Recap #8 - Mmmm.... Jelly...

• The party decides to leave Adronsius holed up in the area. The door is locked and a password is given. Adronsius advises them that if he doesn’t hear from the party in a day he is going to try to get home on his own.
• The party returns to the entrance. They notice the goblin is gone.
• As the party prepares for the worst, Ethan checks the West door. Opening it reveals a hobgoblin on watch but caught off guard. Seeing Ethan he flees down the hall and around the corner yelling in goblin for his comrades to prepare for battle.
• Rounding the corner the party enters a Goblin Warren. They are confronted by 2 soldiers and 8 grunts. A well placed blast from Nenia kills a number of grunts and forces the rest to spread out around the room – a definite blow to their phalanx tactics.
• During the fight a door to the north opens and two sharpshooters set up pelting the party with bolts.
• Solid tactics by the party make quick work of the hobgoblins. One grunt attempts to flee through a door to the West but meets his fate to the weapons of the group.
• Ethan notices the sharpshooters preparing to flee over a deep pit in the north hall. Bravely – or foolishly – he places himself between the goblins and the pit in order to block the route. It is almost his end as the goblin attempts to bullrush him into the gapping pit. He quick reflexes allow him to catch himself on the edge of the pit however.
• Nothing of note is found within the room so the party takes a brief respite. Surmising that Adronsius did not cross the pits blindfolded they decide to head through the West door.
• The hall beyond is clear. As they round a corner North, they behold a shimmering image of a seeming long-forgotten castle. Nenia judges they are in the presence of an ancient teleporter.
• As they study the flickering image, an ochre jelly slides through the portal and attacks them.
• Fierce battle ensues as slime seems to ooze its way wherever it wishes. After dealing some significant damage the ochre jelly splits into 2! To make matters worse 3 spectres slide out of the walls and attack the party as they are embroiled with the jelly. The attacks of the specters seem to sap the very vitality of their targets. After dispatching the slimes and two of the specters, the third turns invisible and disappears without a trace.
• A couple more checks reveal to Nenia that this portal is not functioning correctly and is indeed only a 1-way portal from wherever the pictured castle is located. The party wisely gets out of view before something else on the other side takes notice of them.
• Hallway east leads back to the hallway with pits. In order to slow any foes further up the hall, the party removes the ropes dangling over the chasms and stow them in their packs.
• The party opts to run passed the portal again and try the West door of the portal room.
• Moving along the hall the party enters a pitch black room. The North and South walls of the room hold skeletons of the Von Urstadt clan, once prominent in the region. It is a crypt. On the North wall is a double door.
• Ethan moves into the room followed by the other members of the party. Suddenly a gnome chuckles as it opens the North door. As the party springs into action a sudden bright orange glow bursts from through the doors and two magma claws skuttle into the room.
• A few singed eyebrows later and the party mops up the foes.
• Scouting east reveals a stair climbing into the darkness. Through the north door a stairs descends into pitch black. Both paths are eerily silent.
• Opting for the lower room, Ethan takes point and descends the stair. Hearing nothing of note he uncovers his sunrod to reveal a room of torture. Along the north wall are two holding cells – one of which contains Sertanian – advisor to the council of Delver’s Dale. Bravely he informs the party that he alone knows what the missing relics looks like, that Mirtala the cook is down a spiral staircase beyond the ettercaps and that Kartenix is most likely dead since he was planning on fighting his way free.