Adventurers
- Alfredward (Dwarf 4)
- Dulo Chaec (Magic User 2)
- Koko (Cleric 5)
- Mandras (Dwarf 2)
After a breather, the party returned to the scene of the gelatinous conflict. They fought their way through another swarm of the large flying bugs before taking the southern fork, still carrying Rarder’s body in the hope of finding some divine way to reverse the death.
Their path continued to loop around, challenging their attempts to keep their bearings. They came across an octagonal room with a pool in the middle which appeared identical to the room into which they’d first fallen but for the absence of a chute in the ceiling. Even so, they found themslves looping around so many times that when they found themselves entering the same room from another direction they felt compelled to double check the passages they had explored before.
They came across a room lit by a warm glow, with a slow-moving stream of lava passing through one end of it and a regular gushing of steam up a vent on the other side. Remembering the spurts of steam above ground, the party noted it as a possible route out, but didn’t fancy their chances surviving a climb and continued crawling along.
A growl from one of the hounds accompanying the party alerted Dulo, bringing up the rear, to an approaching presence. At the magic user’s cry of alarm, Alfredward hurried to the back of the marching order just in time to intercept an enormous lizard, a glow visible through its hide. More of the party hurried back to fight off this new menace, but most of the weapons which struck the creature melted in the face of the extreme heat released. Only the magical weapons survived, but they were enough for the adventurers to dispatch the creature.
They hurried on until the passage opened out into a cavern with a river. While the waterfall at one end sealed off any likelihood of heading upstream the current seemed to ease as it headed on down a large tunnel. With the way lit with some glowing lichen, the party warily followed the water, a roped tied to Alfredward bearing the water-walking trident up ahead while the others waded behind, anchoring their scout.
Several hundred feet on they spotted several rat-like humanoids standing atop a dry ledge. They crept up, hoping to present themselves as a strong party of friendly allies to these sentries. Clambering up, they announced their allegiance to the ratfolk in the mountains, but the guards merely turned and fled into the darkness. The adventurers slowly followed, finding themselves met with another junction and more tunnels. Then a horn sounded in the distance, echoing off the damp walls back to the party. They readied their weapons and braced themselves…