Session 28

The party:

• Shav (DZ) orange F2
• Gunn (HB) blue F1
• Ploikal (TM) orange MU6
• Umut, Faruk, NC
• Zayn, Gita, Pervin, LF
• Saida, HF

Treasure:

• 230 SP
• 73 GP
• An ivory ring carved with vapor-like patterns. Magical, but otherwise unidentified.

XP: 960.

Casualties: None.

Report:

Rain delays the party’s expedition to the Balok by a day. When they finally set out under heavy clouds, they take their usual route to level 2, noting several previously spiked doors are now closed.

Their path: reception room → indoor garden (avoiding green slime in hanging globe) → shrine → second indoor garden (another globe) → circular reception area with stairs → long corridor east.

At a bath chamber off the corridor, they encounter three hostile cavemen stitching hides. Shav attempts to pacify them with iron rations, but one caveman slaps the food away and attacks. Gunn attempts to slide dramatically between a caveman’s legs but fails, and later manages to wound himself during a back attack. Despite these setbacks, they defeat the cavemen.

They explore systematically: north to a storeroom with collapsed shelving, then east to a toilet chamber where they face both a shadow and a grey ooze extending a pseudopod from one of the holes. The ooze claims Gunn’s zweihander with its corrosive slime. The light footmen courageously hold off the shadow, which manages to drain some of Zayn’s life force. Meanwhile, Ploikal casts protective spells before destroying the shadow with magic missiles, while the party beats the ooze down with wooden torch handles.

Backtracking to orient themselves, they pass through: storeroom → laboratory → another toilet room (defeating another ooze with sacrificed weapons and the back end of Shav’s pike) → dorm with crumbling beds → storeroom with dinnerware and pig tracks → pantry with spoiled goods → kitchen.

Following rumors of a ring, Ploikal’s Locate Object spell leads them east to a dining room where three pigs, easily pacified with rations, have nested. North of here, through a secret entrance, they find a dust-covered, well-appointed apartment. Ploikal summons an invisible servant to open the trapped wardrobe, which triggers an arrow that flies harmlessly past, revealing their prizes.

They make a swift retreat to Batbeng, where Gunn celebrates with tavern tales and generous rounds.