SESSION 303: Further into the Snake Hole
Meanwhile a few weeks ago: A fall back and then a return culminating in a sticky mess.
Day 267 Continued IV (15.23 The below defiled Dwarven outpostàcamp): The fight with the skeletal naga emptied the tank for our hobos. It was time to rest. They didn’t trust this joint so back to camp they went. On the way out they loaded the first portion of silver into one of the empty chests kindly provided by the snakes.
A trio of wild boars were encountered on the trek through the snow. BoB was able to bag one for dinner. Providing a big smile for Steve the gourmand. Dinner was stellar and the evening was topped with an aroura borealis. Ding-We had a bad feeling about it but it turned out just to be pretty colours in the sky, maybe next time.
Day 268 (14.23 camp to Liwil): Back to hiking through the snow. Fortunately Liwil was not all that far. Returning to town they b-lined for the Knight & Stone tavern and the three small rooms on indefinite let. Ris, the innkeeper greeted the ding-dongs and mentioned that she thought the gang may have forgotten the snoopy dweeb in town instead of taking him on the mission of exploring the lands. The wizard produced a sarcastic ‘ha-ha’. Biff clarified that it was no mistake.
Day 269 (Liwil): Mason tended to the many lingering injuries as the gang basically sat around for the day to recuperate and warm their bones.
Day 270 (LiwilàDwarven outpost): The day was clear and they had not crossed paths with Felix yet. Ding-We cracked the whip, “Let’s get back to camp before something spoils the day”. Biff got a chuckle out of this. This time they brought a squad of Steve’s mercenaries that were stationed outside of town along for the hike. Getting to camp the mercs were given direction as the hobos made haste back to the once Dwarven temple and outpost.
Through the demonic gargoyle lair and hydra cavern they returned to the pillared chamber. It looked as not much more than bugs and other small things had moved in to consume the cold dead carcasses of the serpent-men.
They returned to the wicked altar chamber and took the unexplored western passage. After a turn and then a long run the now damp and warm corridor terminated. A short run of steps dipped into a dwarven bath. The waters steaming likely fed by an unseen hot spring. Ding-We and Steve stepped in to investigate. Around this time the rear guards, Mason and Biff, felt a slight movement in the air but did not think much of it as all attention was on the steaming bath. The subtle breeze had been caused by a gaggle of gargoyles landing in the corridor well beyond the guards light range (whatever that was).
The wicked things charged into combat. Three slammed into the blockers while somewhere behind in the inky blackness another hurled spells. The fight was a bit of a mess requiring a greater expenditure of resources than should have but it ended as they often do. Dead things with MurderHobos covered in gore looking for loot.
Back to the dwarven hot tub. The majority of the gang rolled in to find that waters were greatly refreshing. With time wasted a dungeon oft times gets irritable, having jerky hobos wallowing in its belly. The sound of marching could be heard coming. Once more something comes from the only way out.
This time it was a half dozen animated crystal statues. Where they came from is anyone’s guess. Mindless automatons. Here to serve the dungeon by crushing any intruders. It did not work but I am certain the dungeon will not give up.
It was time to get out of this gun barrel of a corridor. They returned to the altar chamber and then went south. A long and winding passage that eventual presented a door or continuance. They choose the door. Inside was a mostly square 30’ x 30’ chamber. Mostly non-descript dwarven construction without adornment. There was pile of high quality rabbit pelts. Biff moved to stow these away as the rest of the gaggle moved to inspect the chamber. BoB found an odd stone 7’ up on the weird wall. Some fiddling later she pushed it open and the wall became a door into a small closet (10x10) that held two chests. “Loot for free!”, they exclaimed. It was not as easy as it seemed. First Mason divinely scanned for traps, “Nope. Nothing here”. Rhagnar rolled in. He went to the chest on the left. “Appears to have a lock. Let’s see if it is locked….Hey my hand is stuck! Ah an arm with a meaty fist!”. With a ‘Ka-tong’ the pseudo appendage was stuck to the shield. Steve rushed in to help, “I will kill it with steel!”.
He did not and now is multi-tool was also stuck fast. The thing sent out another appendage getting Steve on the shoulder. It also stuck fast. Steve started cycling through his weapons, each in succession becoming stuck to the chest-thing. It tried to get Ding-We but a successful spin on his peg resulted in Mason getting into the sticky jamboree. It was around this time, when the thing seemed impervious to Ding-We’s spells, that they realized that firing into combat from range would be the only solution. Rhagnar, of course, caught the first volley. BoB was eventually able to bring the circus to an end. The thing lost its stickiness and oozed into a puddle on the floor.
“What the hell was that?!”, screamed Rhags.
“A bad chest”, was all Stevie had to offer.
“Try the other one. What could go wrong?”, came from Biff as he backed further away.
The D-Team: Ding-We, Rhagnar, Steve, Chung-Li, Mason, Biff & BoB
ROLECALL
Hobo Steve the Lord (F9) 339875 xp +5% <360,001> CRT 1d24/V
Brain Damaged: reduced mental capacity (tough night on the town)
Rahgnar the Dwarven Superhero (D8) 247098 xp <280001> CRT 1d20/IV
Serious wound: permanent loss of an eye (-1 to missile fire)
Critical Wound: disembowelled less able to process poison (-1 penalty)
Missing thirteen teeth
Ding-We the Peg-Legged Wizard (W10) 529123 xp +10% <620001> CRT 1d10/I
Critical Wound: Left leg obliterated, runs at ½ rate (peg required)
The Henchmen
Biff Bartley the Half-Orc Blackguard (HO7) 109529 <120000> +5% CRT 1d12/II
‘BOB’ the Deadly Shade (N7) 71726 <90000> +5% CRT 1d16/II
Mason the Lama of Yrrrg. (C7) 84859 <100001> CRT 1d10/III
Chung-Li the Myrmidon Warlock (E6) 109721 xp <120000> +10% CRT 1d8/II
RESERVES
Elapsed Campaign Time
(743b) days at beginning of session (Just outside of Liwil)
689a (Bunny Group Newville) Busy until 779
708d (Ding-We Gang Lake of Abominations/ Liwil)
Join us for session Three-Hundred-and-Four when we ask the questions:
What is in chest number two?
Is chest number two actually a chest?
How big is this joint?
Does anything actually live in this section of the dungeon?
Why can’t dwarves ever stop digging and building?
Tale of the Tape
With arcane protection Ding-We foils another curse – bummer.
KILLS
Boar
Gargoyles (3)
Maggog
Crystal Statues (6)
Mimic
LOOT
10085 sp
94 ep
Gems (4): 10,50,500,50=610 gp
Cursed scroll
Rabbit pelts of quality (10) 50 gp each
