Delve #14 -- with a Surprise!

Today's Delvers:

• Ragnorf  --  male 3rd lvl Dwarf; AC-2; HP- 26-4=> 22; mace
• Dleps  --  male 2nd lvl Dwarf; AC- 1; HP- 20; battle axe
• Sperl  --  female 2nd lvl Halfling; AC- 4; HP- 11; short bow, dagger

Fashoo used all of her healing powers for the day to get Sperl and Ragnorf back up to reasonable healthy levels.  The party then decided to use entrance E and explore some of the doors that had not previously been opened.

 The first door they tried was on the north wall of the side passage.  It opened in to a very short passage to another door which opened out.

It was impossible to open the second door unless the first was closed.  So the party closed it and squeezed against it before opening the door to Room 32 . . .

. . . which contained 5 animated Skeletons, who attacked when the delvers entered their long narrow room.

Without getting into the details, the party managed to destroy the undead over five rounds of combat, with Dleps getting three kills and Sperl and Ragnorf one each.  Dleps took a single point of damage (which first aid failed to fix) and Ragnorf 3 hp (which first aid fixed completely . . . go figure, eh?).  After a thorough search of the room, the only item of apparent value was a milky green stone broach (jade -- value 190 gp).

However, upon leaving this double-doored room they were surprised in the corridor by a pair of Lizardfolk waiting in ambush (i.e., wandering monsters attracted by the battle sounds). 

Fortunately (aided by a fumbled attack by one of the scaleskins) the party was able to slay them without suffering any damage in return.  A total of 12 gp value of coins was found in their purses.

Next they forced open the door to room 33.  It was large and smelled of Lizardfolk.  And against the west wall an old man was chained to the wall.  As they got closer they could see that the man was blind . . . his eyes having been gouged out.  One was an old wound and the other obviously recent.

Sperl remarked, "Poor fellow".  "Who's there?", he responded.  "Beware.  The lizards just left.  They'll be back to torture me again before long.  Save yourselves."

"If you mean the two who just tried to ambush us, you may thank Thor that they will not worry you any more.", answered Dleps.

"Odin be praised.  You follow the Norse religion then.  A Dwarf if I hear you aright.  I am Agnar, a cleric of Odin," responded the old man.  "I beg you to release me from my torment."

"Fear not, Father Agnar,"  Ragnorf chimed in.  "We will have you free from your chains soon." . . . a task which was soon accomplished.

They asked him what he knew of the Undercity and he told them "Nothing".  His village had been attacked by marauding orcs and all slain or taken into slavery (as he had been).

One of his eyes had been taken as part of his consecration to Odin, but the orcs gouged out the other to keep him from seeing them and aiming curses at them.  "I would have perished by those few remaining members of my flock need what little 'laying on of hands' I could do for them."

They had traveled for many days as the orcs raided and traded.  Then some days ago they had traded him to the Lizardfolk and he'd been chained to the wall ever since.

Aside from Agnar, there seemed to be nothing of value in the room.  They speculated from their maps that the east door might open onto the corridor already mapped and they were correct.

Perhaps they should have left at this point, but they were still in excellent shape and there was a door here that might have treasures on the other side . . . so they instructed Agnar to fall back if he heard fighting and opened the door to Room 34.

BUGS!  Huge beetles with glowing red lights attacked them.  Ragnorf thought his Chainmail would be proof against mere bugs.  He was wrong.  In the first two rounds of battle he took 5 and 8 points of damage, then 7 more (as did Sperl) when the party turned to run, slamming the door shut behind them, thus trapping the Fire Beetles.

For once First Aid was effective (I rolled two 6s) and when Agnar was able to throw a Cure Light Wounds on Sperl and Ragnorf (for 4 and 5 hp respectively), the party was a bit healthier . . . but decided it was very much time to leave.

However on the way out they encountered a pair of Hobgoblins (wandering monsters) and in the ensuing combat, Sperl took two hits (for 6 and 4 damage) and first aid only helped to regain one back (and a less-than-princely 1 gp).

Results:

• injured -- Sperl 2 from 11; Ragnorf 10 from 26; Dleps 19 from 20
• 5 Skeletons "destroyed" (they were already dead remember)
• 2 Lizardfolk killed
• 1 Fire Beetle killed
• 2 Hobgoblins killed
• Agnar rescued -- blind 2nd level Cleric of Odin rescued (AC-9, HP - 6; 2 spells/day -- CLW, Detect Magic, Light, Purify Food & Drink)
• Treasure -- 203 gp value -- 13 in coin and one jade broach
• Rooms Explored --  2 only (#33 not explored)

-- Jeff