The Ochre Jelly attempts to burn the Rogue but he is to fleet of foot and the creature misses, this is better than fight Ghouls.
Astrid, using her Monkish discipline, is able to pull herself out of the effects of the Ghouls Paralysation and kills the creature in front of her.
The last Ghoul standing flees North while calling out in a chattering mewing tone. Could he be calling out to others or just warning of the intrusion by the mighty adventures?
Is it possible that there were more Ghouls?
The Rogue alerts his comrades to his actions and tells them both to move to the now empty room previously occupied by the Ghouls.
Galdor move quickly to the doorway and turns with his Holy Symbol in hand. Lofty has to stand firm and hope that the Ochre Jelly would have poor aim.
The Rogue, rather than trying to dash through the Ochre Jelly, uses his ‘Boots of Striding and Springing’ to be able to jump clear of the Jelly’s influence and joins Galdor at the doorway to the chamber.
Magic Item – Boots of Striding and Springing
Astrid is the last to move and heads into the chamber ready to battle anything inside.
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “We should be fine. From what I remember in my natural history classes was these Jelly type creatures do not move very fast.”
SOUTH BARRACKS:
Old stone bunks in orderly rows line the walls of this chamber, and a corroded iron brazier full of old coals stands near the middle of the room. The bones of a half dozen dwarves and orcs lie strewn about, clad in scraps of armour. This was where 3 Gray, hunched figures had squatted among the remains, pawing at the scraps and gnawing on the bones, the Ghouls.
Astrid glances about the chamber and spots no danger but does make out a object under one of the stone bunks and calls in the Rogue to investigate further making sure they look out for Ghouls.
Lofty moves into the chamber and kneels down before the stone bunk. There he sees that the object is a Metal Lockbox with Dwarven Runes scratched upon the lid.
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “Looks like this box is not trapped but it is protected by a very sturdy, Dwarf made, lock. Curse it, let me try again… Got it”.
Inside the Rogue finds the remains of organic materials of long-ago items. However, 2 items did survive the ages and the Rogue take a quick look at the item before he places them in his backpack.
One of the items is a Potion, wrapped and protected by Metal mesh in the form of a decorative pattern. Inside the Rogue can see the liquid inside is a cloudy green fluid, that smells of the sea and has a jellyfish-like bubble floating in it.
Magic Item – Potion of Water Breathing
The second of the item is a wooden box with carved leaves running along the front and back. Inside the Rogue finds 15 Shortbow Arrows made of some form of light metal and exquisitely made. These will help with the Ghouls I hope thinks Lofty.
Meanwhile, Astrid had closed the stone door to the West of the South Barracks and Galdor had made his way to the Southern door to listen out for any unwanted guests.
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “Poor some Oil by the door sister, in case the create attempts to enter or the Ghouls return. Have a light ready too.”
Just then the sound of Ochre Jelly pounding the door could be heard.
Galdor: “It is time to go little ones, the coast South appears clear. Do we go around East and then North or South and East to the cavern Rogue?”
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “The second one.”
Astrid Bilberry: “What about the Southern entrance?”
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “I think that may just be collapsed tunnels like those which we found in the Mine Tunnels.”
Just as Lofty was closing his backpack and Galdor was looking South, the Ochre Jelly appeared oozing under the door.
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “Burn it sister and run.”
The Monk set fire to the Oil and the Ochre Jelly screamed out as it oozed back out, leaving only a brown burning piece of itself that smelt like burnt sugar.
The adventurers moved out and South. Lofty would take the lead and move first, stop and listen out and then use his Thief Skills to dash on again. This allowed everyone to move on at double time, but with the advantage of the Rouge listening out for danger.
Having heard nothing in front of the adventures the Rogue moves inaudibly South and along the unworked tunnel that led to another cavern, or so that is what it looked like on Gundren’s Map but, as the Rogue had already realised, it was not complete.
All 3 of the Heroes move to the cavern entrance and see the following scene.
OLD ENTRANCE:
Many tunnels intersect at this natural, thirty-foot-high cavern. The walls are carved with simple reliefs showing dwarf and gnome miners hard at work. Below them, nearly two dozen skeletons in rusted scraps of armour are scattered across the cavern floor. Some are dwarf skeletons, while others are orc remains. Half a dozen large brass lanterns stand in niches or on ledges around the cavern, but none are lit.
The Rogue feeling completely uneasy about everything in Wave Echo Cave spends time examining the Skeletons and other detritus on the floor. The Rogue discerns that this was the location of a large, if not the initial battle of Wave Echo Cave between the Clans of Dwarves and Gnomes versus a powerful force of Orcs reinforced by Evil Mercenary Wizards. attacked Wave Echo Cave to seize its riches and magic treasures. Human wizards fought alongside their dwarf and gnome allies to defend the Forge of Spells.
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “They all appear to be dead, but not dangerously dead. Can you not use your Holy Powers to check Galdor?”
Galdor: “It doesn’t work like that young Lofty.”
What Galdor actually meant was that he did not choose ‘Detect Evil and Good’ that morning, he chose ‘Protection from Evil and Good’, rookie mistake.
The adventures agree to have the Rogue move ahead first and that he should head East to the adjacent cavern and avoid the Southern worked stone corridor. The Rogue follows the edge of the cavern and moves off as silent as a thought and as he moved along the natural tunnel, he sees that there is fait eerie green phosphorescent light coming from the cavern ahead.
Meanwhile, following up behind Galdor is quite but the Monk inadvertently kick a piece of old armour and the sound alerts the danger within the cavern to their presence. Silently gliding down from the caverns ceiling, 10 Bat-like creatures descend silently to surprise our 2 adventurers.
Monster – Striges
Stirges, these horrid flying creatures looks like a cross between a large bat and an oversized mosquito. Its legs end in sharp pincers, and its long, needle-like proboscis slashes the air as it seeks its next meal.
2 of the creature attack Astrid while the other 3 fly around waiting their turn and the same happens to Galdor.
Astrid was bitten by one of the Stirges and it attached itself to her upper arm and the second missed her. Galdor was attacked but both Stirges were not able to penetrate the Clerics Chain Mail. It was then that Lofty realised that the others were in need of his help and the Rogue ran back to the Old Entrance cavern.
Loft fired at one of the Stirges that was attacking his sister and it was instantly killed. Then Astrid, who was now out of their initial stupor, slam one of the Stirges against the cavern wall and leaving a bloody streak mark of her and the creature’s blood.
More of the Stirges descend and attack the Monk. Galdor now free to act cast his ‘Sacred Flame’ at one of the and a Flame-like radiance descended on a creature burning it to death.
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “Shoot, I think its time to use another spell.”
The Rogue, believing that he could affect all of the creatures at once chose to cast ‘Sleep’ on them and indeed they all succumbed to his influence. All of the remain Stirges fell down asleep. Much easier than the Ghouls.
The adventurers once again begin to head off Eastward but they are stopped by the Rogue as he hers the sound of a stone door being slowly opened; the sound was coming from the South so that meant there were more areas not marked on the Map.
The Adventurers hide by the entrance to the cavern and after a short ‘Message’ conversation with Galdor, the party chose to hold their position and see what is making the sound.
Galdor: “It’s best not have more enemies behind us.”
After a short while a Dwarven creature shamble up the corridor towards the adventurers. It putrid smell and grey skin alerting them to the fact that it was another Undead and a Zombie this time. It moved slowly North stopping every now and then to stare about and sniff the air.
Monster – Zombie
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “Something must have created these things or still be here in Wave Echo Cave commanding them.”
Galdor: “That is very insightful of you Lofty, I am glad you paid attention in catechism class.”
The party swiftly deal with the Zombie, thankful it was not more Ghouls, and then think it best to investigate the Main Entrance area. They head South and fins the Southern corridor, presumably to the Main Doors, is block and that the are 2 doors to the East and West. The Rogue moves ahead once more and finds a door, where the Zombie came from, which is slightly open. The opposite door to the West is closed and so the Rogue checks the Western door first.
OLD GUARDROOM:
Splintered stone benches and heaps of rubble from a partially collapsed ceiling fill this room. Amid ruined stone bunks and toppled weapon racks are the bones of several dwarves and orcs.
Seeing nothing of interest the Rogue moves away to the Eastern door, leaving the Western door open. The Rogue listens at the door and when he hears nothing open it to find another chamber.
ASSAYERS’ OFFICE
This chamber was once an office or storeroom of some kind. A large stone counter bisects the room, set with three dusty balance scales made of iron. Cubbyholes carved into the north wall are stuffed with dusty paper scraps. Several long-dead corpses, Gnomes and Orcs by their look—are sprawled across the floor.
All the adventurers enter and look around. The Rogue finds another Locked Iron Strong Box, without writing this time, and opens it up with his Thieves’ tools. Inside the Rogue finds:
600 cp, 280 sp, 190 ep, 260 gp and 2 Potions. One potion takes the form of a sparkling, golden mist that moves and pours like water. The other liquid is a clear concoction with bits of salt and soot swirling in it.
Magic Item – Potion
After looking at the books and document written in Dwarvish, the Rogue discerns that:
The mine’s assayers worked here, weighing and assessing ore samples and paying the minors for their labour.
The adventures find nothing more of interest and head back to the Old Entrance Cavern, readying themselves for another fight with the Stirges but they had left. The party head East towards the eerie green phosphorescent cavern and once they reach it, they are all even more prehensive about the whole thing.
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “I will help check the Cavern from the entrance with the help of my sister. Look out for Ghouls”
Galdor: “I will check the area for tracks in that case and the ground is quite moist and they should be easier to spot.”
Fungi Cavern:
Dense carpets of weird fungi cover large sections of the floor in this cavern. The growth includes puffballs a foot across, weird shelf fungus growing on stalagmites, and large stalks and caps a good five feet tall. Some of the puffball’s glow with an eerie green phosphorescence.
Fungi Cavern – Mushroom Room
The Rogue spends sometime looking and listening but there is nothing that stands out to him.
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “Nothing obvious except for the sound of insects.”
Galdor: “I can see many tracks; they are hard to make out but they seem to have reached here and have gone no further. Look they go back to the previous cavern.”
Leif ‘Lofty’ Bilberry: “Now that’s not a good sign.”
Astrid Bilberry: “Not even the Bugbears and the Black Spider wished to go that this way.”
What is next for our adventurers?