Rat Race

The party sets out again, exploring the crypts under the shrine.  Into the next room there is a  groaning noise heard, and a bunch of empty bottles in the corner.  But peeking into the next room, rats.  Not the most exciting battle, more disgusting really.  Not to be outdone, the next room contained even more rats.

After a quick clean up, and a fresh round of optimism, the party moves into the next room and wonders, "can there possibly be any more rats?"  The answer, is of course, yes.

Moving on, the next room contains an impossibly tall gentleman, in a shiny breastplate, brandishing a scimitar.  Smiling, he closes into combat.  And just as the party seems to get him on the ropes, he disappears.  The scorpion in the next room fights until the bitter end, and there is a note scratched into the wall in goblin on the south wall:  "the mirror of deception shall be restored when light becomes shadow and the oath is broken."  slimy floor?  No one wants to know.

Going into the next room, everyone in the party is thinking "wow, there must have been a sale on rats when they stocked this place."  But what they should be worried about is, what are all those rats eating?

The next room has a sundered shield lying in it with "emerald, black, iron, black" written on wall. Labyrinth tiles line the next room where Kushi discovers and disables a falling block trap.

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Session Characters:  Kushi, Lars, Luce, Billy
Session XP:  2121 XP each
Session Loot:  43 GP, 300 SP, 900 CP, alabaster (8 GP), obsidian (10 GP), onyx (50 GP), painting of a noblewoman (50 GP), oil of bless weapon (50 GP), potion of guidance (25 GP), potion of remove sickness (50 GP), scroll of protection from law (25 GP), scroll of touch of the sea (25 GP), wand of bleed (375 GP), 22 GP, 12 SP, 60 CP, lapis lazuli (10 GP), scroll of bull's strength, wand of protection from chaos, 71 GP, 10 SP, aquamarine (550 GP), azurite (11 GP), carnelian (45 GP), carnelian (55 GP), chrysoberyl (80 GP), green spinel (45 GP), onyx (55 GP), opal (400 GP), saltwater pearl (110 GP), smoky quartz (35 GP), turquoise (11 GP), carved ivory scroll case (60 GP), gold statue of a dragon (110 GP), 2 ivory drinking horn with copper ends (60 GP), ivory drinking horn with silver ends (110 GP), painting of a queen (750 GP).

Karabella and the Beetles of Fire

Resuming the exploration, Kushi clears a trap and discovers as small chest of loot.  Backing out of a dead end, the group doubles back and explores a new set of rooms.  Along the way, they meed a shadow.  With nigh perfect tactics, the party brings the shadow down low.

The next group of rooms, the party encounters a particularly vicious group of hobgoblins.  The action spills over into another room with a few more hobgoblins.  And then someone lets out the fire beetles.  Billy was hoping for fire-breathing beetles, but these were more like lighting bugs and their glowing butts.  The fire beetles were quickly dispatched, and the party even manage to collect some of their glands.  (eww)

Lars spends a few moments listening to his statue.

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Session Characters:  Kushi, Lars, Luce, Billy, Karabella
Session XP:  723 XP each
Session Loot:  46 GP, 105 SP, 310 CP, Freshwater Pearl (13 GP), Turquoise (10 GP), Scroll of Fog Cloud (150 GP), Wand of Spark (375 GP), 31 GP, 165 SP, 1190 CP, Alabaster (13 GP), Malachite (12 GP), Obsidian (9 GP), Sard (40 GP), masterwork scale mail (200 GP), masterwork short sword (310 GP), 45 GP, 390 SP, 1200 CP, Agate (10 GP), Obsidian (9 GP), Sard (40 GP), masterwork greatsword (350 GP), oil of purify food and drink (25 GP), potion of pass w/o trace (50 GP), scroll of summon monster I (25 GP)

Party Purchase:  Wand of Mage Armor (750 GP).

The Poop, The Poop, The Poop is on Fire

Zastoran and Uncle Tolo have discovered a map to a buried temple under the ruins of the old shrine across the river from Kelmarane.  Uncle Tolo believe another one of the urns, the one with the feline head, is located there.

Finding their way into the temple, the party is immediately face with a scorpion.  After a quick battle the party moves in and finds doors trapped.  There appears to be a drain/sewer pipe going down to the next level.  Carefully working their way along a southern path, the party hears a noise and decides to knock.  The noise stops and the party opens the door to discover four hobgoblins waiting.  This combat is particularly vicious, and the four hobgoblins wind up splattered about the room.

After a thought, Lars whispers something to Billy and Billy disappears for a bit, returning jsut in time to help pick through the Hobgoblin's loot.  Working their way down, the party navigates through more traps until they encounter a room with a shadow.  The incorporeal nature of the beast was troublesome at first, but after a few moments the party fell into a groove and finally brought the shadow down.

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Session Characters:  Jon, Kushi, Lars, Luce, and Billy
Session XP: 880 XP each.
Session Loot: 109 GP, 84 SP, 140 CP, Coral (120 GP), Opal (550 GP), Rose Quartz (50 GP), Sardonyx (45 GP),  Chrysoprase (55 GP), Deep Blue Spinel (70 GP), Lapis Lazuli (8 GP), Lapis Lazuli (9 GP), Opal (600 GP), Rock Quartz (11 GP), Sard (50 GP).

Game Update: Character Advancement

Hazel, Zhadora, Miracle Max, Alwin, and Hoppin Jon have advanced to the third (3rd) level.