Kanzen takes a deep breath, wincing from the damage wrought on him by the ooze, then grits his teeth as adrenaline courses through his veins. He takes up a defensive stance, hoping to avoid any more of the thing's blows until the party's gelatinous ally can help out.
Carefully Eddrikk moves down one of the adjacent hallways.
Glabbagool screeches into Eddrikk's mind "I think there might be more down the other halls!"
Cyrus continues to fire down range.
Eddrikk holds at Glabbagool's advice
Cyrus fires at the black ooze but his aim goes wide because Glabbagool makes it a little harder to hit the black pudding. Meanwhile, Eddrikk wisely decides against awakening another ooze.
Glabbagool tries to hit the black pudding but then realizes that his acid won't let him hurt another ooze at all. So he flattens himself as low as he can to allow the others to fire without letting the ooze move past.
The black pudding strikes out at Kanzen and, despite the elf's dodgy skill, strikes him unconscious!
In desperation, Galinndan draws one of his potions of healing and pours it down the throat of Kanzen, then tries to drag him back.
Irdril uses her last heal on Kanzen and again fires at the ooze..
Galenus moves to toss another fire bomb, thankful the gelatinous thing has squished against the wall.
The magic users deal with the problem, sending fire and force crashing into the black pudding, which shudders and falls apart.
You pause and catch your breath. It's now that you realize that slow trickling of water you hadn't really noticed has been adding up. Water is flowing in through cracks in the ceiling. Glabbagool calls out in your brains "The stuff is down the way those pointy guys are going. I think they can probably get it without waking up more mean guys."
Galinndan moves to help Kanzen up.
We have little time to waste.
"Let's hurry then.."
Irdril moves up quickly to try and grab the "stuff" and get out..
This room contains a stone fountain with a raised edge. The basin contains shallow, brackish water. At the center of the pool, the rubble of a broken statue rest atop a pedestal. All that remains recognizable are a pair of clawed stone feet clutching the pedestal’s top. Carved into the walls are seven niches. Water seeps into one niche through a crack in the wall. The two niches that flank it are empty. Strange, formless sculptures occupy the four remaining niches.
Hidden beneath the dark waters of the fountain are 112 sp, 41 gp, three green-gold bracelets worth 25 gp each, a drow +1 dagger (the hilt has a spider design), a potion of greater healing, and a vial containing oil of slipperiness.
Kanzen accepts Galinndan's helping hand and gets to his feet. He looks down at his studded leather armour, and the sizeable holes that have been burnt into the chest section by the ooze's acidic attacks. Lacking any shirt, his ebon skin is visible through the holes. He gazes thoughtfully at the still-blistered and bleeding wounds there, and the criss-cross of faint, silvery scars all over him, remnants of the many wounds he has taken since the escape from the drow prison. Magical healing has nearly eliminated those old wounds, but the barely-visible scars still remain.
Shaking his head and looking around, he sees Irdril moving into the chamber. He follows her, standing near the entrance and keeping watch as she moves around the chamber then fishes the treasures from the water. As she makes to exit the room, he gives her a nod, almost a bow. "You've saved me more than once since we escaped my evil kin. I owe you my life. If you ever need my assistance, during this ill-fated journey, or, gods willing, after we reach safety, you've only to ask and I will be there. By Eilistraee, I give my word." Again, he bows his head.
"No worries Kanzen.. We have to look out for one another after all. Let's get moving."
Moving back to the group.
"I found a healing potion for whoever is wounded most.. Also there was a magic dagger for someone! Let's try that other tunnel!"
Galenus seems to pay more attention to the trove of treasures they just discovered than anything else; his mind automatically calculating value.
But as the waters continue to rise, he realizes the urgency of the situation.
We need to find a way out of this place. It's obviously water tight or it wouldn't be filling up. I'm going to check out the main tunnel and report back.
Galenus heads back to the "entrance" when they were first diverted into this area. Is the water rising there, too? Or is it leaking out through a gap?
East then, swiftly!
Galenus rushes back to the entrance to find it still caved in and water rising everywhere. Galinndan heads east and finds a 10 ft high chamber with cracks in the ceiling and water pouring through quickly.
Water is still rising over here! Galenus calls out. Can't go this way! What do you see over there?
"A chamber with cracks in the ceiling!"
The water keeps rising. It reaches shin level. The air also begins growing staler.
Cyrus sniffs and tastes the water flowing into the cavern.
"Cave in da ceilin' and 'ope fer da best?" Eddrikk asks with a shrug.
Think that'll work? What if we have to swim out? Can you even swim in that armor?
"I'd 'ave ditch er but drownin swimmin is preferable to drownin standin 'round," Eddrikk replies looking around the area for other options.
Fair enough.
Hey there, Glabagool, are you able to squeeze through tight spaces? Any chance you could squeeze up through these cracks and see what's on the other side?
Cyrus tastes relatively fresh water, though it certainly has a very high mineral content. Eddrikk can tell that the ceiling looks like it is rather precarious. Glabbagool responds to Galenus "No it's too bad but unlike those mean guys, I can't fit into tiny spaces..."
Galenus estimates you have about an hour before the current flow rate puts the water level at ceiling height.
Galinndan tries desperately to work out where the weak points in the stone are, and how best to break through them.
Kanzen begins scanning the hallways for any signs of hidden doors or exits.
"De water is fresh arr way out might be at de source." Cyrus suggests.
Seems like the direction we should go. Better than drowning here, eh?
Galenus helps the process along by trying to remove strategic stones from the cracking ceiling.
"I can try to blast it open, but who knows what that may do.. Are we sure there's no other way?"
Irdril makes a pass back through looking one last time..
While Galinndan considers the ceiling's structure, Irdril and Kanzen fail to find any alternate routes. Galenus begins chipping away at the ceiling and the rate of flow into the cavern greatly increases. Gushing through the new opening several inches across, the water rises above Cyrus' head but he has no difficulty swimming.
Galenus grows up to a massive size and begins smashing quickly through the ceiling. It's much easier now that he can reach it easily. Water flows down rapidly through the ceiling. Soon, you are all swimming just to stay afloat Swimming up through the whole is your only hope!
Without the raw strength to assist much with the smashing, Galinndan does his best to stay afloat, while keeping an eye out for anyone who is really struggling.
Unfortunately, he rapidly realises that person is himself.
Galenus will use his immense size to help anyone struggling up through the hole, by physically grabbing them and letting them use his hands and arms as a platform to climb/swim up the hole. Once on the other side, well, that's up to them.
Once everyone has gone through, he will go up. If he can fit with his size, he will keep his size large, otherwise he'll dismiss the spell and shrink back down.
Cyrus fights against the rushing water waiting for the room to fill so he can make his escape.
Seizing Galenus' leg, Galinndan climbs the now-huge dwarf.
Galenus can hold his breath for four minutes before he needs to start making checks.
The massive dwarf helps the rest of the party members up through the hole in the ceiling. The flow decreases as the oozing temple fills with water and you are soon able to swim to the surface of the water. Soaked and shivering but unhurt, Stool informs you "This way toward Neverlight Grove. Home! Home! I'm almost home!"
Stool leads you along for several more days until you reach a small tunnel that you can all pass through, though Kanzen, Galinndan, and Irdril have to duck. It seems to have been formed by an underground stream that dried up and is now dimly lit by fungi.
Irdril follows along quietly after nearly freezing the death..
No wonder I've never heard of this place; this has got to be the most convoluted defense system.
Gasping for breath and glad of it, Galinndan then calms.
"Aye Galenus. That was more hazardous than most foes we've faced!"