First Foray Into Stonehell
Here's a narrative of your last session, not necessarily in the order you explored. Don't count on it for treasure totals.
The Concealing Copse
At first glance, this secluded grove appears no different from any other stand of trees bordering the dungeon road. But time-worn magic lingers in the leaves and branches. Long ago, a battle mage cast massmorph to conceal a regiment beneath these boughs, transforming soldiers into trees. Though the army is long gone, the enchantment endures—now frayed, but still potent.
Any who step into the grove are veiled in illusion, taking on the appearance of a tree. From outside, they become invisible to normal sight—a perfect blind for watchful eyes or ambush. From here the party was attacked by 6 orcs.
Hell’s Entrance Hall
The Death Gestures stepped into a vast, echoing chamber where the ceiling soared 30 feet overhead, its arches blackened with soot and shadow. The flagstone floor was worn smooth by countless boots—the scars of generations of delvers. All around, the walls were covered in graffiti: names etched in charcoal and blood, interspersed with crude messages in Kobold script. One scrawl read: "Clean up trash, dumb men!"—a warning, or a joke?
At the center of the hall, a spiral staircase descended into darkness, winding 100 feet down into the earth. The stone was worn, the air below cold and close. This was more than a stairway—it was a threshold to the deeper hells of Stonehell.
Encountered: Graffiti, Kobold writing
Leads to: Level 1A, Room 1 (via 100’ descent)
Grand Foyer
The Death Gestures descended 100 feet down a wide, spiral staircase. They stepped into the vaulted gloom of the Grand Foyer, where dust and silence ruled. Though unsettling, the room offered no opposition—only an uneasy welcome.
Ruined Kitchen
In the stinking wreckage of a ruined kitchen, the gnome illusionist triggered a foul spray of Green Slime erupting from the sink pump. The ooze nearly claimed his life before it was dispatched in a sizzling mess thanks to your torchbearer and a flask of oil. Their reward: a moldy pouch with 18 gold pieces and a silver salt shaker worth 25 gp, lost by an unfortunate cook.
Monster Defeated: Green Slime (80 XP)
Treasure Found: 18 gp, silver salt shaker (25 gp)
Feast Hall
The shattered remnants of a once-great hall greeted them next. Splintered tables, torn banners, and a lonely copper coin in a chipped tip jar spoke of cheer long past. They moved on, unchallenged but unsettled.
Treasure Found: 1 cp (not counted for XP)
Architectural Wonder
Past a dusty threshold, the Death Gestures entered a marvel of dwarven craft. Polished pillars reached to the vaulted ceiling, each carved with reverent images of ancestral gods. The tiled floor displayed a labyrinthine pattern of colored stone, forming runes and stories in equal measure. At the heart of the chamber, Snorri Broadshoulders, a dwarven scholar of some renown, and four of his kin sat cross-legged, scribbling notes and tracing masonry lines with reverent fingers. The air was quiet but thick with awe—and the scent of pipe smoke.
Encountered: Snorri Broadshoulders and 4 dwarves (non-hostile)
Burned Room
Char and soot choked the chamber’s air. Scorched furniture crumbled underfoot. A fused skittles game and a bent pewter holy symbol hinted at fire’s fury, but little else remained but the ghosts of flame.
Unseen Presence Chamber
Bloodstained bones littered the flagstones. As the party entered, a deep, invisible voice echoed through the gloom—mocking, threatening, laughing. It would return every time they did. Undeterred, they discovered a loose stone from the floor and found a coin pouch with 28 gp, a silver brooch worth 45 gp, and a scroll inscribed with the spell Unseen Presence.
Treasure Found: 28 gp, silver brooch (45 gp), Scroll of Unseen Presence
Gas Fountain
The cracked stone fountain in the center of the room leered in silence—until the gnome illusionist disturbed it. A sudden hiss became a lethal cloud of poison gas. The gnome crumpled and technically died, his heart stopping… but was saved when a comrade administered a vial of Antitoxin tucked in the fountain’s base. Beside it: a small pouch holding 12 gold pieces.
Treasure Found: 12 gp, Antitoxin (used)
Wheel of Fortune
A massive stone wheel, carved with smiling and frowning faces, stood like an altar to capricious gods. Despite its rusted age, the wheel still spun with a deep groan. The knight stepped forward, grasped it with both hands, and dared fate to notice him. It spun. It howled. It stopped. A warmth stirred in his arm—his weapon would strike truer this day. The Wheel can be spun twice per day.
Ancient Crypts
Beyond great double doors lay the resting place of nobles and monsters alike. The Death Gestures fought their way through orcs, ghouls, skeletons, and swarms of ravenous rats. Steel clashed, spells seared, and silence returned only after a brutal victory. Scattered among broken crypts and shattered bones, they found:
~600 gold pieces worth of coins
and a very rare magical item: a Bead of Force, pulsing with latent energy.
Monsters Defeated: 2 Ghouls, 3 Skeletons, 12 Giant Rats
Treasure Found: ~600 gp, 60 gp (ancient), 3 trinkets (20 gp each), Bead of Force
Giggling Skull Shrine
Bones stacked high and a grinning stone skull atop an altar greeted them here. When touched, it unleashed a surge of uncontrollable laughter, nearly giving away their position. In a hidden chamber beyond, they discovered a needle-trapped coffer. Opening it (carefully), they claimed 9,000 silver pieces, six modest pieces of jewelry worth 10 gp each, and two potions of healing.
Trap Survived: Poisoned needle
Treasure Found: 9,000 sp, 6×10 gp jewelry, 2 potions of healing
Crumbling Chamber
Cracks snaked through the ceiling, and from above poured giant centipedes. After dispatching the venomous swarm, the group uncovered a small hoard: 14 gold pieces and a glittering moonstone worth 60 gp nestled in the rubble.
Monsters Defeated: 5 Giant Centipedes
Treasure Found: 14 gp, Moonstone (60 gp)
Devil-Lizard Statue
A horned, four-armed lizard idol loomed in silence. A bowl before it held hundreds silver pieces, which remained undisturbed. Bruised but alive, the party also discovered a hidden sack tucked behind the statue, containing 40 more gold pieces.
Trap Survived: Falling stones
Treasure Found: 40 gp. The silver coins weren't touched.
Cistern
Calm water glimmered in this quiet chamber. The Death Gestures paused briefly, sipping from the cold pool, then moved on in silence.
Cave
The passage opened into a damp, natural cavern where the only sound was the slow, rhythmic drip of water echoing from unseen cracks above. Phosphorescent moss clung to the walls, casting an eerie green-blue glow across the jagged stone. Though silent and still, the space felt old—watchful, even. The Death Gestures searched thoroughly, but the cave offered no threat… and no reward.
Cluttered Storeroom
Dust, cobwebs, and splintered gear made this room a chore—but diligence paid off. Hidden in a forgotten crate, the party discovered a belt pouch holding 22 gp and a small peridot worth 55 gp.
Treasure Found: 22 gp, Peridot (55 gp)
