After spending some time in a funk at the back off the party, angry about having picked up an accursed spear that he could not release, Mandras finally decided to get on with things and resume an active role.
The party had found a secret door leading north and flowed through it into a short passageway leading to a door running east. This in turn opened onto a wide corridor flanked by a number of doors, one of which gave onto a large space with stalactites dripping into craters made by whatever had dripped from them, they gave the place a wide berth.
As they continued north, a loud clanking sound was heard, followed by 4 dead figures in antique, heavy armor. The party formed battle line, 4 abreast and advanced. Alas, a ten-foot square hole opened on the west side, engulfing Alf and Konrad – they disappeared in a puff of violet smoke and Asher jumped in after them.
The reduced party killed the undead with little difficulty and proceeded through a number of doors until they reached a room with a huge skull in the north wall and an open passage leading through its jaws. At last, a likely location for undead of a level high enough to banish the gaeas on Alf and Rarder. After some discussion the party agreed they should double back and hazard the teleportation pit in the hopes of meeting their colleagues.
Within minutes the party was whole again, and the lost colleagues had already hacked their way through an opponent and a brick wall into a passage that looked familiar. Together everyone proceeded north into the room where Alessandra had died hours ago and back to the Skull room. Konrad pushed his way to the front and boldly stepped through the gaping maw, only to discover yet another corridor with 3 doors on each side. The space was decorated with the now accustomed ceremonial processions, but all more richly so – most panels included a figure the party had come to consider as a high priest of some form. Eschewing the use of the doors, the adventurers discovered another secret passage at the north end. This opened onto a short passage with a bricked-up door at the end. This time, Mandras tapped the floors with his accursed spear to ensure there were no more traps awaiting them. By now, Alf had become very proficient at finding secret doors in this place and located yet another, which led into a room graced by two large sarcophagi. The party opened them simultaneously and confronted a pair of ghouls. Alf was immediately paralysed. Koko managed to turn them and as they tried to shrink back into their boxes, Rarder killed one. In an excess of zeal, Mandras, who had been standing behind Alf, lunged at the other ghoul and killed it before he heard his colleagues’ shouts to wait until Alf came out of his paralysis so he could do it.