Dead Eyes - Dungeon of the Mad Mage, Chapter 7

 

The Mystics of Trollskull Manor planned their next move. Etlenda took Glom the Wretched aside, "Glom, you said you  knew how to find the stairs down to the next lower level?"

"Yes. Yes. Glom know. But too dangerous. You go back to surface, yes?"

"No, Glom. You're going to take us to the stairs going down."

Glom sighed, defeated, "Okay. Glom show you. But very dangerous! You not go!"

Glom led them back to the hall of the Goblin Bazaar. As they entered, Etlenda held up his arms in triumphant return. He waited for all the goblins to hail his return with a cry of "Pigmud!" Instead, his return was met with a momentary pause in the normal proceedings punctuated with a single cough. The goblins shrugged and returned to their regular work.

Tempus noticed that Copper Stoneforge was missing - he had chained the dwarf prisoner there only a few hours earlier and hired goblins to watch him. "What? Where'd he go? Dammit!" 

Tempus angrily tried to get the attention of goblin passers by, demanding to know what happened to Copper Stoneforge, but none of the goblins appeared to understand Common. Tempus poked his head into the audience hall of Yek the Tall but the dwarf was nowhere to be seen.

Yek the Tall, meanwhile, saw Tempus. The goblin chieftain pointed at Tempus and shouted, "YOU!"

CHAPTER 7

"DEAD EYES"

The Mystics of Trollskull Manor:

• Winterfrost of House Silverspear - Chaotic Good Moon Elf Noble and Fighter. The daughter of elven diplomats, raised among dwarves.
  
• Etlenda, aka "Exile" - Neutral Good Eladrin Outlander and Paladin. Exiled from the Feywild and raised by wolves. While exploring the Feydark he crossed over into the Underdark and emerged into the Mortal World.
• Tempus Vegvisir - Lawful Good Human Trade Sheriff and Cleric of Helm. Husband and Father.
• Push-ta "Bearbite" Tok - Neutral Half-Orc Former Smuggler and Rogue, secret member of the Zhentarim.
• Kem Hearthfire - Chaotic Good Half-Orc Former Gladiator Priestess of Gond. 

The Legion of Azrok

Yek ordered his bugbear guards to detain Tempus. Tempus retreated from the room, "We had a deal, Yek!" He rejoined the group, "We should probably go."

At just that moment, the exit to the south was thrown open. Behind the door was an entire unit of hobgoblin warriors led by a battle-scarred commander. The commander shouted at full military intensity, "Step aside for the Legion of Azrok!"

The Mystics of Trollskull Manor parted and allowed the platoon of eleven hobgoblins to enter. They marched to the center of the hall in tight military formation. The hobgoblin commander shouted something in goblin.

Etlenda asked Glom what was going on. She explained that the hobgoblins were recruiting warriors to fight the drow. 

Winterfrost said, "What do you think?"

Etlenda replied, "Not our problem. Lets stick to the plan!"

The party exited through the south door.

The Owlbear Challenge

The party traveled down a long corridor heading east. They came across a four-way intersection decorated with colorful frescoes depicting dwarves at work. Glom indicated the passage to the south.

Tempus said, "Glom, hold up. Now that you are safely away from the bazaar, we're going to need that back." He took the circlet from her head. Glom, startled, reverted back to her goblin form. "Oh," she said, disappointed, "Glom was getting used to it."

The passage turned east again. As the party neared a rupture in the north wall, they heard music swell from no discernable source - it was Halaster's music. A glowing magical rift appeared as a voice declared, "Our heroes press on. Let us see if they can handle a little unexpected challenge. AN OWLBEAR!" A large bear covered in feathers with the head of a giant owl stepped through the rift. It roared aggressively at the party, "HOOOOT!" It charged them with rage in its avian eyes.

The owlbear was quickly defeated. It disappeared into a glowing blue mist. The magical voice said, "Well done! Better than expected! But don't get too cocky, next time there'll be TWO!"

The Zombie Beholder

The passage then turned south, then west. A side passage led to the south. Glom pointed and said, "Stairs down that way, but Glom not go. Too dangerous. Guarded. Don't go. Too dangerous."

Etlenda assured her everything would be okay and sent Push-ta, who now insisted on being called by his goblin name "Bearbite" down the corridor to scout ahead. 

"Bearbite" returned a moment later, his half-orc face pale, "You're not going to believe this. Its like some kind of zombie beholder! Its hovering near the ceiling out of melee range. Also, there's a whole group of people in the room beyond fighting or wrassling or something."

The party was hesitant. Do they turn back? Do they confront a dangerous guardian? They decided to take care of the problem now.

Bearbite moved stealthily ahead of the others. He was unnoticed by the zombie beholder. He aimed his crossbow and loosed a deadly bolt. The attack caught the beholder by surprise. It retaliated in anger, sending a beam of paralysis towards the half-orc "caravan guard". Bearbite's muscles began to freeze. He fought off the paralysis and backed up around the corner and behind cover. 

DM - The spacing of the assault was awkward. Some of the characters had surprise on the beholder, but they were too far back to effectively charge into the room and attack - it would have required a double-move. So there were a few turns of movement and jostling and positioning for optimum coverage by the paladin's aura before they pressed their attack and they wound up losing their surprise round. 

That being said, Push-ta/Bearbite did 51 points of damage on his surprise round sneak attack, which ain't bad!

The party charged down the long corridor and into the room. Winterfrost threw a lasso made of magical lightning at the beholder, pulling it down from the ceiling. 

Etlenda, astride his holy war-wolf, attacked the creature, impaling it with his sword.

The zombie beholder opened its mouth to emit a dry raspy scream as it perished. 

DM - Lightning Lure for 12 lightning damage. Wolf claws for 12 slashing damage. Then a Natural 20 for 20 points of damage followed by 19 points of smite damage! The undead beholder didn't last more than one round and took WAY more damage than it could overcome and reanimate.

Nadia the Unbent

A woman shouted from the next room, "Shut up! Someone's in the entrance! Get them!"

A tall muscular woman led a contingent of human thugs and bugbears into the entrance hall. She stopped when she saw the intruders, "As I thought! It's the ones our masters warned us about! You were told not to enter Undermountain! Now you will learn what it means to defy Xanathar and his guild! None shall pass Nadia the Unbent! Kill them!"

What followed was a tough fight as Etlenda engaged Nadia the Unbent while her thugs fanned out and harassed the party with crossbows from cover. The bugbears and a few thugs joined Nadia in a huge scrum in the center of the hall. A handful of bugbears hung back as reinforcements. 

It was a slog! Despite her name, Nadia fell early in the battle. Etlenda was beaten nearly to unconsciousness on two or three separate occasions, only to be reinvigorated by healing prayers from Tempus and Kem. Winterfrost and Push-ta took the flank and made a drive towards a door to the south - a door the thugs seemed keen on defending.

The bugbear reserves eventually joined the fight while a single thug disappeared through what appeared to be a secret door in the back of the next room. A few moments later more bugbears emerged from the secret door. Their arrival was too little too late and eventually all the opponents lay defeated upon the floor.

The Rust Monster Gate

The party rested for a bit before continuing. Winterfrost took Nadia's great axe as a prize. 

Once they caught their breath, they found and entered the secret door. The passage beyond branched to the left and right. The left was a dead end. The right turned towards the east and terminated in another dead end. However, the dead was framed by an archway, similar to the one which turned people invisible on the level above. A rust monster was engraved on the keystone. 

Bearbite thought about it for a moment before saying, "I'm doing it." He passed through the arch - 

- only to slam face first into the wall. 

As he rubbed his nose he felt his clothing and armor shift. He looked down to see the rivets in his studded leather, the buckle on every belt, all his crossbow bolts, everything he owned made of iron or steel, turn to flaky rust. 

"Wh-what??"

Winterfrost watched in shock, "Oh shit!"

The Armory

Etlenda and Tempus, meanwhile, searched the dead end to the south and found another secret door. Beyond was a long room filled with racks of old dwarven weapons and armor - an armory. 

There were dozens of suits of plate armor, chain mail shirts, shields, spears, polearms, axes, and hammers. Unfortunately, they were so ancient that all the leather straps and cloth had long ago become brittle or decayed. The wooden hafts of weapons were rotten. Nothing could be used.

Tempus, searching through the racks, found a badly injured thug - the sole survivor who had fled the battle - hiding behind one of the racks. The thug surrendered. 

Tempus told the thug to leave, get out of Undermountain, and never come back, and to remember the mercy they showed him. 

The thug ran nervously past as he escaped with his life. 

Tempus started loading several suits of plate armor into his magical bag of holding. Bearbite said, "What are you doing?"

Tempus replied, "Plate armor costs like 1500 gold pieces per suit! This is treasure! I'm taking it out and selling it!"

"It's useless!" said Kem, examining some of the decayed leather and cloth. 

"It can be repaired! Heck, YOU could repair it! We'll fix it up and sell it! You'll see!"

Kem thought about it and shrugged, "Maybe."

The Ballistae

Bearbite recovered what crossbow bolts he could from the defeated thugs as well as some leather armor. So reequipped, the party prepared to open the south door.

Beyond the south door was a long gallery to the east. At the end of the gallery were two uncrewed heavy ballistae. The party watched the ballistae carefully. Tempus saw one shudder while the other scratched one of its legs. They were magically animated. 

They avoided the long gallery and took the door immediately opposite on the south wall. 

DM - Apparently the players could see the label on the icons in Roll20 "Animated Ballistae". Winterfrost's player said, "I get the feeling they might be animated ballistae."

TWO Owlbears

A long passage led west, then turned south. After the turn, the passage turned back to the east. 

There they heard Halaster's music again. A magical voice appeared, "Ladies and gentlemen, we've seen how they handled one owlbear. But can they handle TWO?" Two magical rifts appeared, one in front and one behind, and an owlbear emerged from both.

Etlenda hopped off his spirit world and ordered Glom to get onto the saddle. He moved towards the back to help defend Tempus and Kem while Bearbite and Winterfrost took on the owlbear in the front. 

The battle was more challenging this time and it took a little more effort but the party was ultimately able to defeat both owlbears. Once again, the dead owlbears disappeared in blue glowing mist.

"Well well well! It looks like they defeated both! Who knew they had it in them?"

The Stairs Down

Before them, the eastern corridor descended down some long stairs. 

The music changed, swelled, became more ominous. The voice became more foreboding, "And so, our contestants persevere in the face of their countless shortcomings, saying goodbye to the Arcane Chambers and hello to the dwarven ruins of Stromkuhldur—but, we wonder, can they weather the storm of spiders and venom that is House Auvryndar? Can they escape the wretched drow? Or shall they too become pregnant with the demon goddess's foul children?"

"Find out this and more next week on Dungeon of the Mad Mage!"

Tempus shouted out, "We're not going down yet!"

There was the sound of a needle scratching on vinyl, "Wait- what?"

Etlenda added, "We just wanted to find the stairs and map it. We're headed back to do some exploring."

"Oh. Oh. Okay. Well, FINE! You're not fun at all!"

The party turned and headed back the way they came.

To Be Continued...

The Goblin Bazaar - the Dungeon of the Mad Mage, Chapter 6

 

The Mystics of Trollskull Manor descended the long stairway hundreds of feet. They came to side passage to the left. Before them the corridor turned right. They could hear the faint sounds of goblin gibberish and music to the left. They decided to explore that direction.

They found a room filled with trash - just dumped there. The walls were decorated with dwarven reliefs that had been defaced with goblin graffiti. They exited towards the sounds through a passage to the north.

They paused to check their status. Both Kem and Winterfrost had come down with "brain jellies". They would be useless in a fight. That left Etlenda, Push-ta, and Tempus to carry the load.

They drew weapons and prepared for battle as they entered a massive hall with a sixty foot vaulted ceiling supported by stout dwarven columns. The northern half of the hall narrowed and featured what appeared to be an ancient dwarven throne on a raised dais.

The hall was filled with dozens of goblins and a handful of bugbears milling about between multiple tents and tables. The sounds of commerce, barter, and trade filled with hall. They could smell meat sizzling over a fire. Tables were festooned with goods for sale or trade. Several goblins saw them enter and waved at them in greeting, enticing the party to purchase their wares.

They had stumbled upon a goblin bazaar! 

CHAPTER 6

"THE GOBLIN BAZAAR"

The Mystics of Trollskull Manor:

• Winterfrost of House Silverspear - Chaotic Good Moon Elf Noble and Fighter. The daughter of elven diplomats, raised among dwarves.
  
• Etlenda, aka "Exile" - Neutral Good Eladrin Outlander and Paladin. Exiled from the Feywild and raised by wolves. While exploring the Feydark he crossed over into the Underdark and emerged into the Mortal World.
• Tempus Vegvisir - Lawful Good Human Trade Sheriff and Cleric of Helm. Husband and Father.
• Push-ta Tok - Neutral Half-Orc Former Smuggler and Rogue, secret member of the Zhentarim.
• Kem Hearthfire - Chaotic Good Half-Orc Former Gladiator Priestess of Gond. 

Yek the Tall

The party explored the bazaar a bit, seeing what was available and slapping away the sticky goblin fingers that sought to lead them around by the belt or sleeve. The goods available at the bazaar were all used - generally adventuring equipment and supplies that once belonged to previous explorers of Undermountain, most of whom had met foul ends - giving the entire affair the atmosphere of a cheap flea market. 

They soon found a side chamber protected by two armed guards. The guards insisted on binding the party's weapons into their hilts or belts using metal wire. The party agreed and entered the chamber. Within they found a dozen goblins lounging on piles of pillows, sipping mead and wine and ale. Four bugbear warriors guarded the corners of the room. At the far end of the chamber was a beautiful human man, far more beautiful than even Etlenda. The man reclined on a tall mound of rugs and pillows. He held a mirror in his hand and never turned from it - constantly admiring his own visage.

In the back of the room was a dwarven male, chained to the wall and shorn of all hair and beard - a humiliation for a dwarf! 

The man was Yek the Tall. Yek requested introductions from the newcomers. After pleasantries were exchanged, Tempus asked about the dwarf chained to the wall.

Yek explained that the dwarf was named Copper Stormforge. He was caught trying to steal from the bazaar so he was punished. 

Tempus informed Yek that Copper Stormforge was a member of the Fine Fellows of Daggerford and were wanted by the authorities on the surface for heinous crimes. He asked if he could take custody of the dwarf. Yek refused. Etlenda interrupted to suggest remuneration to Yek. This momentarily drew Yek's attention.

After some brief bartering, the party agreed to pay Yek 24 gold pieces in order to take Copper Stormforge out of their custody.

For his part, Copper Stormforge spewed vile hatred at the goblins, threatening to kill every last one of them for cutting off his beard. He offered the Mystics of Trollskull Manor a map to the third level of Undermountain if they set him free. They declined.

The Offer

The Mystics left the audience hall of Yek the Tall. Three members of Yek's courtiers escorted them out. One of the three spoke the Common tongue and requested a private meeting with the Mystics. The spokesperson for the trio told the Mystics that Yek the Tall was not, in fact, a goblin and was under the thrall of a curse laid upon him by the circlet that he wore. They told the Mystics that all of Yek's courtiers were in agreement and would pay the Mystics all of their saved treasure if they stole the circlet. 

The Mystics debated the offer but declined. They had more pressing matters.

The Way Out

The party decided to take Copper Stormforge back to the surface. They dragged the bitter dwarf back up the stairs in chains. When they reached the top of the stairs, in the chamber of the statue of the two-headed king, they encountered a force of goblins led by two giant two-headed ettins. The ettins and goblins dug in, preparing themselves for an assault. The ettins told the party that they were enemies of Xanathar's Guild and could no longer pass this way.

The party considered their options - they were down two due to brain jellies and they didn't feel like taking on two ettins and a hoard of goblins. They decided to turn back and return to the goblin bazaar.

The Circlet

Back at the Goblin Bazaar, the team debated what to do with their prisoner. Copper Stormforge suggested, once again, that he could make it worth their while were he to be set free to kill the goblins. Instead, they chained Stormforge to a pillar in the bazaar and hired some of the goblin guards to watch him. 

The trio from the Yek's "court" were still standing nearby, arguing. The team took them up on the offer. The trio returned to Yek's audience hall and passed the word around the court. Moments later, members of Yek's court exited the hall, one after another. The hall was cleared.

The team entered the hall but had difficulty turning Yek's attention away from his mirror. The team had no wish to resort to violence, so Tempus explained the situation truthfully - that the courtiers hired them remove Yek's circlet and that they had no wish to resort to violence. Etlenda offered to purchase the circlet from Yek. 

Yek was reluctant to part with his prize, but the promise of gold pieces in payment held a strong allure. He agreed to sell the circlet for no less than 100 gold pieces. Etlenda agreed and paid the sum. Ultimately, so great was Yek's reluctance to yield his appearance that he needed assistance removing the circlet. 

Once the circlet was removed, Yek's appearance reverted to that of a goblin chieftain. He buried his face into his large sack of gold coins and began to sob uncontrollably. 

The party discreetly took their exit. 

DM - Such a rare demonstration of non-violent resolution! Tempus helped Etlenda with his Persuasion skill check. Etlenda rolled a natural 20. I rewarded the success and the non-violent approach. For a price, I rolled the value of the Uncommon magic item - 1d4x100 = 100 gp. In retrospect, I should have tripled it per all other prices in the Goblin Bazaar.

Goblin Names

The team emerged from audience hall to address the waiting courtiers. Etlenda held up the circlet and said, "It is done."

The goblin who spoke Common produced a small pouch, "We give you thanks. Here is your reward.  It is all we have. You have earned it."

The pouch contained a handful of copper and silver coins.

Etlenda returned the pouch, "This is a truly great reward. We would humbly return it to you in exchange for a favor."

The goblin eyed him warily, "Such as?"

DM - The other players likewise said, "Such as?"

"Give us goblin names and make us a part of your clan."

DM - Etlenda's player got a standing ovation from the other players. Of all the treasures in Ghosts of Saltmarsh, the one they cherished most was getting Lizardfolk names. Well played! 

The trio of courtiers looked at each other, "Wait, do we do that? Is that a thing we do?"

The other goblins shrugged.

The spokes-goblin shrugged as well and said, "Okay, sure. Why not. Gather together in front of that throne over there."

The group was followed by all the goblin inhabitants of the bazaar to the north of the hall where a great dwarven throne rested atop a dais.

DM - I quickly searched online for a Random Goblin Name Generator.

The spokes-goblin instructed Etlenda to sit upon the throne.

"From this day forward, your goblin name is - Pigmud!"

Push-ta was instructed to sit upon the throne.

"From this day forward, your goblin name is - Bearbite!"

Tempus was instructed to sit upon the throne.

"From this day forward, your goblin name is - Limpchin!"

The ceremony concluded, the goblins returned to their daily lives at their booths and tables.

Glom the Wretched

The party explored the bazaar a little more. They found a side chamber where the goblins were building an auction stage out of reclaimed wood - some from the docks of Waterdeep, some from dismantled furniture. A group of goblins argued over design plans for the platform that looked like they were drawn in crayon by a toddler. 

In a nearby chamber they found a wretched starving goblin hanging in a gibbet. The goblin begged for food and water. Etlenda provided some sustenance.

The goblin's name was Glom. She had been caught attempting to steal something from Yek's treasury. She offered to be the party's guide to Undermountain if they freed her. 

Tempus, being a forthright and upstanding representative of law enforcement, went to look for the spokes-goblin in order to negotiate her release. He went back into the great hall of the bazaar but quickly realized that, to him, all the goblins looked alike. He went from goblin to goblin to no avail. He returned to the party only to find a beautiful young human woman wearing Glom's tatters. The woman was wearing the circlet.

"Glom thank you! Glom come with you!" said the beautiful woman.

Tempus rubbed his forehead, "You didn't wait for me."

Etlenda and Push-ta smiled, "We didn't wait for you."

Etlenda and Push-ta equipped their comely new companion with a backpack, a dagger, some rations and water, and other minor essentials.

They escorted their new party member out through the bazaar. No one recognized her and no one tried to stop them as they left.

DM - At about this time, Kem Hearthfire's player finally arrived, so Kem shook off her brain jellies and had to be caught up to speed.

The Water Pump

The party returned to the main passage and turned right. They came upon a long room containing a rusty old water pump. A dead goblin laid near the pump. He appeared to have been pummeled to death. 

Glom shook her head, "Poor No-Ears. He must have been on water duty."

Etlenda pumped some water out and, after about a minute and some coughing and spewing, produced clean fresh drinkable water. They refilled their water skins. 

The smell of freshly baked bread and boiling stew wafted from a southern hallway.

The Alchemist Lab

They followed the smell of cooking to an alchemist's laboratory with an adjoining kitchen. The laboratory was covered in cobwebs and dust - it had not been touched for many decades. Invisible chefs prepared aromatic meals in the kitchen. Pots were stirred by magical spoons. Dough was rolled by magical rollers. Vegetables were sliced by magical cutting knives.

Tempus searched through the lab, finding several potions labeled "healing" and one marked "love". 

At the sound of searching through the laboratory, a large bubbling stew-pot became magically animated. It hopped off the stove top and landed on the floor. It hopped along the floor to a spot in the center of the laboratory.  It was closely followed by the magical rolling pin, ladle, cutting knives, and other large utensils.

The lid of the stew pot was thrown off and a ghostly apparition emerged.

Kem reacted quickly - summoning her holy spirit guardians. The hammers swirled around her and her companions, quickly smashing the magical utensils and pummeling the specter. The specter was promptly smashed into ectoplasm by the holy hammers.

With the death of the specter, the illusion on the kitchen disappeared, revealing it to be as old and untouched as the lab. A door on the north wall of the kitchen bore a sign that read, "Kalabash’s Room. Do not enter unless your name is Halaster."

A quick peek showed the room to be a bedchamber. The party abandoned it to once more quickly dash room-by-room in search of opponents to make full use of Kem's spirit guardians.

The Workroom

They retraced their steps to the water pump and took the other passage to the east. They opened a door and entered a laboratory filled with notes and batteries and electrical apparatuses. They moved quickly down another passage and into a room filled with sealed barrels. A copper-plated door was located in the southeast corner. 

Pickled Goblins

Push-ta chose a nearby barrel an opened it. It was filled with formaldehyde and contained a complete pickled goblin body - its skin flabby and eel-like from its preservation. 

Push-ta recoiled in disgust.

Suddenly the goblin opened its vacant eyes and turned its head towards Push-ta. It opened its mouth and small bubbles emerged. The goblin burst out of the formaldehyde, attacking the half-orc. 

The undead goblin-thing produced a gurgling scream and five other barrels burst open, revealing more pickled goblins. 

The ghoulish goblins were spaced around the room, some out of the range of Kem's spirit hammers. But the ghoublins were no match for the party and were soon defeated.

A quick search of the other barrels revealed several filled with copper ingots - a relic from the ancient days during which Undermountain was a dwarven mine.

Trinzia's Laboratory

The party formed up behind Push-ta and Etlenda at the copper door. Push-ta opened the door to reveal a room clad in copper. A hulking humanoid beast composed of various human and bugbear parts sewn together and covered with stretched goblin skin stood drooling and vacant in the middle of the room.

A floating animated human skull danced through the air around the room. Little electric bolts burst from its eyes and mouth, arcing against the copper floor. The skull noticed the intruders in the open doorway, "Excellent! Master Hallaster has sent me some new test subjects! I hope they last longer than those goblins did!"

Etlenda and Push-ta took one look at the electrified skull flying over the copper floor, exchange a glance, said, "Nope!" and closed the door.

Kalabash the Intoxicated

Kem's spirit guardians departed so the Mystics of Trollskull Manor retraced their steps back to the bedchamber of Kalabash. The room contained a bed, a trunk, a desk with a dozen books, and a rug on the floor. 

Etlenda examined the books. They were all blank manuscripts. 

Push-ta used his tools to unlock the chest. A magical ward on the chest zapped him with a bolt of electricity. The chest was empty save for a note that read: "Retirement fund. Don’t spend this on ale, Kalabash!"

Push-ta kicked the trunk and shouted, "Dammit, Kalabash!"

Tempus looked under the rug and found a magical circle drawn onto the floor. He removed the rug and examined the circle. Several of the arcane sigils had been smeared and erased. Tempus spent the better part of an hour reconstructing the required sigils and drawing them in using a magical cantrip.

As he completed the circle, a magical flare erupted and a human man appeared. The man was dressed in a shoddy robe and appeared drunk. He staggered and looked around, "Wha- wha are you people doing in my- my room?" The man saw his empty trunk and became belligerent, 'H-Hey! You've been in my- my schtuff!" He withdrew a magic wand and pointed it at Push-ta.

Etlenda, Tempus, and Push-ta responded quickly, slapping the man with the flats of their sword blades and with powerful blows from Push-ta's great club, knocking the man unconscious. The team quickly stripped the man of his spellbook and wand.

The man regained consciousness a short while later, complaining of a terrible hangover. Tempus tried to talk with him. The man, whose name was Kalabash, ignored Tempus. Kalabash, instead, gave orders to the others as if they were servants and was very confused at their noncompliance. Kalabash expressed great dismay at not being able to exit the circle. Kalabash deduced that he had been caught in a magical prison. He had no memory of how he got there. 

Kem asked Kalabash what year he thought it was. Based on his answer, Kem and Tempus deduced Kalabash had been imprisoned for over 200 years. 

Kalabash rubbed his head and asked if anyone knew dispel magic in order to free him. Tempus, annoyed, replied "No" before dismissing the cantrip that completed the magic circle. As the magic faded, Kalabash shouted, "No! Wait! I can-" He was cut off as he disappeared back into his magical prison.

To be Continued

DM Commentary - I had a lot of fun this session. Lots of great personalities to role-play. The players also enjoyed the break from constant combat. 

My only negative comments are the lack of motivation or backstory for Kalabash. I decided not to use the alternative Kalabash from the Companion. That was just too dark and too much work. I struggled for a while trying to figure out what would allow Kalabash to escape before I found a post online that said that Dispel Magic would break a magic circle. 

Hall of the Two-Headed King - Dungeon of the Mad Mage, Chapter 5

 Etlenda searched the north walls of the corridors surrounding the obelisk, sure he would find a secret door. Even with help from Tempus, he found none. 

The team re-grouped and assessed their options for their next move - they had multiple routes to explore. They even debated whether it was time to retreat from the dungeon and rest. 

They decided to explore the exposed burrow against which the goblins had prepared makeshift barricades. 

"What's down there? What the bugbear say?" asked Etlenda.

"I think he said Grick?" suggested Winterfrost.

"I thought he said Grell? Maybe Grick? Definitely a 'G' word." Tempus said.

Winterfrost crawled into the burrow on her hands and knees, conscious of Push-ta's recent encounter with the intellect devourers. She was followed by Etlenda, Push-ta, and Tempus. Kem, suffering from a temporary case of brail jellies, stayed behind with Etlenda's spirit-wolf mount. 

Winterfrost and the others crawled through a winding burrow and emerged into a corridor. In front of her were two slug-like creatures with faces composed of a beak surrounded by four tentacles.

"Well, they're not grells," said Wintefrost, standing and readying to fight, "They must be gricks!"

CHAPTER 5

"HALL OF THE TWO-HEADED KING"

The Mystics of Trollskull Manor:

• Winterfrost of House Silverspear - Chaotic Good Moon Elf Noble and Fighter. The daughter of elven diplomats, raised among dwarves.
  
• Etlenda, aka "Exile" - Neutral Good Eladrin Outlander and Paladin. Exiled from the Feywild and raised by wolves. While exploring the Feydark he crossed over into the Underdark and emerged into the Mortal World.
• Tempus Vegvisir - Lawful Good Human Trade Sheriff and Cleric of Helm. Husband and Father.
• Push-ta Tok - Neutral Half-Orc Former Smuggler and Rogue, secret member of the Zhentarim.
• Kem Hearthfire - Chaotic Good Half-Orc Former Gladiator Priestess of Gond. 

Gricks and More Gricks

Winterfrost emerged from the burrow, stood, and charged one of the tentacled monsters. She was soon joined by Etlenda and the pair of them dispatched the two gricks in short order. 

Another burrow to the northeast emerged into a hidden chamber - half buried by a roof collapse. They could see several gricks attempting to blend in with the stone along the walls and ceiling of a passage to the southwest. Push-ta sent some crossbow bolts while Tempus directed bolts of holy fire at the creatures. They killed one but the other gricks retreated deeper into the passage and out of sight.

 "Lets go get them!" said Winterfire impatiently.

"Let them go," suggested Etlenda, "How about we see what's behind that door first?"

Kelim the Weasel

They examined a door in the west wall of the half-collapsed chamber. They listened and hear the sound of whimpering.

"Hello?" called Etlenda.

"Oh! Oh please, help me! I have been trapped in this closet for days by those disgusting THINGS!"

They opened the door and found a human man dressed in tatters and carrying a satchel. His name was Kelim. He explained that he was an adventurer, chosen for the Undermountain during the winter season. He had been separated from his companions a few days ago and became trapped inside this closet while the gricks waited patiently outside for him to emerge. He was out of supplies and wished only to escape Undermountain with his life. He begged for their assistance.

Tempus gathered the party together for a quick huddle. He said that Kelim was a member of the Fine Fellows of Daggerford. Kelim and his companions were wanted by the Order of the Gauntlet for crimes and atrocities committed up and down the Sword Coast. Tempus' had been tasked with finding the Fine Fellows of Daggerford and returning them to the Order for justice, alive if possible, dead if they resist. The team agreed to help Tempus bring Kelim in.

Winterfrost baited Kelim, "Hey, we met someone else from your party a little while ago. His name was Halleth Garke."

Kelim looked surprised, "That's impossible? Halleth was k- he died. There was an accident. He fell into a deep well and died."

"Well, he came back as a revenant and is looking for you. Why would he do that?" said Etlenda.

"I- I have no idea why!" stammered Kelim.

"We can take you to him," said Winterfrost.

"NO! No, please. I'm exhausted. I just want to leave this place and find some rest. Oh PLEASE won't you help me!"

Since the team was ready to retreat from the dungeon for the day for a good night's rest at home, they agreed to lead Kelim back to the surface.

Etlenda interrupted, "Wait, what's in it for us?  What do you have to pay?"

Kelim looked aghast. He regained his composure and offered to pay them once they emerged - he had gold on the surface. 

"That's not good enough!" demanded Etlenda, "What have you got on you?"

Kelim sighed. He produced an ancient spellbook from his satchel, "Lead me to the surface, and I will give you this book."

"Deal!"

DM - It was fun playing Kelim as one part Doctor Zachary Smith from Lost in Space and one part Hans Gruber from Die Hard. Cowardly, whining, yet calculating and dangerous. It kept the players on their toes.

Exit Arrows

The party retraced their steps, reuniting with Kem and the spirit wolf. They returned to the chamber with the headless statue and decided to take a shortcut through the goblin tunnel. 

Etlenda's spirit wolf wouldn't fit so Etlenda returned it to the spirit world. He gathered its chain-mail barding and stowed it in his magical bag of holding. 

The party crawled through the tunnel and emerged into the long north passage.

At the end of the passage, Etlenda caught a glimpse of a magical ward inscribed upon the floor. 

Tempus was unable to determine the nature of the ward, so the party retreated while Etlenda strode forward. Etlenda stepped onto the ward, expecting the worst. 

An arrow magically popped out of the ground and shot through the air, striking Etlenda. 

Etlenda pulled out the arrow and told the others, "Is that it? Come one!"

The others followed. The next three people to step on the ward were likewise attacked by magically appearing arrows - some struck, some were dodged. 

Carrion Crawler

They reached the bottom of the well that led to the Yawning Portal. 

In the middle of the sandy floor was the dead body of a gaunt emaciated man lying face down. He apparently hurled himself into the portal - or was hurled - and died. 

Kelim quickly rang the bell to summon the hoist to lift them out. 

While they waited, Tempus knelt beside the body to examine it. The man had no equipment, no weapons. 

Suddenly from around the corner emerged a carrion crawler! No doubt following the scent of the dead man. 

Winterfrost's eyes glared in rage as she summoned her magic maul "Earthsong" from thin air, bringing it down with great force upon the crawler. She hammered it thus several more times, crushing the crawler's carapace. On her final blow, she swung her maul with so much force she lost her grip. The crawler was dead. The maul fizzled into nothingness, returning to the magical ether.

Winterfrost turned to the others, wide eyed and panting. They stared at her in disbelief.

"What?" she said, her teeth bared.

The hoist arrived. They climbed aboard and were lifted out of the dungeon.

DM - Winterfrost won the initiative. She rolled a critical hit for 16 damage, another hit for 11 damage, then action surged for another critical hit for 19 damage. I said "the Carrion Crawler is Woozy", which in our parlance means it has 1-3 hit points. We have a house rule we call "Leave Weapon In". You do 1d4 bonus damage but you release your weapon. If the damage doesn't kill the monster, you've lost an entire action drawing another weapon. That's 50 damage total! The crawler was dead in one action! 

Escape Attempt

Upon their exit from Undermountain, the team was greeted by the cheers of an early evening crowd in the Yawning Portal. It had been 21 hours since they descended into the pit.

Kelim said, "Thankyou gentlemen. I'll be taking my leave now." Tempus tried to grab his arm but Kelim moved with the fluidity and grace of a weasel. 

Winterfrost said, "Oh no you don't!" She pointed at Kelim and wrapped him within a magical lariat of lightning. Kelim shuddered at the electrical shock and was drawn back to the party. Etlenda and Push-ta grabbed the fugitive while Tempus bound him with rope. 

Etlenda said, "There's the matter of your pay."

Kelim broke down, pleading for his life, saying that he needed to get the spell book to the men holding his family hostage! The lives of his wife and children were in danger! They didn't understand, he was desperate! 

They weren't falling for it. They searched Kelim, withdrew the spell book, and ushered him out of the bar and down the street to the Hall of Justice. 

A Visitor in the Night

The party returned home to rest in their comfortable beds. They had only been gone one night but it felt like weeks. 

Late that night, Push-ta awoke with a small leathery hand pressed on his mouth. A mean looking goblin raised his finger to his lips as if to say "Shhhh". 

The goblin said, "Don't worry. I'm not here to hurt you. Yet. I'm here to deliver a message. You have made a powerful enemy today. Stay away from Undermountain. Do not return. It belongs to us," the goblin pointed at the lidless eye tattooed on his forehead. "Give up your quest. Do not go back." 

The goblin smiled, "It would be a shame if something were to happen to this nice place while you were gone."

The goblin removed his hand from Push-ta's mouth, backed away into the shadows, and disappeared.

Push-ta got up and looked around but could not figure out where the goblin had gone - though he realized that his room had many potential points of exit.

Return to Undermountain

With dawn came a new day. Push-ta gathered with the others in the common room as they planned their next foray into the Undermountain. Push-ta told them about his late night visitor. His house-mates seemed unconcerned. 

The team spent the rest of the morning doing some local shopping - picking up potions at Corellon's Crown, perusing the scrolls and spell books at the Book Wyrm's Treasure, etc. They picked up a few more water skins and filled them with fresh water, procured some additional dry rations, and returned to the Yawning Portal at noon.

They descended back down the pit and followed their path down the hall of mirrors, past the magic arch and the dead tiefling, past the headless statue, and into the map room.

They opened the door to the map room to discover that someone had dropped a rope into the pit in which the revenant was trapped. The other end of the rope was tied to the door knob. The revenant had escaped.

"Well, that's probably not good." observed Push-ta. 

They looked for and found the secret door in the south wall through which they had witnessed a goblin escape the day before. They opened the secret door and heard the patter of bare goblin feet fleeing down the winding passage - no doubt watching for their arrival. 

Etlenda yelled out, "I see you, you little fucker!" 

The party advanced carefully down the passage.

To their surprise, the passage terminated in a dead-end. They spent several minutes searching for a secret door and a way to open it but to no avail.

Tempus produced the magic wand which Etlenda had obtained in the copper throne room. He had since studied the wand and learned that it located and opened secret doors. He said the magic words, "Open sesame!" and the previously undiscovered secret door popped open. 

Goblin Ambush

They were in the rear of a large hall supported by two massive pillars. Before one pillar was a tall statue. The statue depicted a dwarven king holding a warhammer and wearing a circlet. A strange malformed head grew out of the king's neck. 

Push-ta  heard some goblins snickering and hiding behind some nearby pillars. 

He advanced forward, only to be bombarded with nearly a dozen tiny arrows. He staggered and fell back. Winterfrost entered the room and was swarmed by small goblins, emerging from hiding to attack only to dart away as the elven warrior swung wildly in frustration. 

The goblins would dart in, attack, and withdraw in all direction. The team entered into the room and fanned out after them, separating into every corner of the room.

The goblins were supported by several bugbears who had likewise been hiding. Etlenda charged them, running them down under the claws of his war-wolf mount. 

The room became a mad scramble as goblins darted left and right, up and down. Winterfrost followed some down a side corridor to the south. Tempus went up the middle, sending bolts of holy flame at fleeing goblins. 

Push-ta hugged the corner, his back flat against the wall as he advanced stealthily. Goblins ran past him without a glance. He would occasionally send a deadly accurate bolt from his crossbow to eliminate any goblin and bugbear he could see.

Etlenda saw a goblin at the end of a long corridor at the north. The goblin taunted him, trying to get him to chase him. Etlenda did not fall for the ruse and alerted the others.

Tempus sent a firebolt at the taunting goblin, who died with a squeal. 

After a long chaotic battle, the goblins and bugbears had been eliminated. Etlenda was confident more goblins waited for them down the corridor to the north, but he concluded that they were a distraction. He had the others gather together.

Etlenda examined the statue of the dwarven king. He found that he could rotate the warhammer. When he did so, the statue rose up another four feet, revealing a hidden compartment. Within he found a circlet matching the one worn by the statue.

Descent 

Before them, previously unseen until they entered the room, were a set of stairs leading down.

The team reformed into a marching order and descended.

As they did so, they heard the faraway voice of Halaster speaking to a crowd.

"And so, after great peril and bitter victory, our newest guests delve deeper into Undermountain, and we in the audience must wonder: who are these blind fools? What do they want? Who do they wish to be? What horrors shall they face next? Who shall fall and who shall live under the shadow of failure? Find out all these and more in the next chapter of Dungeon of the Mad Mage!"

DM - I played jaunty game show music in the background.

To Be Continued...

Talk To Me - Dungeon of the Mad Mage, Chapter 4

 

Etlenda had walked through an archway and had become magically invisible right before Push-ta's orcish eyes. Meanwhile, next door, the rest of the party looked around at the irregularly shaped room. There was a niche in the east wall and the west corner of the south wall, and a long niche - almost a corridor - in the east corner of the south wall.

In the southwest niche were a pile of bones that had been swept into a pile in the corner.

In the southeast niche was a door on the east wall.

In the northeast niche were the desiccated remains of the top half of a tiefling prisoner, suspended by wrist manacles. The remains were missing its legs. 

Written on the wall above the skeleton in dried blood were the words: 

TALK TO ME

CHAPTER 4

"TALK TO ME"

The Mystics of Trollskull Manor:

• Winterfrost of House Silverspear - Chaotic Good Moon Elf Noble and Fighter. The daughter of elven diplomats, raised among dwarves.
  
• Etlenda, aka "Exile" - Neutral Good Eladrin Outlander and Paladin. Exiled from the Feywild and raised by wolves. While exploring the Feydark he crossed over into the Underdark and emerged into the Mortal World.
• Tempus Vegvisir - Lawful Good Human Trade Sheriff and Cleric of Helm. Husband and Father.
• Push-ta Tok - Neutral Half-Orc Former Smuggler and Rogue, secret member of the Zhentarim.
• Kem Hearthfire - Chaotic Good Half-Orc Former Gladiator Priestess of Gond.

Talk to Me

Tempus examined the mummified corpse. He said, "Hello? Can you hear me?"

There was no answer.

He tried again in the Infernal language of demons. Again, no answer.

He shrugged, "Kem, can you by some miracle speak with the dead?"

She shook her head, "I would have to pray. Maybe tomorrow, but not right now."

They moved on.

Headless Statue

They passed through a corridor heading east and entered a rectangular room. The north wall came to a point. A hole in the wall showed evidence of tunneling into the room from outside. Debris lay piled on the floor at the foot of a headless statue of a nude woman. 

Spiritual hammers still swirled around her from their recent goblin carnage. She reckoned she had only a few minutes left so they pushed on with no further investigation.

Hall of Many Candles

They entered into a corridor lit by dozens of candles. Each candle was spaced roughly twenty feet apart within recessed niches. Each candle hovered mysteriously and burned without melting wax. 

Etlenda noticed that the corridor was scoured clean. There was no dust, no debris, not a single flake or speck. 

Three Questions with Halaster

They continued east. They came across an alcove in the north wall. At the back of the alcove was an intricately carved arch. Etched into the frame of the arch were the words, "COME HITHER". 

After some trepidation, the party decided to enter. They passed through the north wall and into a strange darkened world with an smooth grey floor that stretched into infinity. Kem's swirling vortex of spiritual hammers was gone. A short distance away was a free-standing wall decorated like the interior of a study complete with burning fireplace. In front of the study was a high-backed leather chair and end table. An elderly man wearing wizard robes sat in the chair reading a large book and smoking a pipe. He looked up as they approached and smiled. He closed the book and motioned for them to approach.

He turned as if addressed an imaginary person in the room, "Well, look who we have here! It's our newest contestants! What a lovely surprise! Come here, come here." He put the book onto the end table and stood up. He positioned the party members as if he were presenting them to his imaginary friend, "Let's give a big Halaster welcome to our latest contestants - the Mystics of Trollskull Manor."

He stood silent for a moment. The silence became awkward and the party was uncertain how to proceed.

"Well," said the old man, "don't just stand there like a boob. Three questions of this lair you can ask; twice will the answer be true, and once false. And be quick about it—the show must go on!"

The party deliberated amongst themselves. While they debated, the old man smiled at his imaginary friend and said, "While we wait, let's have a word from one of our sponsors!"

In the distance, the party heard an announcer recite: "This production of Dungeon of the Mad Mage is brought to you by Texas Beholdem, the multiverse's premiere poker tournament. Tickets are available now! Come for the cards, stay for the eye rays! Live audiences are subject to disintegration rays."

"And now, this week's dungeon profile!"

Each member of the party saw within their mind's eye the visage of a half-ogre astride a wyvern. Over a subterranean harbor they flew while a voice boomed, "Sundeth, the tyrant of Skullport. The Xanathar Guild has ordained his reign and all the Port of Shadow cries out for freedom! Will none stand boldly against this crimson king?" 

The vision ended and they once more stood on the featureless plain in front of the old man. The old man, Halaster himself apparently, reiterated the challenge, "Now for those questions?"

DM - I asked the players to give me all three questions so I could pick which one would be a lie. 

The party was still debating what to ask and Halaster was becoming frustrated. Kem finally blurted, "Whatever. What's the meaning of life?"

Halaster smiled and answered, "That's easy! It's Knowledge! Always has it been knowledge—for that which exists without my knowledge exists without my consent. Yes, Knowledge. Knowledg and bringing people together for challenge and sport, of course."

Etlenda asked a strategic question, "Where does Halaster reside or lair in this dungeon?"

The old man feigned modesty, "Who, ME? Well, in my tower, of course. You may find it on what you would consider the 23rd level of this competition."

Winterfrost finally asked, "Where is Flagon and Dragon in Skullport?"

Halaster answered, "Everywhere and nowhere. Its exactly where it needs to be."

"There, was that so hard? You'll get the hang of this yet! You've done well so far, but know this," the old man's face twists into a sneer, "Yer mine. Ye've always been mine since the day ye learnt to crawl. Yer life has led you here. I've led you here."

"The rules o' the game are simple: die, ye lose. Win, ye get yer freedom… and a wish. Anything ye can imagine. And t'win, ye have to reach my lair—twenty-three levels below this delightful madhouse o' mine."

Halaster turned to face his imaginary friend. His voice became that of a stage director's. "The game has been set, the stakes raised. Ladies, gentlemen, fiends and friends: give it up for our contestants on this season of Dungeon of the Mad Mage. Might they brave the horrors of Undermountain and emerge victorious?"

The party heard the sound of applause. A previously invisible audience appeared. The gray floor had transformed into a stage in a playhouse. Everyone in the audience was a version of Halaster. There were hundreds of Halasters clapping and smiling, some booed, some shook their fists, some stood and cheered.

Halaster said, "We'll be right back after this break. Now, a word from our sponsors…"

"Elvish Presley's new album That's the Way It Was is out now! Get your copy of the interplanar rock-sensation's newest collection now!"

Halaster snapped his fingers and the party appeared on their backs in the hallway outside the alcove. The archway was gone, leaving only a bare stone wall.

Backtracking

Since the duration of Kem's spirit hammers was no longer a consideration, the party decided to backtrack through each of the rooms and corridors they had rushed through in order to search for loot and secret doors and so that Kem could fill in the map.

DM - Although Kem's player had continued live-mapping, I ruled that they were unable to map while they were in a hurry. So she covered that area of her map with a white square. Now they could go back and fill in the map.

The Automaton Avenger

While the team was searching the room with the dead tiefling, Etlenda and Push-ta were scouting the room to the north. There they heard the sounds of heavy stamping feet approaching from the corridor to the north. They warned the others and prepared for battle.

To their surprise a massive ten-foot tall automaton wearing wizard robes appeared in the doorway. The automaton carried a crooked stick in one hand and wore a pointy hat.  

The wizard took one look at Push-ta - for Etlenda was still invisible - and declared, "Halt, foul villain! I can tell by your orcine nature that YOU must be responsible for the massacre of the small children in the chambers hence. Prepare for justice, fiend! I am the arcane defender of this realm and I shall dole out mighty judgement upon you!" The automaton wiggled its stick and shouted, "MAGIC MISSILE! Pew! Pew! Pew!"

Nothing happened.

Push-ta stared bewildered, "What?"

Tempus and Winterfrost soon joined them. Kem kept her distance in the other room.

The wizard pointed his stick at the newcomers, "Oh ho! You have summoned more foul companions to your aid! No matter! I shall defeat them post-haste and you shall know the wrath of vengeance! SLEEP! Shhhhh!"

Tempus held out his hands as a sign of peace, "Hey there. We mean you no harm. You seem to be damaged or malfunctioning. Perhaps we can assist you?"

When the sleep spell failed to work, the automaton replied, "You- you are- you are -are-are- magically resistant! I shall be forced-forced-forced to try-try-tray again! I said, SLEEP! Shhhhhh!"

Tempus, Winterfrost, and Push-ta exchanged glances of befuddlement. Tempus continued, "Look, we don't want any trouble."

"Trouble-trrrrrr-ooo-uble is what what you will- RRRRRR -" For a brief moment, the automaton changed stance from casting a spell to a defensive fighting posture. Its head began to vibrate and it made a mechanical noise. Then it returned to a spell-casting posture and once more brandished its "wand", "You have have forced me to call upon-on-on my most pow-pow-powerful magicks! You have been warned! POWER WORD KILL! Pwoo-woo-woo-woo!"

DM - I told Tempus' player that if he succeeded in three Persuasion checks before two failures, he would convince the automaton that it wasn't a wizard. However, the players weren't getting the hint that if that succeeded, it would revert to combat mode and they'd have to fight him. So after two successes, I flat out told the player that it's working, but he should know that if he succeeded it would lead to a fight. If that's what they wanted, fine. But I wanted the player to know that the choice was his to make. 

Tempus told the others, "Play along!" He clutched his heart and fell to the ground.

The others followed suit, hamming up their death scene. All save Etlenda, who remained invisible.

DM - I had each of the characters make a Performance skill check.

When everyone lay motionless on the floor, the automaton wizard stood straight, "Excellent. My work here is done! The children have been avenged. The city will know peace tonight!" It turned and stamped off the way it came.

The Shattered Statue

The party waited for the giant automaton to leave. Once they could no longer hear its stamping, they got up and returned to the goblin outpost with the shattered statue. Etlenda - still invisible - stood guard while the others went to work reassembling the shards of the broken statue. Tempus used minor spells to magically mend each broken shard together. After about an hour they had reassembled the statue - it depicted three male human warriors standing together on a stone mound, facing outward and clutching swords.

While their attention was elsewhere, a small creature resembling a brain with legs crawled out from the behind one of the dead bugbears and attached itself to Tempus' head! 

Etlenda spotted another one scuttling away from the other dead bugbear towards the party. Etlenda killed it quickly with his sword.

Tempus managed to throw the other brain-creature off his had onto the floor where it was quickly dispatched by the rest of the party. 

Stirges

Having rested, the party retraced their steps down the southern corridor. On the way, Winterfrost stepped through the archway and became invisible. 

As Push-ta opened the door into the room containing the tiefling skeleton, there came a sound of bat wings flapping. Small flying beasts covered with quills darted through the air towards them. 

"Stirges!" shouted Etlenda.

Kem Hearthfire reacted quickly with a prayer to Gond. She was surrounded by a votex of mystical hammers which quickly destroyed all the stirges. Unfortunately, Kem couldn't see the invisible Winterfrost and the hammers pummeled the elven fighter. 

Winterfrost fled the vortex, cursing. Kem, realizing what she had done, called after her, "Sorry! Couldn't see you!"

Return to the Headless Statue

The party returned to the chamber with the headless statue. Push-ta was elected to explore the small tunnel. It was a tight fit, requiring him to crawl on his hands and knees through the winding burrow. 

Suddenly two brain-creatures jumped out and attacked him! 

One brain creature managed to latch onto his face and began to magically feed on Push-ta's mind. Push-ta collapsed, dead.

After a beat, Push-ta came back to life with a deep inhalation. He screamed, removed the brain-things from his face, and crawled out of the tunnel on the far side. He was in a long wide corridor going north. He barely had enough time to shout a warning to his companions on the other side of the burrow before he fled as fast as he could to the north. One of the brain creatures was hot on his tail!

DM - Push-ta took a lot of damage from the surprise attack and lost his saving throw vs. the Devour Intellect attack. Luckily, my 3d6 roll was less than Push-ta's Intelligence. However, I did drop Push-ta below zero hit points. Push-ta's half-orc Relentless Endurance ability. Push-ta had 1 hit point instead, got up, and ran for his life using the Dash action, plus another Dash as a bonus action. He was hauling ass at 90 feet per round, being chased by an Intellect Devourer at 80 feet per round. 

The other creature hid itself within the burrow, waiting for new prey.

Kem, still surrounded by spiritual hammers, crawled in first, followed by Tempus and Etlenda. Winterfrost remained behind, out of range of the vortex. Etlenda's holy war-wolf, too large to fit into the small burrow, likewise waited in the statue room.

Kem was immediately attacked by the brain-beast. The others were unable to crawl past her through the narrow tunnel to help her. However, upon receiving a pummeling from Kem's spiritual hammers, the brain-beast turned and fled out the far end of the tunnel. She and the others followed it. 

Push-ta, meanwhile, had fled down the hall of mirrors and down the corridor to the south. The brain creature, unable to keep up, abandoned its chase.

Push-ta ran into the automaton wizard apprentice. The automaton turned and challenged Push-ta. Push-ta could not run past the massive machine. Push-ta said, "I don't have time for this!" He took the side corridor through the room with the goblin marionettes and emerged from another side passage on the other side of the automaton.

Kem, Tempus, and Etlenda emerged from the burrow. Tempus and Etlenda chased the fleeing brain creature to the north into the forest of pillars. Tempus followed the brain creature half-way back to the entrance shaft into Undermountain before he lost it. 

Push-ta circled all the way back around to the room with the headless statue. On his way back, he stopped off at the archway. He emerged invisible!

Etlenda could detect Push-ta's scent through the mystic bond with his war-wolf. "Push-ta is back. Let's withdraw."

The party gave up their hunt for the brain creatures and rejoined Push-ta. 

"Let's not do that again," said the panting half-orc. 

DM - the whole chase scene was just hilarious to me. I decided to play some goofy music which amped up the hilarity of the encounter. It was so much fun for me as the DM.

Map Room

The party continued east, past the alcove where they met Halaster, and down a corridor to the south. They entered through a large door into a long room. A gaping pit lay in the floor in the middle of the room. On the west wall was a large floor-to-ceiling diagram of what appeared to be the levels of Undermountain beneath Waterdeep. 

A voice called out to them from the pit. The voice asked for their help, requesting they throw down a rope. The party stood at the edge of the pit and looked down. A half-elf man dressed in tatters was trapped at the bottom, twenty feet from the lip. The walls were too smooth to climb. 

The party questioned the man. His name was Halleth Garke, a priest of Waukeen - a deity of which even Tempus knew little. The man said he had been betrayed by his companions - the Fine Fellows of Daggerford - and thrown into this pit when they refused to pay him his fair share of collected loot. He now asked for their assistance in leaving the pit so that he could seek his former colleagues and deliver righteous vengeance upon them.

The party huddled away from the pit. Etlenda shared that he could sense that the thing in the pit was undead. Tempus shared what he knew about the Fine Fellows of Daggerford - a group of villains he had been personally tasked with either apprehending dead or alive. Tempus deduced that the thing in the pit was likely a revenant, animated by the god Waukeen to seek holy vengeance. After a brief discussion on the pros and cons of assisting the revenant, they decided to leave Garke in the pit.

Kem, meanwhile, took the opportunity to copy what she could of the diagram on the wall. 

Obelisk of the Eye

The group exited the map room to the northeast. The corridor zigged to the northwest then zagged to the northeast. Push-ta, still invisible, scouted ahead while the others waited for his signal. 

Push-ta explored a complex junction of corridors with a T-shaped room to the north. Within the room was a 14-foot tall obelisk made of black stone. A lidless eye was caved onto its south face. 

To the west where several corridors joined he saw several goblins using up-turned tables as makeshift barricades against an unseen threat in a burrow along the far west wall of the corridor. 

Push-ta returned to the others and informed them of what he saw. They moved up towards the complex intersection to watch the goblins - wary for what they might be preparing.

One of the goblins heard Winterfrost in her heavy armor. It turned and saw her, calling out an alarm. It spun around and loosed an arrow at Winterfrost, followed quickly by its companions. 

DM - After last week's goblin carnage, the players this week were more circumspect in their assaults. Several of the characters had a surprise round on the goblins. Instead of a sneak attack, they chose to use their surprise round for a Dodge action. They allowed the goblins to make the first attacks before they retaliated.

The party dodged the arrows and joined the goblins in battle. One of the goblins fled the battle to gather reinforcements from other rooms. Tempus gave chase, following the goblin around a long curving corridor  to the north, east, and south. 

A moment later, a door opened in the west wall. A bugbear stood in the doorway - its face heavily scarred with acid. It took one look at the party and bellowed, "I knew it! YOU PEOPLE!"

Kem, at the rear of the party and closest to the bugbear, turned but failed to recognize the bugbear, "Excuse me? Do we know you?"

"You bloody Zhents!" He shouted, pointing at his scarred face, "You did this to me! You kidnap Ott Steeltoes, the master's fishkeeper! We stop you, but you did THIS!"

Winterfrost, on the other side of the room, turned to see what was happening, "Oh yeah! It's you!"

Kem was confused, "Did I do that? I don't remember him. Was I there for that fight?"

Winterfrost laughed, "No, I did that with an acid spell." She addressed the bugbear, "Hey! We didn't kidnap that guy! We rescued him! We did a better job than you did! Also, we're not zhents you idiot!"

The bugbear became furious, "DON'T CARE! YOU DID THIS! I KILL YOU!" It threw a javelin at Kem and missed. Etlenda charged the bugbear, cutting him down. 

Meanwhile, Tempus emerged from the curved corridor into an L-shaped room just west of the battle. It appeared empty. He could hear fighting and shouting in the other room through the open door to the east.

Suddenly he was set upon by four goblins! The goblins cut and slashed at him before scurrying away in different directions. He cursed his judgement and followed two of the goblins around the corner of the L-shaped room, only to be jumped by a bugbear! 

He managed to dodge the bugbear's attack but the four goblins once again converged on him, attacked, then retreated in multiple directions. He staggered under the attacks.

Etlenda, having finished off the acid-scarred bugbear, charged his war-wolf into the bugbear attacking Tempus. The bugbear retreated around a corner to the corridor to the south. 

Etlenda followed, only to be caught off guard as the same bugbear burst out of hiding, crushing Etlenda with its morningstar. Etlenda staggered but was bolstered by Tempus. 

Winterfrost, Push-ta, and Kem took care of the rest of the goblins while Etlenda and Tempus defeated the bugbear in the corridor.

Etlenda saw a single goblin flee to the south, doing its best to scurry along the edge where the floor met the wall like a child-size rat. Etlenda and Tempus gave chase, following the goblin into the map room where they lost it. 

However, at the back of the map room, on the southern wall, they caught the last glimpse of a secret door closing shut. The goblin had gotten away!

They ignored the continued requests for assistance from the revenant in the pit, now threatening them with vengeance for not lending him the basic aid that he deserves, and returned to the obelisk room to rejoin the others.

The acid-scarred bugbear lay on the ground, dying. Blood and spittle bubbled weakly from its mouth as he cursed them with his dying breath, "You- have made- a terrible- mistake. No one- takes on- Xanathar's guild- and lives. You have just- made a- dangerous enemy."

As his life began to ebb. Tempus leaned near him and held out a finger. He said a prayer of healing. The bugbear's bleeding stopped. It was unconscious but it would live. 

Tempus whispered, "You're welcome."

To Be Continued...

DM - I had a lot of fun this week. My players were genuinely afraid at times and felt challenged. The intellect devourers in the tunnel was fun. 

Etlenda's player said, "He's only using the intellect devourers because he realized he forgot to use them last week. Tell me I'm wrong!"

I said, "Mebbee?"

The goblin+bugbear fight was likewise fun. I finally got to use goblins for what they're good at - hit and run, hide and ambush. It was great. The players were frustrated but felt challenged and had fun. 

We'll see where they go next week.