02.09 The Undead Caverns

[PM]

After a brief healing up and assessment of our state we decided that we'd dealt with most foes in this part of the complex so we decided to fill out the map a bit before resting.

Proceeding with due caution we explored several rooms, found a very suspect but untrapped floor and a trapped door/room.

We then found a large, bad smelling cavern so retreated to store room to rest.

Xinh had a bit of a wibble whilst on watch and resorted to drink and movement was heard in the corridor outside. After resting we found that Triel's remains had been removed. We are not alone!

To the caves!!

Off to a good start, the first cavern is filled by a huge skeletal dinosaur. Leorn's attempt to turn undead fails (what a surprise!) and we discover its teeth are still very sharp. Many arrows, searing light and scorching ray spells supply an heroic victory which is slightly marred by Xinh taking too much damage turning were-monkey and running off.

Not to worry though as he is soon back charging through the cavern and out the other exit apparently now blinded as well as feared. Rumours of him being shot by an arrow at this point have been strenuously denied!

Sounds of ape on something combat come from the next cavern but soon end in not ape victorious style. The happy band rush to their comrades aid.

A merry combat with undead spiders ensues. Undead turning is a bit more successful this time. We decide to heal and regroup. And find we've been blocked in by someone spiking the door to the caverns. Spells are re-learnt so I can cure the dwarfs blindness. His vision returns to find his armour is now glowing brightly. I explain this is a by-product of the cure and it will fade is about 5 hours.

Going to investigate the noises heard from one of the caverns we are jumped by some zombies (very slowly) the other exit is filled with fog and the smell of decay. Zombies are dealt with by Leorn and a rather natty ball of fire which rolls around on command. Entering the fog we find an area of silence and begin to retreat. We are attacked by a Zombie Gnoll Cleric Fighter thing. Rogan Josh takes mucho damage and bravely backs away. The returning ball of fire covers this move and spells cast from the back of the group, scorching ray and searing light help polish off the enemy. Our local passer-by relieves the rather squidy corpse of its magic armour and weapon.

Passing back through the spider cavern we enter a cave with a large stone coffin. Two nasty undead dwarves appear at which point half the party decide to investigate another part of the caves post-haste.

Those more involved in the remaining details can continue our brave story.  :wink:

[slug]

When the two emaciated zombie dwarfs appeared half the party lost it and headed out of the cavern at high speed, two zombie dwarfs how tough can they be?

After knocking each one down two or three times, being body slammed by them (thus contacting some weird disease no doubt) and having worms thrown at us from these creatures which were intent on burrowing into our bodies and devouring our brains we stood panting by their burning corpses.

The stone sarcophagus was extremely well crafted and the lid almost invisible but without a thought for personal safety, Entwhistle, who almost suredly has two different diseases from the undead encountered so far, triggers the poison trap which leaves him feeling very very weak (con of 3).  The sacks inside the sarcophagus were worth it though, we have found enough coins to destabilise the economy in Cauldron, but the question is how will we transport approx 45000 coins back to the city?

The party eventually regroups and start to wander back to their resting place for a sleep and relearn of disease curing spells when a Lightning Bolt erupts out of a a side passage, the group charge into the cavern and spot a hobbit walking around the ceiling, some spell/missile fires ensues and the hobbit decides to escape by quaffing a potion turning him into a gaseous cloud.  The cloud then gently drifts along whilst the mobile fireball keeps trying to burn it, eventually we succeed and a dead hobbit reforms and drops off the ceiling, one looted corpse later we have come to another exit where some rogues shot us and spiked the door.