Characters:
- Zarjaz the Zazzy - Magic-User 1 - Male
- Shanks Mcspindlewort - Thief 1 - Male
- Finbar son of Finwe - Elf 1 - Male
- Delast Elfenprincess - Elf 1 - Female
- Barack Kihnos - Cleric 1 - Male
The injured patch themselves up whilst Zarjaz conducts a fruitless search of the crypt. About half an hour into this downtime the party hear a muffled crashing from elsewhere in the catacombs. This is followed by a strong draught that blows dust and debris into the crypt. Going to investigate they discover that the stone archway leading to the stairs back up to the 2nd level has completely collapsed blocking their return to the surface.
Having no alternative the party press on with Finbar and Shanks taking the lead. They head north from the sunken crypt for about 50ft before the corridor ends in a T-junction. Three ghouls lie in wait and rush the party hissing and spitting. The fight is closely fought and at one point Shanks and Barack are paralysed, Delast is incapacitated and Finbar is apparently dead. Two ghouls are still standing and intend to invite Zarjaz as the final guest to their luncheon party. It seems all is lost until Finbar rises from the grave* to slay one of the remaining ghouls and even the odds. With Finbar defending frantically, Zarjaz feeds healing potions to Delast and Barack. Between them they deal with the last ghoul and relieve it of a small pouch containing 4 gems.
* His player forgot I was allowing a character to sacrifice their shield to ignore 1d6 hp of damage, and I decided to grasp at this straw to avoid a TPK.
Still sorely injured and reduced to a single healing potion, the party withdraws to the sunken crypt to lick their wounds. With their lantern trimmed low and a fire made from odds and ends of rags and wood that they scrape together the party camps up for 2 days. The elves take it in turns to stand watch but the time passes peacefully.
Healed nearly to full strength by their rest, the party break camp and return to the T-junction at which they were ambushed. They head west for 50ft past more burials before the corridor turns north. After a further 20ft they find a side-corridor that heads a short distant west before leading onto an ascending stairway. They climb this with much relief.
The stairs lead up into a large aisled hall running west to east. The columns are 'decorated' with the bodies of long dead goblins impaled on them by 8 inch long bone-like spikes. The party suspect a trap* and Shanks is sent forward to investigate. He discerns nothing dangerous and for the moment the cause of the goblins' fate remains a mystery. After a thorough but fruitless search the party leaves by a corridor that heads north from the north-west corner of the hall.
* Mainly due to the GM misunderstanding and cocking up the room description.
After 10ft the corridor turns east for a further 50ft before turning back south for another 30ft where it is joined by a corridor heading east. Beyond this T-junction the corridor continues south for a further 10ft before ending at a door. Shanks overhears conversation from the eastern corridor which allows the party to surprise (with a Sleep spell) a small group of goblins who are standing guard behind an improvised barricade blocking the way east. One of the goblins is unaffected by the enchantment and escapes, shouting alarm, and pursued by Delast. Barack and Zarjaz follow Delast over the barricade but only far enough to loot the goblins.
Left behind on the western side of the barricade Shanks and Finbar are surprised when the southern door opens and a grizzled old goblin flanks them throwing a flask of flaming oil. He causes little damage and is quickly beheaded by Finbar. A brief search of his room reveals nothing interesting.
Meanwhile Delast has chased the goblin east through a small guardroom and then along a corridor south for 40ft before finally bringing it down with an arrow as it turns east at the next intersection. Peeking east around the intersection she spies a half-dozen goblins and hobgoblins approaching from a room 30ft down the corridor. She steps out into the corridor to launch a Magic Missile at one of the hobgoblins but fails to bring it down. Having already been alerted, the gang of goblins are not surprised, and before Delast can escape* they have run her down, forcing her into a fighting retreat back up the corridor. Alas the goblin numbers are too great and she is cleaved in half by a great blow from one of the hobgoblins.
* In retrospect this may have been a bad GM call. Even though Delast had already acted (cast a spell) on the round that the hobgoblins charged her they had to cover 30ft and she should probably have had a chance to turn and run. Given that she was the same speed the resulting battle would have occurred at the barricade and she might possibly have survived with the help of the other party members.
Though alerted by the sound of battle Zarjaz and Barack arrive too late to save Delast and instead flee back over the barricade to make a stand against the oncoming goblins. After both sides refuse calls to surrender a lengthy stand-off occurs with much name calling, lewd behaviour and unlikely use of "Climb Sheer Surfaces" and "Hide in Shadows". The goblins unsuccessfully set their pet fire beetles against the barricade and the party appropriately enough use burning oil to set them on fire. Eventually the goblins withdraw having taking significant casualties from Finbar's bow.
Once the way is clear the party cross the barricade and head east. They manage to capture one of the remaining goblins and he is persuaded to lead them to the stairs up and back to the 1st level. Back on the surface Finbar allows the goblin its promised freedom much to the disgust of the others.
The party returns to Ethanfeld.
The game session ended here.
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