Recap #23 - Something Foul is Afoot

19 Nymm, 999YK

• Ethan deftly climbed down the hole in the floor and confirmed that the coast was clear. The party found themselves in a long natural tunnel that declined steadily into the darkness. There was no sign of who had left the ladder and the rope.
• Striking a sunrod the party followed the tunnel. After perhaps 1000 feet it took a sharp turn to the North. (Thank goodness for dwarven directions!) Ethan ordered the sunrod hidden and proceeded to scout around the corner. From the echoes ahead Ethan surmised they were entering a large chamber. He was correct. After a few moments of waiting in the darkness Ethan signaled for his comrades to move forward. He deemed the coast to be clear. He was wrong.
• A bellow from somewhere ahead and to the right brought the party to arms. Nenia threw a light spell into the chamber just as Ethan was blindsided by a creature he had never seen the likes of. It clawed his face and somehow attacked his mind. Quickly the rest of the party was set upon by two more of the creatures and a hulking beast of obviously the same descent.
• The party charged forward to assist the rogue. It took several seconds for them to realize that there was another monster hiding up to the left in a small alcove. It was firing magic into the fray and somehow seemed to be bolstering its allies.
• Assuming that the large hulking mass was the major threat the PCs set upon it. However looks deceived them. The brute - while formidable - was merely the front line defense for the caster.
• After a brief but fierce fight the party bested the 4 monsters in the main chamber and turned their attention to the magic attacks. They then learned that their foe was trying to guard a hole in the floor of the alcove - and was doing so to great effect! However it was no match for the combined efforts of the 5 adventurers.
• Searching the corpses reveiled that the caster was carrying some Boots of Eagerness which Delian claimed as his own.
• After a brief rest the party descended a ladder propped against the wall of the gaping pit. They once again found themselves in a natural tunnel leading even further down into the earth. After 30 minutes of climbing the party arrived into a room that had obviously been hollowed out of a large cavern. They were surprised to find vast quantities of weapons, armour, and other stores stacked throughout the room. Sterling figured it was enough gear to equip an army of hundreds. In the centre of the room a large symbol was etched into the floor. Delian and Nenia detemined it was some sort of teleporation circle tied to the plane of Xoriat! They also figured that it had to be activated by a ritual on this plane.
• Not wanting to spend much time here in case more enemies arrived the party took 10 minutes quickly searching different areas in the room. They were able to find a large amount of gold and several valuable gems in the stores. Quickly they pocketed their find and moved into a tunnel on the far end of the chamber.
• After a few hundred feet the tunnel abruptly changed. Instead of rough, natural surfaces they found themselves entering a room that had been carefully carved from the stone. Despite a thick layer of dust and dirt they could see that beautiful stonework had been defaced in several places. It was clear that this place had a special purpose. In the far wall were 3 stone doorways.
• The first had a strange device inset with a multitude of cubic stone sections that could be pushed, pulled and slide in different directions. The middle door was open and led into a dark tunnel. While once again natural, the surfaces of the tunnel had been smoothed in several places to make travel easier. The last door was magically sealed. Even though a semi-circle of dust and debris on the floor indicated that the door had recently been opened, no amount of coaxing could reveal what lay beyond.
• Figuring the mechanical device was a trap, the party opted to follow the tunnel through the open door. After a few hundred feet the party came upon a rickety wooden rope-bridge that crossed a seemingly bottomless pit. Near the centre of the bridge hung a chain which could be used to swing off the bridge to a column of rock about 30 feet East in the chasm. Upon the column sat a chest.
• Tying a rope around himself, Ethan moved to the centre of the bridge with the intention of swinging to the column. He was met with two skittering spider swarms who enveloped the rogue. Luckily his friends had the wherewithall to haul him back via the rope. From there it was a small matter to clean up the vermin and the two dire stirges that emerged from the darkness.
• Withthe coast seemingly clear Ethan made a second attempt. However the usually deft rogue somehow fell short of the column and fell into the balckness below. Luckily for him the chasm was covered in an illusion and he only fell 30 feet into some water. A couple of climb checks put him on top of the column where he found a golden robe, some potions, and a note that read:

Congratulations for passing this test of courage and strength. You are hereby promoted tot he first rank of the Harbingers of Ixthul. The next step in your training as a holy warrior begins now.

• Ethan then swung back across the chasm to the bridge and the party continued along the tunnel on the far side. It was not long before they reached a ornate chamber supported by 4 pillars and decorated with carved griffon heads. On the East side of the chamber was another tunnel. On the North end was a large set of double doors. In front of the doors stood a motionless Eidolon with a griffon's head carved into it's chest.
• When the party carefully approached the construct asked "Who approaches and why have you entered this sacred place?"
• The NPCs attempted to convince the Eidolon that they meant no harm and were in fact allies. However the guardian seemed unconvinced and turned hostile when Braddoc attempted to intimidate it.
• The session ended with the raising its might fist in an attempt to smash the skull of the nearest party member.