RPG Recap: Beyond the Temple of the Abyss, 2012-01-28
Friday, the 6th day of the Red Moon, 937
Heading out of the south end of the dungeon, the party (minus Dumbasbrix and one of Delian’s hands) had trudged north into the King Room, and decided it was time to get started on mapping in earnest. They made their way through a series of tunnels, through the Complex Junction, through the “Dwarf” tunnel, and ended up in an abandoned mine. The tunnel was closed off in both directions with cave-ins that had been constructed by hand (or claw).
The party tried going west, first. After scaring a scorpion out of his nest in the rocks, Jared dumped some oil on the pile and set it alight. This just scared out a few more of the vermin, but they were quickly dispatched. (Jared wasn’t too pleased to have one of them pitchforked to death on his shin, but he lived.) Spotting some weird, dodecahedral rocks buried in the pile, the party got to work digging them out, only to be interrupted by the sound of some creating yelling obscenities in Draconic. It seemed to realize that something else was around, though, and ran off – but only after chasing a foot-across spider-frog into the west end of the tunnel. Everyone took pot shots at it until Jared knocked it out with a well-placed sling stone. He tied it up and stuck it in a backpack to domesticate later.
Later commentary on this idea did not wax enthusiastic.
From there, everyone headed east, clambering over the rock pile. They picked up a bunch of mining tools that would be abandoned almost immediately. At the far end of the shaft passage, a set of stairs led up into a large room. In the middle, two minecars were overturned, each with a good share of gold and gems. Alec the Apprentice immediately got to work shoveling coin into his pack, but no sooner had he started than the sounds of shifting metal could be heard in the surrounding darkness. Alec ran into the dark to hide, and was never heard from again. Jared (who had been lingering near the door, ready to run for his life) stepped into the light, invoked the name of Ibrim, and sent running the handful of animate dwarfish skeletons that had begun to close on the rest of the group.
Everybody turned tail and ran until they got back out into Gladwell’s stable.
One of the farmhands loaned them a cart and then headed back to Edgwold with the big gold font in it. Everyone pursued his own agenda:
- Jared took the smaller, dead spider-frog to the apothecary for inspection, along with one of the seeds he’d found. He bought a small cage for the living one and placed an order for a bigger one.
- Delian and Alp headed to see Fr. Pechis for healing. Delian didn’t stick around to hear about how his dismemberment was part of Imbrim’s plan, but started considering making a trip to the Astodan of Cold Flame to see about some serious miracles. Alp paid five sovereigns for the laying on of hands.
- Delian also took some seeds for inspection by the apothecary, and gave a detailed account of where they’d been found.
- Lyweylln went back to his room to rest, having felt not quite himself for nearly half his time below ground.
- Derick got rip-roaring drunk and went shopping, but manage to avoid buying anything, even the tempting surcoat emblazoned with the device of St. Ishibek.
Before turning in, the group contracted three hirelings, a thief and two fighters, for 10 gp a day each, plus a share of the treasure. To cover initial expenses, the first thing the next morning they delivered the (cleaned off) font to Edwin, who had them escort him to Drake’s Rest. After tediously protracted argument about how to sell the thing, the group settled on 760 sovereigns and headed back to Edgwold and on to the Gladwell place.
R.I.P., Alec the Apprentice