Adventurers Present
Bilbo - hobbitish rogue
Mossmullet - dwarfley (now) cleric
Orsek - dwarfley barbarian wizard
Red Shpee - elfin rogue
Wilfred Fizzlebang - gnomic (now) paladin
As the group returned to the business of clearing out the infested caverns of Quasqueton, they found themselves slightly fewer in numbers than before. Fortunately, they were also more focused on the tasks at hand and all immediately set off in pursuit of Jonesy the ratling (rat king?). They tracked him through the bat cave by his footprints, and discovered they suspiciously ended at a wall. Not surprisingly, a secret door was discovered. Then more secret doors were revealed, leading to the discovery of the Rat King’s Treasure! And that two-faced rodent-man, Jonesy.
Confronting and chastising the duplicitous ratling, the group ordered him to open one of the three treasure chests in the room. They chose to mostly ignore the two oddly-lifelike statues which were also visibly present, or to do any further investigation of the room. Which proved to be a mistake, because suddenly 4 more ratlings appeared, the 2 statues came to life, and all concerned attacked! Except the slippery Jonesy, of course, who once again beat a hasty retreat in the face of danger. He is a scavenger, after all, not a predator.
The battle went well for the group, with only 1 person being pummeled into unconsciousness (I’m fairly sure that’s better than average) before the beasts were all slain. Even the discretion-oriented Jonesy met his maker, his escape thwarted this time by Red and Mossmullet. The statues proved rather hardy, each coming back from unconsciousness/death one time, before being battered into dusty debris. The bad guys (or at least former owners) of this cavern handily dispatched, the party turned to counting the loot.
And what loot it was! In addition to well over 300 gp in coin and gewgaws, the party got its first magic item!!! A wonderful, glowing +1 shield was discovered! Fizzlebang, being the group’s lone character dedicated to fighter-type activities, claimed the wondrous prize. As large as he is (the fellow’s a gnome), Fizzlebang secured his flanks from all danger as he strapped it to his back. Huzzah!
That’s when the Sleestacks chose to locate the adventuring party again, and offer their thanks for killing off the goblinoid invaders. Or maybe just to tell the party it was time to get gone? But a critically successful attempt to influence the lizardlings resulted in them fixing and filling out the party’s map for them. Huzzah again!
The party then went exploring again, newly armed with their superior info. They navigated themselves to a natural amphitheater baited with a stack of gems! There were 10 of the bright, shiny objects, and the acquisitive gleaming proved too much to resist. The 12 stirges which attacked the group, however, did not. They were resisted successfully, dying loud and bloody deaths and splattering the group with extracted gnome-blood (which is apparently the flavor of candied walnuts?).
The gems were interesting, primarily for the involving and interactive manner in which the players got to roll for each gem’s value. In an inspired use of his previously-earned Inspiration, Orsek attempted to kick-start the group’s fortunes by substituting a 30-sided die for a 6-sided valuation roll. While the unfortunate roll didn’t bear much fruit, the thought and planning behind it were appreciated and admired by all…who stood to gain from it. Seriously!
The group took a long rest, and then ventured over to the FORBIDDEN ROOM. Opening the door to the crescent-shaped FORBIDDEN ROOM, the party found…wait for it…two gold pieces, sitting stacked one upon the other, smack-dab in the middle of the floor. Not at all suspicious. But…once again the shininess and the goldiness proved too much for the avaricious adventurers. The brown ooze which dropped from the ceiling, barely missing Fizzlebang’s head, came as, well, not exactly a surprise. What did surprise the group, you ask? Three things: 1) the ooze was immune to pointy damage (shocker), 2) cutting the ooze resulted in two smaller oozes to kill (OK, slightly shocking), and 3) literally shocking the ooze was completely ineffective (shocking! Or, not shocking? Un-shocked?). The putrid pseudopodia scored a brutal acid-bath bashing blow on everyone’s favorite gnome, thus illuminating why the Sleestacks memorialized their disinclination to visit. Thereafter, Orsek and Mossmullet’s cold spells helped to crystallize and damage the grungy gunk, and blunt fry-pans brought the encounter (and the session) to a close. In a final moment of soul-searching introspection, Fizzlebang allowed that there might have been good reason for the cavern to be named FORBIDDEN.
Next up – the Pool of Water! Exciting! Or at least wet!
Party Experience Gained
Combat: 150 each
Exploration: 150 each
