3) Undermountain: Life and Death

[Hywaywolf]

I suggest south.

[dymondy2k]

I was going to say North since it looks like there can't be much up there since we've explored around it.. But I'm easy.

[Hywaywolf]

we've already gone south . we are looking at a east door and a south door. I am voting for south door.

[Jandolar]

Opening the southern door Opyeen leads the group into the small chamber. Directly south is an exit that looks to link up with both the hallway and the room to the east. There on the floor with its head towards the door and an arm reaching forward lies an elven skeleton huddled under a riven brass shield. It is clad in the torn remains of leather armor. A metal visored helm sits upright on the floor nearby. The shield on the left arm is pock marked and scorched with what looks like acid damage. In the right hand is a spear with the head broken off. The body is laid out as if it was running from something when struck. The head is turned over the shoulder watching death approach. Upon the walls above and the floor below the body is more evidence of acid damage.

If searched the body reveals some clues. Under the body are the remains of a knapsack of weakened leather. The knapsack contains a smooth polished ivory tube and a molded mass of what might have been cheese. Inside the tube are two pieces of parchment. One is a crude map, the other is a scroll of unknown origin. The scroll is magical in nature and the characters upon the parchment are familiar to Opyeen (since you said you don't keep anything from your companions I'll elaborate). It is a scroll of True Teleport written in High Elven. The scroll allows the caster and his party ("party" to be determined by caster before casting) to return to a place well known by the caster (i.e. tavern, glade, glen, mage hall, etc.) unerringly and without fail or consequence. The scroll, when cast, also leaves a "gate" open for a period of one day per caster level in which the caster and/or party can re-enter and arrive back at the location from which they first departed.

In the south hallway is a broken spear point lodged in a midnight black dragon scale.

[dymondy2k]

Did I mention we should go north? Away from what might have left behind a dragon scale and a room cratered with acid..

[Hywaywolf]

so what is drawn on the crude map.

Oypeen looks around teh room once more, then looks at his companion. If a dragon is here, lord knows what worse could be up north.

[LibraryLass]

"Well. Obvious what happened here..." Hermia mutters, glancing at the map scroll.

[Jandolar]

Nothing on the map indicates where on this level it us supposed to be or even if its on this level. (I'll try to get it put on mapmatic this weekend.)

[Jandolar]

The map, although poorly drawn indicates the entry well from the tavern above and a line drawn north. The northern runs for a bit then turns right into a hallway "The Hall Of Heroes" and continues for a few feet into a huge open room with a note saying "Beholder".

At the bottom of the map is a more recent script. "The Eye Tyrant and that damn dragon Mylthasmys hate each other. I'll lure the Midnight Killer to the Tyrant and let them fight it out. Then I'll kill the weakened victor and claim the prize."


Under that in flourishing elven script is "Nimraith the Sly"

[Jandolar]

Sitting with the crude map on the floor next to the map that she has been making since the companions dropped in Hermia once again puts ink to paper. Chewing on the back end of her quill pen she mutters.... "Not more than a heavy crossbow shot from the last junction.... turn a corner.... give it 50 feet for a volley of bolts... turn again and a long run.... long enough for dwarves to enact a fighting retreat..... shields up and fire again... Sturm......" The halfling learned something from her deceased dwarven companion. She learned how to gauge a tunnel like a dwarf. All those endless hours of Strum pointing out the subtle cuts in the stone, the sand and small rocks in the walls, all that jabber jabber jabber about how to build a tunnel has found a place in the cartographers mind. She now sees tunnels as a dwarf would see them and can see where the tunnel leads.

(I gave Hermia a 3% chance figure out where that crude map went. she rolled a 01), Hermia give yourself 200exp.