Tarsakh 12
Tarsakh 12, 1370:
High = 50, Low = 30
Light precipitation (1" sleet) starting @ 12:40am
Wind gusting to 1 mph from the sea.
Cloudy.
No one shows up for a tour of the Star Chaser that morning.
The party decides to head into Undermountain around 10am. Darius,
Maanamere, Henkles, Dexter, Denyae, Staric, and Deringa enter via
the Yawning Portal (7gp from party treasure). Darius casts
Strength on Henkles and Maanamere, bringing both to 18/00
strength.
The party travelled North through Undermountain towards the stairs
down to level 2, but got distracted by exploration when they got
to part of the dungeon where their maps were somewhat vague. In
the Hall of Heroes they found a door they hadn't opened before
and decided to try it. First though, Dexter cast Find Traps.
Beyond was a large chamber lit by a glowing 2½-foot sphere
floating near the ceiling. There was a large throne made from
bones and encrusted with gems at the south end. On the floor near
the throne was a dead orc, apparently poisoned. Henkles borrowed
the carpet and went up to investigate the glowing globe. It
seemed harmless, so he towed it back down to ground, where the
party put a sack over it and gave it to Deringa to "carry" like a
baloon.
The arms of the throne were carved into snakes and Dexter reported
that they were a magical trap of some sort, so Henkles began
bashing away at them with Wife.
Naturally they animated and came after him. Henkles tried to stay
out of reach but quickly discovered that they could spit poison
and they hit him several times before they were killed. Henkles
failed a saving throw despite several Alternate Reality
spells by Darius. Darius cast Slow Poison on Henkles (at
7th level).
1300xp to Darius, Maanamere, Henkles, Dexter, Denyae, Staric,
and Deringa for spitting snakes
The party went to work prying gems off of the throne and two hours
later had collected:
26 carnelians (orange, pear-shaped cut; each worth 50 gp)
4 large citrines (pale yellow-brown, cabochon cut; each worth 75 gp)
18 moonstones (white with pale blue hue and "glow" reflection,
table cut; each worth 55 gp)
33 sardonyxes (banded red and white, step cut; each worth 50 gp)
24 large zircons (clear pale aqua, scissors cut; each worth 65 gp)
12 garnets (violet, navette cut; each worth 500 gp)
8 spinels (deep blue, briolette cut: each worth 500 gp)
(The values were learned when they had them appraised later.)
After they finished stripping the gems off of the throne, Deringa
noticed a lid under the seat cushion. In the seat where 3 plain
brass rings (one magical), a gold key, and a foot-long brass
sceptre of ornamental design (also magical). Henkles scooped
everything up, but as soon as he touched the sceptre, a large
(20') transparent sphere with an angry wyvern in it appeared
suspended near the ceiling. The party didn't try going near it
and the wyvern, which was quite agitated, didn't show any sign of
responding to their actions.
The party started to leave the room, with Dexter and Denyae
keeping an eye on the wyvern from the doorway. When Henkles (last
in the marching order that day) started to leave, the sphere
disappeared and the wyvern attacked him. A breif fight followed,
but the wyvern didn't manage to do any damage before it was slain.
2000xp to Darius, Maanamere, Henkles, Dexter, Denyae, Staric,
and Deringa for the wyvern
The party decided to skin off as much of the hide as they could in
an hour or so and also take the wyvern's head to see if it would
be useful or valuable. While they were doing so, a half dozen
carrion crawlers rushed in the doorway at Maanamere, who was
working close to it. The carrion crawleres fell to arrows and
Color Spray spells, but Maanamere was also knocked out by a
Color Spray in the process.
2520xp to Darius, Maanamere, Henkles, Dexter, Denyae, Staric,
and Deringa for carrion crawlers
Deciding they had had enough and needed to get Henkles to a cleric
before the Slow Poison wore off, the party headed back out
of Undermountain. On the way back, Maanamere (in the lead) came
around a corner and found himself face to face with a giant snake.
It didn't fight very well.
650xp to Darius, Maanamere, Henkles, Dexter, Denyae, Staric,
and Deringa for another snake
The party decided to take the snake body to see if they could sell
it. It ended up costing an extra 5gp to get it hauled out of the
dungeon (12gp from party treasure) but on the way home they sold
it for 20gp. In the Yawning Portal they were able to pay a cleric
to cast Neutralize Poison on Henkles (100gp from PT).
Staric used his Legend Lore ability to identify the glowing globe
as a Driftlight.
More candidates show up to interview for positions on the ship.
The party applies the usual checks:
Short Round Mikaachfeet Navigator 2m, LN, CHA Okay,
Charmed
Ramdon Boatswain's Mate hm, NG, CHA Remarkable,
Charmed
Thamas Boatswain's Mate hm, CE, CHA Good
Ardareth Nehrravar Gunner hm, N, CHA Good,
Charmed
Rilillir Liralrilir Head Chef 2ef, NE, CHA Good,
Charmed
Ardodrin Denardakker Head Chef hm, LE, CHA Good,
Charmed
Unfortunately, the party was only able to dispel one charm, on
Ramdon. The others were told that they should return for
additional interviews the next day. The two chefs where told that
they should bring cooking samples. The party arranged a room in
Fair Winds for Maanamere's Boatswain, "Gomer" Ormarask.
Henkles and Steve walked the two chefs to work to make sure they
got there and didn't quit when they arrived. It was too late to
return home before sunset, so after dropping off Ardodrin
Denardakker at work at Dacer's Inn, they took a room there for
16gp.
Steve posted an invisible gargoyle in the sewers as he did the day
before. This involved sending it back to Fair Winds with a note
for Deringa first. Around 11:30, the gargoyle watched 2 children
(boy and girl, 9-12 yrs old) stroll by along the catwalk in the
sewers. They didn't have body heat. The gargoyle was sent to try
to retrace their steps but had no luck.
Around midnight, Arcturagana came calling at Fair Winds through
Maanamere's window, but he hid in bed and wouldn't talk to her.
Dexter talked to her and tried to explain that they didn't need
her charming sailors for them to interview and certainly not
master chefs, that they probably had found a cook and would be
done with interviews soon. It didn't seem to go very well.
Around that time, Henkles also decided to have Steve send a second
gargoyle to Fair Winds in case of trouble.
The rest of the party heard a commotion on the other side of the
house and on investigation found the vampire guard engaged in
battle with three child vampires, who seemed to be winning. The
party called Dexter down, leaving Maanamere to keep Arcturagana
busy, and helped as they could from the windows of Fair Winds,
although Deringa's mock Fireball may have hurt the guard
more than the children. Eventually he won and the party hastilly
healed him before sending him around the building. He tried to
charm Dexter but Dexter is immune. Deringa dashed out the door to
go with him, so Staric and Dexter reluctantly went as well.
Dexter used his Ebony Fly to go over the roof and get there first.
Dexter and Arcturagana exchanged shots, but she left as soon as
she was outnumbered. The gargoyle arrived in time to follow one
of the vampire children back into the sewers, but the gaseous
vampire went through a pipe that the gargoyle wouldn't fit in.
