Twelfth Entry

Now feeling as though it is our mission to clear this monastery of as many undead as possible, our party of able adventurers continues mapping its chambers and corridors, eyes open for whatever form of zombie might be waiting in the next passageway.

We next come upon four zombie Orcs disemboweling something. I kill one with Shred, Reewald kills one with his rusty scimitar, and the rest are quickly felled. In an adjacent room we find and kill 9 Orc zombies defending a man and a levitating disc (Tenser’s?). We take some damage in the melee, so precious healing potions are imbibed. On the disc is a chest which upon inspection contains robes, a floppy hat, belt, boots, a pack, and a plain gold ring (Bingle takes). We also find an Orcish book, powder, a pouch with rune clay and two 200gp rubies (Sidonia takes), and a wooden staff with a 500gp emerald embedded in the wood (Sidonia takes). As our thoughts turn to magical items, Sidonia notices that her necklace is changing – the living vine is wilting like celery. Remembering the fleeing elf who passed the necklace to Sid, we wonder again at its significance.

After an encounter with a giant snake, I manage to retrieve a 5 foot gold chain, with an emerald and ruby on each end (1000gp), from a small pool. I stuff the chain in my backpack.

A room with a canary in a zombie’s exposed ribcage (Trax kills both), a foul-smelling room with canvas covered bodies, then a large room with 2 Orc statues. One has a broadsword that, when moved, causes the statue to pivot and reveal stairs down. Below is a 5 foot wide corridor leading to a grate, another corridor, another grate, and finally a 10x10 room with doors on each wall. Beyond the west door, we find a huge cavern with trees and light – an amazing thing considering we are below ground! Taking the westward pathway, we come upon Orc scouts and engage them in battle. Notwithstanding our most skillful efforts of swordsmanship, they prove impossible to hit with our weapons.

It occurs to me that this situation is completely unbelievable: Invincible Orcs in an underground chamber with sunshine and forest! I shake my head as if to wake from a dream. Incredibly, everything changes as if I really had been dreaming. I immediately wake up, realizing that in fact my comrades and I have all been tricked by an illusion – and the others are still fighting the illusory enemy! Sidonia falls, unconscious. Trax is swarmed by four Orcs by herself. We all run!

Thankfully, each of us recognizes the illusion before it is too late. Back in the 10x10 chamber, we try the south door. It leads to another cavernous open space. There are portcullises to the NW and SW, and a slope down to a pool at the east. Bingle goes there, and comes upon a zombie with crossbows for arms. It fires two bolts, and then is killed. Trax approaches the south portcullis, and is greeted by the roar of a five-headed hydra! I pray to Dou that the portcullis bars are strong. There is also a growl from a portcullis to the NE. Mapping the cavern, I get close enough to determine its contents. I say in a trailing voice: “They have a cave troll”. Just then, the cave troll throws a big rock and fells me – all goes black as Silverleaf remarks “I think that they regenerate…”

When I awaken, we further explore the cavern. The NW cage restrains a giant snake. A jittery zombie shambles toward us. Trax speaks to the zombie, and, remarkably, it answers. “What are you?” sayeth Trax. “I am food”, says the zombie. Trax, mercifully, kills the jittery, smart zombie before it can feed itself to the snake.

Carefully avoiding the hydra cage, we explore to the SE and find an open, empty cage, with the remains of a meal littering the floor. What could this cavern be for? Why are these fearsome beasts being kept here? What would happen to us if one of them got free?!?

Just then, the eastern wall of the cavern begins to slide open with a groan. At the same time, someone finds a trap door in the SE corner. We hastily retreat down the hatch, as the stone wall grates open.