Delve #12 -- Much Exploration

Today's Delvers:

• Taggert -- 2nd lvl Fighter -- AC - 4; HP - 13-1 = 12; 2-hand sword
• Norfaz -- 2nd lvl Fighter -- AC - 2;  HP - 22-13 = 9; war hammer & crossbow
• Gylvair -- 2nd lvl Elf; AC - 4; HP - 13-6 = 7; longsword  (sleep & magic missile)
• Ragnorf -- 2nd lvl Dwarf -- AC - 2;  HP - 20-12 = 8;  mace

After the disastrous Delve 11, a night's sleep had restored 1 hp to each party member and Fasboo did all she could when she cast CLWs on the three most injured (Taggert +7, Norfaz +4, Ragnorf +5) but the four delvers remained 32 hp down from being fully healthy.

Gylvair apologized to them for not using her sleep spell in what looked-like easy encounters (which turned out to be nasty ones) and promised to be "quick on the trigger" with it today.

They then got their heads together looking for a relatively quick in-and-out delve since they were hurting so much.  After very little debate they decided on Entrance C and exploring Room 6 (which had had a large group of something in it when the first delvers had peeked in on Delve 2 ten days before).

At the door they could hear voices so Gylvair prepared his spell . . . and as the door opened cast it on a group of five Hobgoblins.

Three dropped (two made their saves) but the others charged the party . . . but after a brief exchange of blows, Taggert and Norfaz each felled one (and the others were dispatched while sleeping . . . hey, nobody likes hobgoblins . . . not even their mothers, eh?).

The bodies only yielded 6 gp, but among the various goblets, plates, mugs and dishes in the various cupboards, the delvers found 5 scroll cases and 6 potions . . . all of which would be tested for magic later. 

There were three other doors in Room 6; two on the east wall and one to the south.  The northernmost one on the east wall revealed a corridor that turned north ending in a door that opened onto what looked like a storage room (#26) and two animating oddly-shaped Skeletons.

One skeleton went for Norfaz but fell down (fumbled) even as the Fighter missed him; the other missed Taggert, who whacked it for 6 pts of damage.  But in doing so, Taggert lost his sword and fell down (i.e., fumbled his next swing), while Gylvair offed the one on the ground, then immediately fell down too (i.e., fumbled his next roll as well).

Eventually the last skeleton was finished off by Ragnorf, who then dropped his mace (deliberately) in case there was some sort of a curse with these skeletons since the two who hit them both fumbled right after they did so.  A search of the room garnered four more possible potions . . . again to be tested for magic later.

Returning to Room 6, the other east door opened to a set of stairs leading down (S).  Closing it they moved to the south door which opened onto a large room that was obviously a kitchen of some sort.  It was unoccupied but had four further doors leading from it . . . two each on the east and south walls.

The first of these opened onto Room 27 (an obvious bunk room) which contained 5 Goblins.  Gylvair cast sleep and again three went down (only rolled 4 on 2d8 and one saved), leaving two who Taggert and Norfaz offed without taking any damage.  They had a total of 2 gp.  There was one other door, which when opened revealed corridor which branched at about the end of visibility.

They closed the door and moved to the other east door.  Opening on Room 28 they disturbed a Shrieker, which Norfaz killed.  However the alarm had been given so they backtracked toward the main entrance.

Still they were uninjured so they decided to explore a bit further and discovered the stairs up to Entrance H.  With this easy escape they decided to take a peek into Room 7.  It contained seven small Goblins (all seven had either 1 or 2 hp), which Gylvair's last spell instantly silenced.  A search of their bodies resulted in small coins adding up to a single gp's worth.

It being time to exit since Gylvair's spells were gone, they headed for exit H . . . and ran smack into three Bugbears (wandering monsters who had come up from Y attracted by the Shrieker).

Gylvair took 6 points of damage before Norfaz killed one of them (and fumbled his next attack . . . is there a curse?).  Eventually the other two were slain without further injury.  First aid was applied to Gylvair and amazingly he got two hp back. 

The bugbear corpses yielded 15 gp, a silver torc and a copper bracelet.  They had explored six rooms and taken minimal damage (for once), so they were happy to return to The Laughing Owl to await that evening's "Bag of Beans" which would determine if any of them would be delving during the next three days.

Delve 12 results:

• New Injuries -- Gylvair down to 1hp and back to 3 of his normal 13
• 5 Hobgoblins killed
• 2 Skeletons killed
• 12 Goblins killed 
• 3 Bugbears killed
• Treasure -- 24 gp, silver torc, copper bracelet, 5 scrolls, 10 potions
• Rooms mapped -- 6

 

 -- Jeff