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Session 23: You can't get out of the tomb THAT easily

Zyhink: Gnome Ranger 4/Rogue 4 - LG (dog rider)
Dured: Dwarven Barbarian 5/Fighter 3 - CN
Rikiki: Halfling Wizard (Abjurer) 7 - CG (dog rider)
Milavilis: Human fighter 1/Cleric of St. Cuthbert 3 - LN

Dured pick up the dead bodie of Rikiki (which was killed by Natasha) and they head for the manticores' lair, where they think it's safe to rest. Zyhink place an alarm spell and they rest in a small cave. The fact that the place stinks don't stop them from resting. In the night, they are attacked by two medium monstrous spider which are dispatched quite easily. The next morning, they want to GET OUT of the tomb, very slowly. They make their way to the sinkhole on level 1 where they are surprised by six striges! The six stirges attach and suck all they can, reducing Milavilis to 2 CON and Dured to less than 6 CON. After killing them all the next round and fearing and ambush on the entrance level by the priest of Orcus, they agree to go down and rest behind the illusory wall on level 2.

They spend two days there. They then run to the entrance level, hoping to avoid the stirges and finaly get to entrance level. Carefully, they are able to get out of the tomb and quickly head for Losach. On their way in the wood, they noticed heavy sounds of wings flying over them. They can't identify the thing precisly but it's black and BIG. They hide for a couples of minutes in the forest and resume the walk, a little bit scared of what they just saw.

Quickly reaching the temple of Muir and Thyr, Milavilis try to raise Rikiki with a scroll he had but failed his caster level check. They have to ask Victarina, the high priest of Thyr for help. The next two weeks will be spent in Losach, selling, identifying, buying, crafting stuff and of course, resting. Zyhink, which is living outside the town invite them to his tree house. They deal the evil items they found in the tomb with the temple of Muir and Thyr in exchange of services. Victarina agrees to supply them with potions and a wand of cure . The temple isn't very rich and can't pay what those item are wroth on the (black) market! Anyway, Vernax, Zyhink and Rikiki would not agree to trade this stuff elsewhere than in a temple of Good.

Equipped and determined as never to take over the tomb again, they walk again to the tomb. Stealthly they enter the tomb....... Zyhink checks for traps on the secret door and found nothing, the lever of the pit is still in the "up" position (pit blocked) so Dured start to walk and BANG! Horrified, Dured's friends see him dropping 30' in the pit ! Ouch this hurts They get him out of the pit. Zyhink is quite suspicious and want to check for traps but Dured don't want to lost time with this and pull down the lever. He immediatly feels something cold all over his body but doesn't feel anything else. Damn priests of Orcus, they are replacing traps all over the place!

They go back in the lair of Natasha. Dured wants to cut the head of Natasha (which is quite stinky and gross after 2 weeks on the floor) and bring it back to Balcoth who told them he could help if they get ride of Natasha. He needed her head as a proof. Rikiki treatens to leave the party if Dured take the head. Zyhink propose to take some of her hairs instead. They want to "explore" the secret tunnel they found behind the illusory wall in her lair and found it to be nothing more than a backdoor leading in the cave near the purple haze.

Quite confused as where they need to go, they head for level 3, where they saw the petrified adventurers. Once there (they went via level 2, near the ankheg pits) they found 8 petrifed dire rats.

Rikiki and Zyhink are scared to death and don't want to go any further and instead propose to go back where they saw the "flying" things which they identified as being cockatrices. They do so and advance slowly in the hude cave. Rikiki is looking at his feet, as he fears the creature that is lurking around. About halfway in the huge cave, they are attacked by four huge monstrous bat (mobats). Using their sonic screech ability, the mobats are able to stun Dured and the dogs while the others are fly-by-attacking. At one point of the combat, everyone but Rikiki was stun! With their razor sharp fangs, the mobats are hurting them very badly. A well placed lightning bolt and a couples of shocking grasp seems to be quite effective, at least, more them a glitterdust! Dured has been stun most of the encounter while Zyhink and Milavilis are charged badly by the mobats. A good strategy of ready actions againts the charges of the mobats was enough to get ride of the creatures but the mobats were a good challenge!

DM's notes: Unfortunately, a lot of real time was spent in town for equipping, identifying and splitting the loot. I am happy, the party had a lot of troubles (and fear) to get out of the tomb: they were attacked 3 time by random encounters, had to rest 2 more days and once outside, they wet their pant when they saw the big black flying creature over their heads. If the stirges had roll a better initiative, another death was on the way. They didn't expect 'reversed' pit lever trap nor the bestow curse the cleric of Orcus put on the lever (which Dured saved against). Also, the mobats were very interesting to fight. They are kinda expecting to be attacked by something with a gaze attack. I am anticipating a lot the next sessions as they are probably going to find Flail and learn A LOT about what's awaiting them...