As we the Dwellers Of The Dark (DOTD) began traveling on the road heading north we heard a small child crying in the woods. The group after a long debate decided to take the child back to the tavern and let the trap maker try and talk the inn keeper into keeping it. Obsidian the cleric and the new “drow” were adamant on not paying. To our amazement they took the child in.
We found that if we would have comforted it (the child) it probably would have kept quiet. The cleric has decided she will keep them quiet; there must be many of them since everyone in the outer realms, seem to know what to do with them. The Innkeeper offered us a place to stay whenever we passed this way and gave us room and board for the day. He gave us the best room in the place, the child must have been very important. I did not tell the rest of the group, I feared the “drow” may cause trouble with the inn if he knew.
Late that evening, we left the inn and made the trek back to where we had found the boy. About half way there we found an orc that had been attacked and dumped alongside the road we buried Gorsk’s kin and the cleric Obsidian said a prayer over him with an added emphasis that if had been the one to leave the child homeless she prayed he rot in hell, continuing on we found the point where the child had left the woods.
Traveling thru the woods the Trap Maker started checking for traps but was extremely slow so the “drow” and Gorsk pushed on. The trap maker told the group we would regret that at a future date, it would be me that found that true. We found a trail and followed it until we found a pond and were attacked. Several small creatures threw darts at us, they seemed to rain from the sky as we rolled and dodged catching us by surprise. They turned out to be a flying humanoid. Perhaps they come from the walled town the boy had mentioned? After the attack we followed the trail along the creek and found our way back to the road.
There we saw the remains of what we believed to be the creature’s mother and a wagon. Searching we found the spoiled body of a woman, the cleric had us bury her and said a prayer over her. I am not sure why.
We moved into the dungeon and found the Trap maker is rather paranoid. The steps from the gate leading up to the first room took more then ½ a day to check for traps. I moved ahead and waited at the top until the group finally met me at the top I had spotted a ghoul hiding in the room the barbarian Gorsk rushed to the attack. the ghoul hit him and he could not move. I had warned them, I am not sure why the others in the party have such problems with the creatures. The slave of Orgoth thru an odd sort of spear and killed the ghoul, not giving me the chance to even get into the room. The trap master had wasted most of the day with the steps, and secret door searching, we decided to go out and rest for the evening.
The next day we moved further into the cave, the smell of the stone was familiar to me and I felt at home it has been months since I felt the peace of the stone above me. We found a shrine of sorts, a statue of Orcus stood in a room, the ½ orc and Orgoth the slave of “the Drow” began beating the thing cracking it into pieces. We also found in the room a bedroll, the cleric and the trap maker found a lock box in the furs. As they began studying it an orc with two dogs came in and attacked the cleric, the mage and the trap maker. A single blow from the orc brought the mage down blood splattering everywhere. If not for the cleric I am sure it would have been her demise. In the future I will be sure to be between her and the enemy. The “Drow” moved behind me, I do not know if it was to finish me off or to protect himself. He cast a spell that downed the orc. I will have to keep a better eye on him. We prevailed over the group with one of the dogs running away. There was no reason to chase the creature, it just did its job.
Past the room we found a garbage pit, in the pit we found a small passage leading out it led to the northeast a passage, about 60 feet led on to an empty cave about 30 to 40 feet in diameter. Two paths led out one to the N and one to the SE we opted to take the northern route, and wouldn’t you know it I tripped a club trap of some sort that slammed into me. Perhaps we should have the trap master checking intersection and doorways in the futurehad him checking ahead. Just above the intersection was a chute that led up as far as we could see. We turned left and followed the hall until we came to a room with a sand pile in it? There was no exit from the room just the pile of sand the slave Ogoth of the “drow” began digging thru the sand. As he and Gorsk approached the pile several spiders erupted from it attacking the slave and Gorsk. Ogoth the slave ran as Gorsk attacked the spiders I engaged the ones beside him the mage and the cleric dispatched two of the creatures with range weapons the alchemist is very good with her aim. After the initial attacked we regained our composure and finished the creatures off we found nothing in the pile, but the trap maker hopes to check it as we next rest.
We left the room and found a trap, it was poorly set and fell to my left. The trap master disassembled and tried to move the trap but we were attacked by several kabolds, I found that even the svirnoble had a hatred of creatures even the trap maker could not resist the urge to attack them. The kabold would not stop their attack so the group moved in to attack with me in the lead. I rushed one knocking him to the ground, as I drew the kabolds attacks to myself the others moved forward to attack. As the battle dwindled down quickly I held the last kabold to the ground by the tail I turned to asked the Svirnoble what to do before I could get the words out of my mouth, the Trap maker viciously struck him in the head with his dagger over and over again, they should not have attacked us. We returned to the sand room to rest for the evening. At the chute I was attacked by a magical hand reaching out from the dark. The slave Ogoth saved me with his great axe.
Our rest was interrupted by 6 goblins who tried to sneak in and steal from us, they were captured by the trap Trap master had set, the “drow” and Ogoth interrogated them. For what seemed like hours. We did find out there was an ogre and a dragon in charge. We could not determine the kind of dragon it was. The goblins fear echoed thru the dungeon as we released them and they ran off. Sleep was not the best that evening. Tossing and turning we awoke the morning feeling a sense of dread from the knowledge of a dragon and an ogre that brought fear to all goblins.
We returned to the kabold room, as we left it we found another room that was lit, it had an exit from cave to the north, and a passage west that led to another chamber. The chamber had four kabolds kneeling before an alter before I could move, the Trap master rushed the room followed by thew slave Orgoth, and Gorsk dispatching with the creatures before they even had the chance to rise from their knees. I destroyed the statue they had been worshiping and as we were finishing we were attacked by a larger group I must have been cursed because I could not hit and strangely found myself curling up to sleep, even in the battle it must have been because of having no rest the evening before. I am not sure what happened afterwards, I awoke from my rest with all of the kabolds dead with their throats slit. I am sure trap master and his sister had something to do with it.
We trenched further thru the caves and came to a large lake with three islands. The slave Orgoth decided to swim out to an island, he climbed to the top and seemed to be searching around. Later would learn he had found a box with a key hole in it. He came back down and tried swimming to another island he was attacked by a creature in the water, I tried swimming out to him and nearly died myself. If it had not been for Gorsk pulling me back I would have been in the same boat as Orgoth. The cleric spent many of her spells getting me conscious. Once I was conscious I came up with an idea of shooting Orgoth with a barbed arrow and pulling him in we did manage to save him, we brought him back to the sand room. I am not sure I trust the “drow” he slept his comrade, I am not so sure if he felt him not worth the trouble and thought we would not try to save him if he looked dead.
We had visitors again this evening, Sturgis, and during my guard shift they attacked; four of them. I am wondering if perhaps Gorsk and myself have not been cursed from destroying the statuettes earlier. Perhaps I am correct; we came back to the statue of orc that we originally destroyed.
We continued on to the entrance and took the other route. We came to a room with a creature sitting on a throne. He sneered as we entered, an ogre perhaps the one the Goblins had mentioned earlier. The “drow” used his diabolical spell and the ogre fell unconscious, from nowhere, the gnome flashed by and ran to kill the ogre he did not have the strength to do the job, the battle was a blur from there he swung at the trap master and missed the trap master. The barbarian held the giant so the trap master could run as he finished his swing the giant caught him in the back of the head as Gorsk tried to run. I am sure the “drow” yelling at the ogre you can swing at him still encouraging him to hit Gorsk as he ran. The little trust he has gained so far was lost in a flash at that moment. If it were not for the luck of a Halfling crafted heavy crossbow that’s bolt found its way to the giant’s heart it would have ended badly. The giant had nothing a disappointment considering all of the ogres I have ever seen carried great sums of coins, perhaps he was young and that is why he was so easy to dispatch.
We moved to the east and crossed a great ravine on a narrow overpass and ran into a tribe of rat folk we tried using diplomacy to pass thru there area to find Fenton, they knew of him and we were surprised to find he was still alive and below these levels after a long wait he told us how to find him. He directed us back to the lake were we would meet him and he would lead us further down. Vespar was the leaders name, he wanted us to tell him the story of the ogres battle we took him back to the room and acted it out to their great glee we must have told them the story 10 to 20 times over. Finally we went back to the lake and waited for Vespar to return. We did make good friends with the tribe, I am sure it was because of the svirnoblin and their playful attitude.
Vespar led us to a crypt, the second sarcophagus from the left on the south side found our way down. He made sure to point out the direction of the dragon, who we found out was a black dragon, I decided to go down because Vespar would have kept us there for hours talking, and trying to convince us to take the dragon, down we went. The passage was a thin metal staircase that twisted making it difficult to see ahead I led as we descended deeper. As we reached the bottom there was a door that opened into a mausoleum. The smell of the dank area was rancid.
Opening the door we found ourselves in an underground graveyard with several mausoleums the quietness of the cemetery was deafening. As we started to move the trap master saw something move in the distance we moved down the hall, unfortunately we left the Obsidian cleric vulnerable as we moved forward, the ghast took great pleasure in his attack against her. Before we knew it she was on the ground quickly the group returned to her aide. The Slave Orgoth’s strange spears and a javelin from Gorsk saved her life. that won’t happen again I talked to Gorsk and told him I will stay with the cleric if we have to move like that again. She is our only healing, so she needs to be looked after.
We returned to the sand room, and rested a day. I believe we may have to go to the city because Gorsk is ill does not seem to be getting any better. i am not sure the cleric will make it either if we don’t go back for a cleric.