Icemonth the 3rd, 9 AM. We reclosed the storeroom and then wrapped the chain 4 times around the door handle and C clamp on the wall before the assassin relocked the padlock. No reason to alert anyone we had been here. From here we listened (it was quiet) and made our way back down the hall to the 1st door on the south wall.
Listening to it and checking it for traps, we went to open it but it was stuck. Took a few tries to get it open and when we did it was a sizable chamber – 50 x 60? What it was used for in the past we did not know as the room was devoid of everything. Windows, furnishings, markings, paint – only about ¾ of an inch of dust on the floor that was slowly wafting about as the door had been opened.
Party was torn on searching it but the half ogre opted to go in. He quickly disturbed the dust, making a cloud that surrounded him as well as billowed further ahead, blocking vision, and then eventually the hall as well. We were backing up as the half ogre was coughing and gasping – eventually losing consciousness and falling down about 2/3rds of the way in. the paladin went in to save him, covering his mouth with the edge of his cloak soaked in water. He got the half ogre and was dragging him back, slowly, and he too was succumbing to the dust. At this point then the half orc held his breath and raced in, helping to drag them both out. We closed the door and poured water on faces, hands, and hair to get the worst of the dust off. Eventually everyone was able to gasp and breathe.
“Find anything?” The half ogre was asked. “Um..brian…nothing.”
“Oh, want to further check out the room?” “Um…brian…no, I think we can safely say this room had nothing in it we need to look for.”
Good call.
The next chamber further down the hall was also opened, and it was at one point a prayer room. A large 8’ tall granite statue of Maglubiyat was at the south end, two small windows were in the room, foot and a half square, 7’ off the ground. There had been pews in here bolted down but had been removed. The floor bolts here still here, mortared into the ground. We gave the room a solid look over. No secret compartments, statue was one solid piece and had to be carved in here at some point some time ago. There was a blank section of the wall the assassin said his map might lead to another room but after a solid check, we were sure there were no secret doors in this chamber. The torch was getting dim so at 9:50 we swapped it and left the room.
At the end of the hall area by the secret door we had taken from the sanctuary we could go east (door on the north wall halfway down, hall ends another 25, 30’ past the door), or go north behind the sanctuary. We discussed it and opted to go east.
The door on the north wall had us stop and the paladin detected evil – getting a dozen solid pulses of evil. All of them tasting like sweatsocks and bananas to him, and half of them also having a spicier flavor like cayenne. Goblins. And maybe…hobgoblins? The gnome wanted to take them out but cooler heads prevailed – 12 goblinoids versus us seemed like too much. We did note the hall here had lots of traffic marks on the floor and did not want to get caught. For now we’d go back to the north corridor and make our way behind the sanctuary.
After 80’ passage kept going north 50’ and ended (no visible doors), and west with 2 doors here – north wall and west wall. We checked the north corridor first, expecting to find secret door or something but nothing was discovered here. So going back to the west corridor, we went to the end and could hear ogrish voices from behind the west door. Detect evil had us with 2 targets in that room, 30’ or so from the door in. Definitely ogres.
We backed up from both doors and discussed options. The long hall would be a place to force a fight but did not want to get caught behind. Also, 1 ogre we might take, 2 was a bad idea. We talked about the goblins and maybe waiting for night. Thobar did let he group know that after being a porter for 8 years, he ‘s learned a bit about monsters. And goblins were decidedly nocturnal – not liking day light.
That decided it for us. We went back down the long hall to the T intersection and spent some time sneaking back and forth, looking for secret doors. Discovering one, the half ogre was trying to get it open when he stumbled through and the rest of us saw a flash of daylight and it was dark again.
He was in the monastery’s gardens. The walls were about 20’ tall and the ceiling was missing. Floor was thick loam grass and flowers, 9 big birch trees stretched up. No snow, 20’ up the snow was falling, hit something unseen melted and ran off to the left and right. Oversized font here, Aine statue in the middle, feeding off to a long pool that ran north over 100’. The place was undisturbed and still holy to Aine. Single door here on the west wall, south of the secret way in. He marked the place he pushed on the wall with a dagger and went back through to let the group know.
Thobar and the paladin Yandr opted to go last as the heaviest armor and most largest of the group. And we ran down the hall, hitting the secret door one at a time and getting flipped through. We did make enough noise and most likely alerted the goblins, but the party had moved quick enough that if they did come and investigate, we were long gone for now. After a few minutes and sure we were not going to be accosted we looked around.
The trees were tall and in good health, no bad plants anywhere. Fountain had some old markings on it, talking about judgement and rewards and good intentions. The half orc decided to dip his mug into the water, brought it up, and took a drink. And got 2 permanent new hit points.
Whoa!
The group all took turns drinking, it wasn’t until the halfling that things went bad as he drunk and was paralyzed for 9 hours. We had a variety of good things occur (more good than bad), the wizard actually getting a +1 on all his ability scores. But between the druid, the gnome, and the halfling – they shared 3 poor results from the font.
We looked over the entire place, sure that the other door here was the only way out and the druid was shocked as the secret door opened and an ogre was there with an empty bucket. “HEY!?!” Combat ensued as the group shot, fired, and attempted to finish off the Ogre. A summoned badger and a manes demon helped join the fight but the party did fairly well and the ogre was eventually killed.
We took a key from its neck, some coins (gold and copper), and the half ogre took its fur clothes to maybe use to wear to trick the other ogre if need be. It was almost 12 noon on Icemonth the 3rd and we had about 8 hours to go before the halfling could move.
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