Stonehell: Into the Maze

Session 72 was played on 7/7

Eiric, wizard 7 (Kat)
- men at arms (Alias the Elf, Eddard “Sunny Jim”)
Brie, wizard 4 (Apprentice to Eiric)
A-A-Ron, Thief 6 (Henchman)
Daryll, Cleric 6 (Henchman)
Orpheus, Human Fighter 6 (Henchman)
Karl, Dwarf 7 (Julia)
- Hobart (dog)
- men at arms (Modar)
Lex the Cheeseman, Fighter 4 (Henchman)
Koltic, Cleric 3 (Chris)
- men at arms (Medrick)

The pickings for new hirings were suddenly slim after the party returned to the city. Only Modar, Medrick, and Eddard “Sunny Jim” were willing to sign on with the party. Eiric also picked up the magical dagger that Feris made for them, and he says he’ll let them know when the mace is ready.

Heading directly back down to the 3rd level, they see some large beetles, but avoid them. Karl stops at the mead hall, before pressing onto visit the bugbears. Gretta is thrilled to see the party again, and gives Eiric a big bugbear hug! She then passes on the week’s payment, and Gretta escorts the party down and around to a robing chamber, and then onto a large t-shaped hall full of 4’ crystal lenses mounted on 6’ tall pillars.

The party spends a while spinning the lenses, but can’t make anything happen. Testing the double doors A-A-Ron tries to get close, and then is magically shoved away. After some experimenting, Eiric decides to try her Mind Blank spell on A-A-Ron, and that works! A-A-Ron gets the door open, and the rest of the party moves up. The chamber beyond is round, with 3 other sets of doors leading out of it. A dusty blood stained bowl stood on a tripod in the middle of the room, and arcane runes covered the walls. Eiric and Brie spend a while copying down the runes, and then they try to use Knock on one of the doors. The spell fails.

Growing impatient, Karl uses the knife in the bowl to cut his arm, allowing the blood to drip into the bowl. Karl then grabbed Modar, who’d been watching with horrified fascination, and cut his arm, and held it over the bowl. As the bowl filled, the doors in the room clicked loudly.

Heading through the middle door, after a long hall they came to an intersection. They turned back, and checked the other two doors. They lead to another pair of circular rooms with different magical writing. Copying down the runes, they then returned to the lens room, and took the smaller door off to the side, which opened onto a small maze. A-A-Ron, Koltic and Alias all go in. Karl follows a moment later, unwilling to wait around. Around the twisting walls, they see multiple glowing runes on the walls. They manage to trigger a trap, and a Gelatinous Cube attacks them! At the exact same moment the doors to the maze slam magically shut. They manage to slay the cube with only minor burns. Now trapped, they decide to see if the runes will get them out. Karl then tries touching one of the runes, and gets blasted by fire. He then tries another one, and disappears! A-A-Ron, Alias, and Koltic all swear quietly, and decide to not tell Eiric right away. They continue to map out the maze.

Meanwhile, Karl, transported to… somewhere else begins to explore his new location, discovering a throne room full of ghosts that ignore him. He moves onto an old dusty bedroom, and discovers a powerful magic sword and some other treasure. Then moving onto a reception chamber, where he’s attacked by a wraith, who drains his energy! But he survives, and slays the undead thing, resisting the urging of the sword, and sticking with the Hammer of the Great Digger.

Gains: Magic sword, magic dagger, scroll, and coinage
Kills: Gelatinous Cube, Wraith
Losses: