AD&D Greyhawk Adventures: The Temple of Elemental Evil

Game Master Anselth

"I cannot maintain my illusions while moving. As I can only do this once a day, I do not do this lightly."
One spell a day, seems kind of harsh, but that was how it was in the golden days.

As the group descends the stair, the silence below becomes deafening. Pettry's torch flickers in a breeze which seems to have no source, casting weird shadows upon the walls. The stair turns ninety degrees to the right, and ahead, an archway can be seen. The group approaches slowly, the room beyond appearing devoid of threats, but some broken furniture and overturned crates could provide cover for wary foes.

Podo cautiously moves ahead, checking for threats to the big people behind him. Four steps until the arch, then three. Sallandrya and Tarmin follow closely behind, their bows ready for any threat. As Podo is about to step through the arch into the room beyond, he looks over his shoulder to nod an all clear to the group.

Something tickles Tarmin's senses and she happens to glance up as Podo steps on the final stair. She sees a dark mass quiver, then fall away from the arch directly above her friend's head. With all the speed granted her by her ancestry, the ranger's hand darts out, seizing the halfling by the back of his collar and yanking with all her might.

Podo squeaks as he suddenly finds himself flying backward. A wet plop sounds on the staircase directly in front of him. Looking down, he sees a green mass, with no form, lying on the ground where he had just stepped. Looking up, he notes there is a similar mass still hanging from the archway, slightly to the left of where the first must have fallen from.

Working on the map, hope to have it up tomorrow.

Some form of acid or is it moving?

Knowledge or survival roll to determine what just miss Podo

1d20 ⇒ 12

Holding Podo, back Tarmin looks at the green mass. Does it move on it's own? Was it just coinicidense that it dropped when it did?

Tarmin calls Pettry to bring the torch closer so that there was more light to examine the substance.

Pettry moves up, the torchlight illuminating the thing. It bubbles and quivers slightly, seemingly of its own accord. It appears almost to be some sort of half-decayed fungus. Pettry hands Tarmin the torch, and as she brings it close to the thing, it seems to shrink from the open flame, though it doesn't physically move away. Pettry pokes it with the tip of his staff, and the thing seems to cling to it, the wood dissolving almost on cantact before the mage pulls it back, away from the strange thing.

"Tarmin, it may be susceptible to the flame you hold but let us be wary of more from overhead. If you could hold up the light further please ..."

Sallandrya scans the area carefully for more clusters of the fungus.

"Was this a trap? Or even an alarm for those that lay further into the depths? Pettry can you identify what this is? Perhaps we can put it to use."

Question DM Anselth

"It would appear so, Sallandrya. Let us see..." Tarmin says as she takes the torch and passes the flame under the green mass still on the ceiling, careful not to allow it to fall on to her hand or arm.

Pettry INT check: 1d20 ⇒ 1

Pettry stares at the end of his staff, then backs up a step and answers Sallandrya. "Um.. I think this is a green slime. They're non-mobile, but can dissolve both metal and wood, and if they come into contact with flesh, it will shortly change to more green slime, killing the individual in a matter of seconds. I'm sure it could be used as a weapon, but I don't know how we could contain it." He glances up to see the one on the ceiling pull back from Tarmin's torch. "It might be better just to burn them. If we need to come back through here in a hurry, we may not remember that they're there."

Andre grimaces as he hears Pettry describe the slime. "Aye, put it to the torch. I've heard of bad deaths, but I don't wish that upon the Old One to the north. We will meet our foes with honorable weapons - not base cowardice." He takes a firebrand and carefully sets the slime aflame.

Tarmin nods to Pet try, and thrusts the torch into contact with the slime on the ceiling.

As Andre and Tarmin hold the torches to the slimes, they begin to bubble and smoke, before finally catching fire. The flames produce an odor that forces Pettry back up the stairs, hand over his mouth. Within moments, the two slimes are reduced to smoldering lumps.

If only our enemies were half as gallant, Sallandrya muses. The Old One probably uses this green slime to flavor his salad. With a heaping of baby seal croutons. But she bites her cynical tongue back.

These are just men Sallandrya, their conscience is as part of them as your bow is to you, she reminds herself.

The Ranger priest hopes that this 'trap' was not one that would have alerted their foes. "Let's press on then, while we may still have some semblance of stealth. And introduce our foes to our 'honorable weapons'." the Elf says quietly but determined not to lose the momentum.

Andre/Sir Galavaine

"Oh"! "Thanks"!..."but I saw it". "I was just getting ready to jump out of the way myself". Podo then continues to lead the group, but this time you notice he's spending as much time looking up as he did looking down and side-to-side before.

Andre should have the magic shield (if it of benefit). Sir Galavaine has a ridiculously good AC already.

The knight steps cautiously over the burnt patches when the rest have moved on. His nose wrinkles at the indelicate smell. [b]"T'would be good to remove all such greenery, and replace with more pleasant aromas methinks."

"We're sure to experience more unpleasant aromas the further we delve, Galavaine." Tarmin says smiling at Podo's bravado, glad she was alert enough to notice the slime before it fell on her friend. "I daresay , Podo, that green goo would have given your head quite the trim, had, we not noticed it."

I'm pretty sure it does help my AC. I'll figure that out when I get home tonight.

"If the strongest foe we face here be the stench of burning slime, then we shall be making quick work of the catacombs, I should think." He continues leading his allies into the darkness.

210xp each for the slimes, and the new map is up.

Tarmin makes a circuit of the room, making sure no secret or concealed doors are missed

1d6 ⇒ 4

"Good job on those slimes."

As Tarmin passes the western wall she pauses then stops. "Here , assist me clearing this debris, I believe that there are a pair of doors behind this rubbish"

Sallandrya will also scan the room for secret and concealed doors as well as pay close attention to the obvious door and watch for any movement coming from there or the southern corridor.

1d6 ⇒ 6

Quietly, in Elven to Tarmin

"I will watch you back sister, no harm will come to you from the south or east, but be wary of making noise .. or what may lay within the debris, I already do not like 'the feel' of this place."

Then in common, "Perhaps use this," Sallandrya reaches for the side of her pack and hands Tarmin her tall walking staff, to prod through the heap.

She will then use her hunter's instincts to find an ideal spot to lay and wait for any danger that may threaten any of her friends.

Anselth

Can you please move Sallandrya, as quietly as possible, to a vantage point where she can cover and observe the majority of the current room without having to fire through the party? Basically I just don't want us to be caught with our guard down. I definitely want to keep that door in view.

Great maps again Anselth!

Though Podo is a bit skittish at first, when no snakes or rats come tumbling out of the debris, he is quick to help...hoping that he might find something that someone unfortunately has misplaced.

Gnobby listens at the door, careful not to open it this time.
1d100 ⇒ 42
After relating his findings, he steps way back.

Tarmin smiles at Sallandrya as she takes the staff from her. Using the staff, she moves the debris away from the doors, attempting to make as little noise as possible.

Gnobby, Tarmin, and Podo manage to clear away the debris with a minimum of sound, though it takes some time. Sallandrya moves to get a better vantage down the long corridor, and notes several cells along the western wall, with an open archway in the middle of the eastern wall.

There is a burst of light after the rasp of flint on steel. Sir Galavaine stands under a cone of light. His hooded lantern he adjusts to keep the cone down to about a quarter circle then he moves with the searchers trying to give every human a better view.

"Pettry stay with me" he commands.

The Elf's eyes adjust to the brighter light source.

Very quietly, "Is there anything significant in the rubble?" she asks her friends.

Sallandrya describes what she see's to the south.

"Do we go investigate the door or forward through the corridor?" then continues, "I myself do not want to leave an unopened room behind us, we don't want to be flanked."

"I would prefer to discover what lays behind these doors. Perhaps they were concealed for a reason."

A quick check shows both doors are made of heavy oak, and both are locked.

Doors

Gnobby carefully checks for traps and takes out a set of lock picks.
"Opening locks, a strength of the smaller earth children."
open locks: 1d100 ⇒ 45
Should do it if it is a standard lock.

Which door, north or south?

Gnobby opens the concealed doors.
"Podo, these doors are lost--maybe some lost things inside?"

It makes no difference to me either way - we've got to explore them both, eventually. Flip a coin! Heads we go north; tails we go south. 1d2 ⇒ 2

Podo jumps up and down behind Gnobby, trying to see what's behind door number 1.

Tarmin take a position behind the gnome and halfing eyes sharp for any threats as the door is opened.

Sallandrya, catches herself holding her breath and tries to steel herself.

They all cast long shadows as the lantern of Galavaine back lights the doorway.

Please forgive the lack of an updated map. My back just got VERY angry with me...

As Gnobby opens the southern door, Sir Galavaine's lamp casts dim shadows on the wall of a 20x20 foot room. Inside are several shields and sets of leather armor, as well as several barrels. Gnobby notes that unlike the doors upstairs, this one and its twin north of it are well maintained, with hinges oiled to prevent rust. They are obviously still in use.

"Podo, some lost leather armor. Hopefully it is small sized."

DM Anselth

Party
Shall we search that room now or later?

"Search it quickly. We cannot afford to leave a stone unturned. And this could be a useful hidey hole in the next day or two. Gnobby can you lock it again just as well?"

"It would seem the Moathouse proper was just a facade; this is where the forces of Evil are working, if Gnobby's eyes do not deceive him. Yes, search it fast, but we must clear these other rooms before venturing too far forward. We cannot afford to lose our escape route, should things turn against us." Andre moves into the room and keeps watch on the doors inside as the others search in haste.

A cursory search of the room finds that the stores in the barrels are mostly salted pork and beef, though two barrels contain what appears to be brandy. There are, in fact, several suits of small leather armor and shields among the gear stored here. Nothing of significant value is to be found, however.

"This is good luck. A ready made redoubt for our exploration of this dungeon. Let us see what waits behind the other door."

After finding out that the barrel contains Brandy, Podo is very slow to leave the room. If anyone goes back to look, they can see him pulling, and tugging, and testing the weight of the barrel with a look of extreme concentration...and sadness on his little face.

Gnobby easily picks the lock on the northern door, and listening, hears nothing beyond.

Very quietly whispering:

"If you would kindly open the door, I shall see what lays behind the second door," and the taunt Elven bow string is pulled barely a fourth of an inch further back.

Perception or Search for secret doors

1d6 ⇒ 2