| Session Date | March 02, 2019 |
| Start Date | 13 Sunsback, 1272 |
| End Date | 20 Sunsback, 1272 |
| Starting Location | Eburnean Vaults |
| Ending Location | Party's quarters, Kazakh |
| Player Characters | |
| Base XP Gained | 5210 |
As the Duergar turned to depart, Aldeberon asked briefly if there was an underground sea with an island somewhere below. Their captain said that there was a large sea below, but that it was a terrible place, haunted by the Aboleths, and to be avoided. The evil Dwarves then slipped through the secret passage to avoid the large open pit and departed to the west, and thence presumably downward.
The party turned the opposite direction and made their way to the area they'd detected a large treasure. The gladiatorial arena was empty when they arrived and so they dropped down into it and entered the low tunnel heading south. Opening the first door they came to, they found a half-orc, lavishly dressed in the most outlandish and garish attire imaginable. Indeed, much of his small room was filled with such clothing. Warily, he identified himself as the Gamemaster, and he ran the gladiatorial combats. He was clearly leery of the party but made no hostile moves. The games were held weekly, he said, and were very popular amongst the dwellers hereabouts. At one point he mentioned that the party could even compete (they had told him they were "tourists" from the surface, and he admitted he'd heard that an opening had been made recently). As this parley occurred, ZZ used his ring to sense the presence of minerals under a pile of clothing atop what might be a large chest; he subtly indicated it to his comrades then began to cast a spell. But the half orc was quicker, and gulped down a potion off gaseous form and escaped.
Cadwallider now moved to check the chest and suggested the others step out in case of traps. As they did, an Ogre, a weird human wearing a leather face mask and with sharpened teeth, and two human trainers appeared and attacked. Cadwallider opened the chest, setting off a poison dart trap; hit but only superficially, he began to shovel treasure into a bag of holding. Meanwhile, the gladiators attacked, and were later joined by another human fighter of outlandish foreign appearance and a great Yeti. All were eventually cut down, though they proved to be good fighters. The last two trainers fled further back into the complex.
The party now pressed forward, finding numerous cells for keeping combatants. Beyond those was a larger training room; when Iban opened the door, he was shot at by the two trainers with crossbows, who had built a small barricade. Their efforts were of no avail and they were quickly slain. The half-orc was nowhere to be found. Finding no further outlet, and after Rowan took an oddly-designed dagger, the party returned the way they'd come...and ran into a force of bugbears with halberds. They proved a relatively tough fight for Bugbears, as they were well armed and disciplined. But a sleep spell from Iban and Cadwallider's paralyzation wand reduced their numbers; the fighters managed to finish off most of the others, though Aldeberon had to retreat due to serious wounds.. All except two, who surrendered to the party. They told the party they were mercenaries, hired out by the Serpentine Lord to work security for the gladiatorial games. They originally came from a good deal deeper, and found this duty rather dull (until now, of course). After Rowan dispatched the helpless three, the party ordered the other two to go back to the training room and stay there.
The party was now thinking of returning to the dwarf city, as they were rather roughed up. But, en route, they ran into a half dozen mummies coming down the 20' corridor. Though slow moving, the mummies proved a rather tough foe. First, both ZZ and Sir Rowan failed to turn any of them. This was followed by both Cadwallider and Iban casting lightning bolt; but the former's failed due properly function! Then, Aldeberon was paralyzed in fright by the sight of them, which left him an easy target, and he soon was battered into unconsciousness. Further, as a by blow of the undead touch, both Iban and Aldeberon were infected by mummy rot (later cured by Rowan, fortunately). ZZ provided first aid to Aldeberon, but the mummies kept coming for him. Unable to continue fighting in his current state, Iban took his Flame Tongue, using it to great effect against the mummies. Finally, the mummies were beaten and destroyed. Much weakened, the party fled back up the long passage, carrying Aldeberon as they went. At the top of the long corridor, they came to the new dwarf construction and returned to the open air and the city, where they would rest the next week.
During that week, Cadwallider teleported to Wellington (though now it was called Wellidar by its new masters) and paid a prince's ransom for the chief priest of Maladominus to cast restoration on him to undo the effects of the Wight that struck him some weeks past. The prelate also was able to cure him of he wounds he took that had periodically caused his spellcasting to fail. The party also gave Nali a detailed report of what they'd learned in the dungeon. There was some suggestion of a possible alliance with the Duergar, but Nali dismissed that immediately, as the Duergar, semi-legendary as they might be, were most certainly not to be trusted. Nali was pleased with their explorations and urged them to continue. He also informed them that some 1800 Dwarf soldiers would be arriving in a few days. Spring was coming and the prospects for war in the north were on everyone's minds. He also mentioned that there was a 5,000 silver piece reward for information on the dragon, and 25,000 for killing it. Confidentially, he informed them, the various chief clerics had consulted their gods and determined that the dragon was a mercenary of some sort, from far to the south. Iban speculated that it could be the Serpentine Lord, though Nali said he thought the dragon, despite all the carnage it had wrought, was really rather ordinary looking, an adult or young adult red of average size.
Soon, the party would be returning to the weird new dungeon with its ivory-colored walls...