Post by Yeti on Oct 19, 2013 20:55:49 GMT -5
Leaving after breakfast, the party made it's way back to the moathouse they had left yesterday afternoon with the freed prisioners. A couple of their friends said they would catch up as they had to wait for some refitting of one of their armor's and it was thought better they travel as a group to catch up.
Quickly checking the upper level, they determined nothing had moved back into the area, but it looked like their were some fresh tracks near where they had dug up the bandits' cache of treasure. Imzel just laughed when Elmo told her of the tracks he saw, "It's just the Bandit Tree is weeping we took its treasure."
Seeing the Ogre's room undisturbed lead to confidence of the group as they checked the next room filled with what can only be described as the Ogre's privy. Seeing a door on the far side they made their way through the muck. Alinor was quick to note the hinges were well greased and it was only barred from this side, as to keep whatever in the area beyond and out of here.
Moving into what appears to be a storage area, they can see stairs proceeding up to their West and South of them what appears to be cell doors along one wall. Whispering to the others, Alinor goes "this should be the rat stairway leading above." Begining up the stairs to confirm he failed to see the ban of the depths, Green Slime that immediately fell upon him. Recognizing it for what it was he knew he was seconds from death, crying out to burn or freeze him quickly. Spugnoir quickly released one of his cantrips at the hapeless rogue blasting him with a frost. The slime quickly fell away, using Imzel's sunrod he quickly removed the threat of anymore green slime. Going ahead confirming the stairs lead to where he thought, the decided to check the doors to West.
Dispatching the locks on both doors, the group finds a virtual armory of items. But they also discover cloaks with the emblem the prisioners had described to them. Deciding it could be useful they all donned a cloak. Feeling confident the moved to check the cells to the South of the barred door.
It was here as Alinor passed the first column that the cell doors burst open with zombies pouring out at the group. The battle was hard fought but they held their line as even Kobort and Turuko rushed into the action as well. After dispatching the Undead, Alinor went to retrieve his thrown dagger and discovered a large peridot gem. He thought to pocket it till Imzel spotted it as well in his hand, but she believed him when he said he was planning on putting it into the spoils later.
Continuing their search, around the cells and the large room to the East, they found a blood trail leading into the Southern column. It took a few minutes of searching to find the latch on this side to release the secret door but with a boost from another Alinor was able to reach it.
Seeing the hollowed column lead down twenty feet and moved off East they decided to go down and follow it. The tight tunnel turning sharply South the group continued to follow along, Alinor could only wince everytime he heard the party behind him moving along in their armor.
It was his own natural Elven immunities that saved him when he opened the other end of the tunnel into a crypt filled with Ghouls. It was the shear fact the tunnel was so cramped as to saving the group from multiple attacks of the ghouls. They were able to fend off the ghouls to find they had emerged into what appeared to be the original crypt to the moathouse. They could see a corridor to the Southeast but one of the Southern Crypts had a busted out back end leading to what looked like natural caves. Alinor spoted the glint of coins and quickly proceeded in. The group following as he scavenged all he could and followed it deeper into a twisting network of caves. It was only the fact Imzel insisted on marking their turns and following the left hand rule did they keep from becoming hopelessly lost as they could sense it was turning into a maze. Checking their haul of coins it was great sadness they learned fifty of the gold coins they had found were really just gold painted copper.
Deciding to take the corridor to the Southeast now, they came to a t-section, they could see to the right stairs leading down to what appeared to be a room they couldn't quite make out. And to the North there was a passage to a door and one that went off to the right towards the Southeast again.
Deciding to check the stairs to the South, they discovered a small spring grotto much to their suprise. As Alinor decided to check the freshness of the water a giant crayfish sprung from the depths at him, the group easily made quick work of it.
Searching the area they could see evidence of past kills of the crayfish including the glint of something about twenty-five feet down in the water sitting on an edge.
Imzel looked at everyone just shrugged and stripped down and quickly dove into the icy water. She could feel the current begin a light pull on her as she retrieved items from the shelf, bringing them to the surface. What they thought had been something silver, was really a platinum pin with ruby set into it and a bone scroll tube. Ug and Spugnoir looked over it's contents and much to Spugnoir's delight there were arcane scrolls within.
Imzel wondering where the current lead had dove back in to check it out, she could see it was an underground river swishing about fifty sixty feet deeper crossing under her, she wisely decided not to test the strength of the current as she didn't know where it came out or how long she would have to hold her breath for.
Resurfacing as the men watched her intently, she donned her armor. Deciding to check the Northern door as Alinor could make a door out in the shadows to the Southeast of the other corridor.
It was here past the door the party learned the use of the cloaks they had donned earlier. Alinor spotted the Gnolls in the shadows of the back of the room and started speaking with them. Learning they were willing to leave for pay, after some haggling the party quickly offered up the gold plated copper to the gnoll chieften. He seemed satisfied and proceeded to lead his party of Gnolls out of this place heading quickly to the Southeast corridor the party had just passed.
It was here checking the area in one of the what used to be storage rooms Alinor discovered the remains of his friend shackled to the wall and partially eaten.
Continuing North they found a split in the corridor with stairs leading up, Alinor quickly determined it lead to the secret doors to the Ogres room and the stairs to the bandit lair.
Heading to the East to check it lead them to another room they could see an opening to the North with three doors on the East wall. Spotting the bugbears North of them they decided talking to them could work as well. Convinicing them that the gnolls were deserters and needed hunted down wasn't hard to do, but when Alinor tripped a booby trapped door slamming portcullis down it nearly foiled their bluff. Luckily Imzel simply went on how slaves weren't as good as they used to be. Luckily for the party they were plenty strong enough to lift the bars back into their locked position in the ceiling without issue.
Sending the Bugbears on their way, the party waited a few minutes as they heard the rest of their group entering the secret passageway to the ogres's area. Joining up their forces they made their way to the Southeast corridor both the Gnolls and the Bugbears took after each other, leading up to the closed doorway.
Quickly checking the upper level, they determined nothing had moved back into the area, but it looked like their were some fresh tracks near where they had dug up the bandits' cache of treasure. Imzel just laughed when Elmo told her of the tracks he saw, "It's just the Bandit Tree is weeping we took its treasure."
Seeing the Ogre's room undisturbed lead to confidence of the group as they checked the next room filled with what can only be described as the Ogre's privy. Seeing a door on the far side they made their way through the muck. Alinor was quick to note the hinges were well greased and it was only barred from this side, as to keep whatever in the area beyond and out of here.
Moving into what appears to be a storage area, they can see stairs proceeding up to their West and South of them what appears to be cell doors along one wall. Whispering to the others, Alinor goes "this should be the rat stairway leading above." Begining up the stairs to confirm he failed to see the ban of the depths, Green Slime that immediately fell upon him. Recognizing it for what it was he knew he was seconds from death, crying out to burn or freeze him quickly. Spugnoir quickly released one of his cantrips at the hapeless rogue blasting him with a frost. The slime quickly fell away, using Imzel's sunrod he quickly removed the threat of anymore green slime. Going ahead confirming the stairs lead to where he thought, the decided to check the doors to West.
Dispatching the locks on both doors, the group finds a virtual armory of items. But they also discover cloaks with the emblem the prisioners had described to them. Deciding it could be useful they all donned a cloak. Feeling confident the moved to check the cells to the South of the barred door.
It was here as Alinor passed the first column that the cell doors burst open with zombies pouring out at the group. The battle was hard fought but they held their line as even Kobort and Turuko rushed into the action as well. After dispatching the Undead, Alinor went to retrieve his thrown dagger and discovered a large peridot gem. He thought to pocket it till Imzel spotted it as well in his hand, but she believed him when he said he was planning on putting it into the spoils later.
Continuing their search, around the cells and the large room to the East, they found a blood trail leading into the Southern column. It took a few minutes of searching to find the latch on this side to release the secret door but with a boost from another Alinor was able to reach it.
Seeing the hollowed column lead down twenty feet and moved off East they decided to go down and follow it. The tight tunnel turning sharply South the group continued to follow along, Alinor could only wince everytime he heard the party behind him moving along in their armor.
It was his own natural Elven immunities that saved him when he opened the other end of the tunnel into a crypt filled with Ghouls. It was the shear fact the tunnel was so cramped as to saving the group from multiple attacks of the ghouls. They were able to fend off the ghouls to find they had emerged into what appeared to be the original crypt to the moathouse. They could see a corridor to the Southeast but one of the Southern Crypts had a busted out back end leading to what looked like natural caves. Alinor spoted the glint of coins and quickly proceeded in. The group following as he scavenged all he could and followed it deeper into a twisting network of caves. It was only the fact Imzel insisted on marking their turns and following the left hand rule did they keep from becoming hopelessly lost as they could sense it was turning into a maze. Checking their haul of coins it was great sadness they learned fifty of the gold coins they had found were really just gold painted copper.
Deciding to take the corridor to the Southeast now, they came to a t-section, they could see to the right stairs leading down to what appeared to be a room they couldn't quite make out. And to the North there was a passage to a door and one that went off to the right towards the Southeast again.
Deciding to check the stairs to the South, they discovered a small spring grotto much to their suprise. As Alinor decided to check the freshness of the water a giant crayfish sprung from the depths at him, the group easily made quick work of it.
Searching the area they could see evidence of past kills of the crayfish including the glint of something about twenty-five feet down in the water sitting on an edge.
Imzel looked at everyone just shrugged and stripped down and quickly dove into the icy water. She could feel the current begin a light pull on her as she retrieved items from the shelf, bringing them to the surface. What they thought had been something silver, was really a platinum pin with ruby set into it and a bone scroll tube. Ug and Spugnoir looked over it's contents and much to Spugnoir's delight there were arcane scrolls within.
Imzel wondering where the current lead had dove back in to check it out, she could see it was an underground river swishing about fifty sixty feet deeper crossing under her, she wisely decided not to test the strength of the current as she didn't know where it came out or how long she would have to hold her breath for.
Resurfacing as the men watched her intently, she donned her armor. Deciding to check the Northern door as Alinor could make a door out in the shadows to the Southeast of the other corridor.
It was here past the door the party learned the use of the cloaks they had donned earlier. Alinor spotted the Gnolls in the shadows of the back of the room and started speaking with them. Learning they were willing to leave for pay, after some haggling the party quickly offered up the gold plated copper to the gnoll chieften. He seemed satisfied and proceeded to lead his party of Gnolls out of this place heading quickly to the Southeast corridor the party had just passed.
It was here checking the area in one of the what used to be storage rooms Alinor discovered the remains of his friend shackled to the wall and partially eaten.
Continuing North they found a split in the corridor with stairs leading up, Alinor quickly determined it lead to the secret doors to the Ogres room and the stairs to the bandit lair.
Heading to the East to check it lead them to another room they could see an opening to the North with three doors on the East wall. Spotting the bugbears North of them they decided talking to them could work as well. Convinicing them that the gnolls were deserters and needed hunted down wasn't hard to do, but when Alinor tripped a booby trapped door slamming portcullis down it nearly foiled their bluff. Luckily Imzel simply went on how slaves weren't as good as they used to be. Luckily for the party they were plenty strong enough to lift the bars back into their locked position in the ceiling without issue.
Sending the Bugbears on their way, the party waited a few minutes as they heard the rest of their group entering the secret passageway to the ogres's area. Joining up their forces they made their way to the Southeast corridor both the Gnolls and the Bugbears took after each other, leading up to the closed doorway.