenty orcs of the Severed Hand tribe lived - then a further ten in the next chamber. These were overcome by their magic, and the great loot of 11,000 copper pieces seized! (That was hilarious to give the party). A secret door, easily located by Greg, led to the treasure chamber, where it waited inside a trapped chest. Amazingly, Rich managed to disarm it easily - he's been very good at making his thief rolls.
Within was a magic-user scroll with stinking cloud and phantasmal force, and a ring of warmth - that last very nice for a campaign in the lands of the Frost Barbarians!
At this stage, it was time to return to the village; another 400 XP gained by all, as well as some rare magic loot. It had been a good session. Let's see what happens next session!
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Ramping up my reviewing.
