The healing potions combined with rest have been sufficient for Drizzle and Maud to recover enough to awaken again.
Maud, yer up. Talk to me Goose!
'I think I heard tha shufflin' go down thatta way' Blue points down the unexplored hallway. 'I say we figger out what's down there an' get the hells outta here'
Carron starts walking back through to the main hallway.
"This way, I believe I saw more corridors just off to the right."
The group makes it to the main corridor and peers down the hall, but does not see any activity.
You can tell that there are corridors heading south approximately 30 feet and 60 feet ahead.
'I heard it go waaay down that hallway, keep an eye out fer mora them traps.'
Drizzle takes his bow out and peers down the hallway.
"Well we can't sit here all day, if the thief won't look I will."
"Yes, we either have to press on or turn back."
'Let me take tha lead, hopefully it's just whatever was walkin' 'round down here and we can cut him down quick.' Blue begins to carefully walk down the hallway with Loretta at the ready.
As you make your way down the hallway, Maud quietly inspects for traps every few feet and finds none. She still seems a bit shaken from her second brush with death.
You reach the first turn in the hallway , and deduce this is the parallel corridor which caused the magical glow from the wand you found.
The turn ends in another locked door. Maud attempts to pick the lock.
Alas, she is unsuccessful.
Further along , you see the main corridor ends and turns south. There does not appear to be a door right at the turn. This is the hall from which Blue Petes is certain he heard the door slam.
Maud scouts ahead and finds the corridor turns left then continues south, also ending in a locked door. She doubles back and reports her finding to the group.
Blue squints down into the darkness warily. 'Well, I don' wanna get cut off from the exit if we gotta run, I say we check this 'un first' He gestures towards the door halfway down the corridor.
The door falls from its hinges with a thud once again. As the group slowly enters, you see the hall continue south and end in another door about 40 feet away.
You see four large purple velvet curtains, two on either side of the hall. Behind each one appears to be a small 10x10 room.
You carefully peer behind each curtain and find only dust and rotten cloth debris in all but the southwest room.
There is a faint blue glow coming from the ceiling of southwest room , that appears to be residue from the wand that Tydeus fired off just minutes ago.
Maud presses on the glowing ceiling with the ten foot pole while out of the way, and releases a trap of falling rocks, which fall onto the floor below.
From this Tydeus deduces that he has found a Wand of Trap Detection.
The southern door is again locked.
'Give 'er a try Maud. Yer bound ta get one sooner or later'
'I got it'
The group advances to the southern door and Maud attempts again to pick the lock.
This time, she's successful!
"Gah! Finally! I thought these bloody things were broken!" she exclaims.
The door slowly creaks open, revealing a large, diamond-shaped room.
As you step inside, you note the high ceiling and the stone floor which seems to be of better quality than what you've previously seen down here.
In each of the three corners away from the door stand three stone statues, each depicting a different demonic being in various threatening, obscene poses.
Along the walls you see what appear to be strange arcane symbols neatly painted in red, possibly with blood. They appear to be very old.
At the center of the room lies an ornately engraved stone sarcophagus, looking undisturbed. Similar arcane symbols are inlaid on the stones near the sarcophagus.
'Ya suppose somone's takin' a nap in there?' Blue eyes the sarcophagus warily as he moves to examine the statues.
"This must be the tomb of Sigyfel!" Caron exclaims in a hushed voice.
"Do we dare to open it?"
He waves his stump for a moment. "By we, of course, I mean you."
'Everyone be ready. If somethin' comes outta here I want ya all to hit it with everythin' ya got' Blue says before spitting on his hands and attempting to remove the lid.
Blue Petes pushes the lid off the sarcophagus, which slides onto the stone floor with a shake and a loud thud, sending dust everywhere.
A combination of dust and smoke rise out of the open coffin. Suddenly, a grey corpse wearing ornate purple robes with arcane markings sits up and leaps out, snarling and hissing at the group!
Tydeus
Ghoul
Caron
Maud
Blue Petes
Drizzle
Robious
Tydeus casts Magic Missle at the foul undead creature. A crackle of energy shoots forth from his hand, striking the ghoul!
The ghoul staggers for a moment, then lashes out at poor Caron, who happens to be closest!
Caron is struck with one of the creature's claws!
The attack paralyzes Caron, who drops his sword and falls over, unable to move!
Maud quickly grabs Caron's sword from the ground and swings at the ghoul with it!
And she misses!
Blue hastily drops the lid and draws his axe.
'Why won't anythin' stay dead?' Blue bellows as he brings Loretta to bear on the robed un-corpse.
Loretta takes a chunk out of the ghoul's shoulder and splits into its chest. The creature snarls at Blue Petes and spits a vile black liquid that was likely once its blood at him.
'Didn't yer mother teach ya spittin' is rude?' Blue snarls at the robed figure.
Drizzle gasps as he sees the ghoul rise up out of its sarcofigus.
"Harabrim-Zeir!"
He shouts as a glowing arrow of force streaks unerringly towards its target!
Robiuous raises his hammer towards the ghoul and rebukes it with his most righteous tone.
"You are an abomination, away with you, go back to the shadows!"
While Robious fails to turn the ghastly creature, Drizzle's magic missile finds its target, and strikes the ghoul!
The creature staggers and groans and at your feet, it's unlife ended!
There's a brief flash of colored lights and a rush of air as what's left of the creature's foul soul departs for the nether realms!
As the dust settles, you hear thumping echo from an adjacent room. As far as you can tell, it came from the westernmost hallway.
Blue prods the body with a foot and checks inside the sarcophagus. He then proceeds to rifle through the bodies pockets, looking for anything of use.
Searching the sarcophagus, you find a fine velvet bag containing five medium-sized gems, a silver dagger with strange arcane markings, and leather bag with 500 gold pieces.
Inside the dead ghoul's pockets you find only a small pouch containing various components used for spell casting.
Caron gives an unsteady groan, still unable to move.
You again hear bangs and thumps from the adjacent hallway.
'Caron, I'm gonna carry ya ta keep ya with us. I think we're just about outta here. Lead on Maud' Blue says and follows Maud down the remaining hallway.
Maud leads the group back to the main hallway and to the final corridor.
As you slowly work your way up, checking for traps and secret doors along the way, Caron finally comes out of his paralyzed state.
"Damnations, you giant oaf! You bumped my head against the wall at least three times!"
The party makes their way down to the locked door . You hear more banging and thumping, and suddenly the sound of the door being unlocked from the other side, and then slowly opened.
Everyone freezes and holds their positions for a moment.
Out steps a rather large Orc, wearing scale armor and carrying a large sword!
He sees the party and yells back into the room in Orcish! You see two other Orcs and a figure in a black robe in the room.
You can briefly see that there is a small altar on a table on the east wall, adorned with black candles and a small statue in the form of a goat-headed demonic being.
The Orcs all start yelling and draw their swords.
The robed figure stands in the back and waits.
Drizzle
Blue Petes
Orc 1
Orc 2
Maud
Robed Figure
Robious
Tydeus
Caron
Orc 3
"Orcs! My immortal enemy! But, best to drop those with magic first, you can never be too careful you know!"
Drizzle targets the black robed man with his bow then lets fly.
"Black magic! He obviously has some sort of impenetrable shield up. Did you see what it did to my arrow?!"
'Lesse if it's as firm against ol' Loretta!' Blue charges towards the lead orc bringing Loretta down on his foe's head.
Drizzle misses his mark, but Blue Petes connects and Loretta takes a chunk out of the lead Orc!
The Orc responds in kind, taking a swing at Blue Petes with its longsword!
And he misses by a mile!
The second Orc steps up and also takes a swing at Blue Petes.
And he also misses!
Maud throws her dagger at Orc #2!
And hits!
The robed figure pulls forth a wand and fires it at Maud while clutching a medallion with the same goat head as the statue!
Maud takes minor damage from the wand!
'These things ain't so tough when ya get their skin on 'em!' Blue attempts to encourage his allies while fending off the orcs.
Robious swings at orc #2
"And the hammer of LAW dropped forth from the heavens!"
"Alas! It too was turned away by evil sorcery, but Law is like the ocean upon sea cliffs."
Tydeus throws a dagger at the lead Orc.
He strikes the wall by the Orc as the dagger ricochets back towards him.
"That really is some foul magic at work!" he exclaims.
Caron, having recovered his mobility and his sword from Maud, takes a slash at the lead Orc as well.
"Gah! I hate Orcs!" he yells as his rallying cry.
"What infernal wizardry is this?" he yells as he cleanly misses the Orc.
The Orc in the back charges at Blue Petes and attacks with his sword!
And also misses!
He grunts in Orcish, "<Seriously, are you guys doing something?>"
Blue Petes
Orc 1
Orc 3
Drizzle
Robious
Caron
Robed Guy
Tydeus
Maud
Orc 2
'I don't know what yer sayin' but i reckon yer impressed by my girl here.' Blue says, bringing Loretta around for another shot at orc1.
The lead Orc drops from Loretta's blow!
The third Orc retaliates and takes a swing at Blue Petes.
Clearly he's stricken with grief over his fallen comrade!
The elf draws the bowstring to the corner of him mouth and looses at the robed figure.
"Yes! My elven arrows have penetrated his magics!"
Robious brings the Hammer of Justice down on Orc 2.
"Judgement is upon you all!"
Drizzle unleashes an arrow on the mysterious figure, and lands a critical strike! The figure staggers, but isn't down quite just yet.
Meanwhile, Robious righteously crowns the second Orc with his hammer! The Orc goes down and stays down!
Caron, encouraged by the lucky strikes from the three adventurers, charges at the third Orc and lashes out with his sword!
He hits!
The Orc staggers from the wound!
The robed figure yells out, "Orcus, grant me the might to smite these do-gooders with thy evil!" and fires his wand at Caron!
Fortunately, the damage done by the evil cleric is only minor.
"That the best ya got, kid?" Caron fires back at him.
Tydeus flings another dagger at the evil cleric!
And the dagger finds it's mark!
"Orcus, why have thou forsaken meeeeee?" the cleric cries out as he falls to the ground, dead!
Maud hurls her dagger at the lone Orc.
And she also hits!
However, it's not enough to fell the Orc!
The Orc will fight on to the death!
Maud
Drizzle
Blue Petes
Tydeus
Caron
Orc 3
Robious
Maud throws another dagger at the Orc.
And misses!
Blue eyes the remaining orc up and down as the other foe's lifeblood slowly begins to form a large pool covering the floor.
'Ya shoulda brought more friends' he says with a vicious smile.