Team 1 Progress
Meldor Ironforge the Dwarf Wizard awakens in one of the CAGES in the middle of the WART’ODE ENCAMPMENT. He can see that he is in one of several rows of cages. War’tode guards roam the area, keeping a lazy eye on the prisoners. He can’t see Zayn Carthin the Elf Arbiter or Pigsnout the Elf Fighter but he knows they must be somewhere nearby. The other prisoner in his cage introduces himself as Odin Thunderhammer the Dwarf Fighter.
One of the guards stops near Meldor’s cage. This turns out to be Cuisses de Grenouille, a tidal elf disguised in a War’tode costume. He tells them to follow him if they want to escape but Odin decided to turn him in. The War’todes capture de Grenouille, whom they call by the mocking nickname “Froglegs” (as his elven legs always give him away under closer inspection).
Impressed, Captain Gurglepuss calls them to his tent and offers them a deal. If they agree to tell the Big Big Boss, Gilderwart, that they know where the Staff of Summoning is and will fetch it for him in return for their freedom. They agree but while waiting for their audience, they witness an exchange between de Grenouille and Gilderwart. “Froglegs” defies the Big Big Boss, telling him that he will never stop undermining him until he releases his wizard friend “Murkplop” (a War’tode term for the sound poop makes falling into swampwater). Murkplop is enthralled by a Crown of Domination worn on Gilderwart’s head and has been responsible, among other things, for transforming all of the tidal elf art into War’tode art throughout the abandoned Temple of Wanjo. Gilderwart sends him back to the CAGES and promises him his friend will watch him as he is eaten by War’t.
Appearing before Gilderwart, Odin and Meldor make a deal to fetch the Staff of Summoning for the Big Big Boss as Captain Gurglepuss instructed them to.
Team 2 Progress
When Fizzle the Elf Wizard, Cullos Crowbane the Human Wizard, Davroar Hollysword the Elf Cleric and Kerla Chog the Human Fighter take the west corridor, they again find themselves in the ROOM OF EIGHT with Balin Thanatar. He offers them healing potions but notes that the price has gone up to 60 GP.
Taking another door, they find themselves back in the LONG HALLWAY with the three doors and four tapestries. Examining the tapestries, they decide to take them in case they might be useful as a bribe to the War’todes. Davroar abandons his bedroll and takes two tapestries of a king and queen respectively.
Taking the center door of the long hallway, the party is sucked through the doorway. They emerge in the Library. At their backs is a door labeled LIBRARY STORAGE ROOM. A tall stack of books sits immediately in front of them.
Fizzle notes that his Detect Magic spell singles out one particular book. Thinking it to be a spell book, he reaches for it, whereupon it changes form. The thing that bites his hand in newly grown teeth is a Mimic.
Thinking quickly, Davroar uses the Command spell to put the Mimic to sleep. The Mimic reverts to its book form and releases Fizzle.
Hearing a commotion, they creep around the LIBRARY bookstacks. They see an Ipsimus sentry the dragging the body of Katnip Everdeen the Dwarf Rogue by her feet. Not wishing to drop its magic wands, it is utilizing its mouth to pull her body along. It is fully distracted by its efforts.
From its mad ramblings and mutterings, they determine that it doesn’t like the taste of Katnip’s feet, that she stole a Star Sapphire from a pedestal in the center of the LIBRARY wings, that it intends to put the Star Sapphire (along with the rest of Katnip) back on its display pedestal, and that it doesn’t think much of the Ipsimus sentry in the south wing who mocks and mimics his every move. Cullos also recalls that an enthralled Ipsimus will self-destruct if the item it guards is removed from the area it guards. Weighing their options, they decide to attack from opposite sides of the bookstack.
Team 3 Progress
With the Wart’odes in pursuit, Weddumlir Aleshield and Bofril Greybender the Dwarf Fighters and Katnip Everdeen the Dwarf Rogue make a last desperate effort to bar the doors to the CRYPT OF THE OLD GUARD.
Katnip takes another swing at the piton but misses her mark. Acting quickly, Bofril drives the piton in the floor just as War’tode bodies hit the door. Seeing that they’re still tring to break in, they opt for retreat into the EXAMINATION ROOM. To throw off their pursuers, Katnip tosses down a torch by the east exit and leads Weddumlir and Bofril through the west door. Proceeding through the intersection, they enter the door to the LIBRARIAN’S OFFICE
Hearing a commotion that sounds like “Let go of it! Let go of it!”, Katnip opts to check out the LIBRARY itself.
Passing through the stacks of the north wing, he spots a table at the intersection of the LIBRARY’s three wings. On a display stand on the table rests a Star Sapphire. She opts to take the gem and places it in her belt pouch, whereupon an Ipsimus sentry emerges from the south wing shouting an alarm. Surprising her, it hits Katnip with a beam of confusion from one of its magic wands. Upon hearing the Ipsimus, Weddumlir retreats to the hallway. Helpless under the confusion ray’s effects, Katnip suffers a bite from the famished Ipsimus. Outraged, Bofril comes to her defense but his great axe catches nothing but a whiff of air.
Shaking off her confusion, Katnip cut off the tentacle that attacked her, causing the Ipsimus sentry to retreat, ducking into the other side of the bookstacks of the north wing. Katnip and Bofril beat a hasty retreat to the passage Weddumlir had taken, only to be overtaken by a wounding ray from one of the returning Ipsimus’ other wands. Both were killed instantly, their bodies blocking Weddumlir from harm.
In terror, Weddumlir headed up a spiral staircase and found himself in a GUARD ROOM with a dead War’tode jailer. Mindful of potential pursuit, he checked the exits, finding one locked and that the other only led to a GUARD STORAGE ROOM; however, the last led to a CATWALK OVERLOOK. He instantly recognized the room below as the CRYPT OF THE OLD GUARD. To his dismay, he noticed the doors were no longer blocked by pitons but were now wide open. Not wishing to be overtaken by War’todes or the Ipsimus, Weddumlir followed the catwalk to an exit at the southeast corner. Taking the passage it afforded and, after taking a right at the next intersection ended up in the ROOM OF EIGHT.
Balin Thanatar greets him and offers him healing potions for 20 GP each. Since he doesn’t have enough, Weddumlir also offers a rope. Balin agrees to the trade and gives Weddumlir a healing potion. Choosing a door at random, Weddumlir finds himself back in the same corridor he entered the ROOM OF EIGHT from; however, as he’s on his way out instead of in, he gets confused and decided to retreat back to the ROOM OF EIGHT. His next attempt leads him to the same hallway, but from the east. This time he takes the north passage and finds himself back on the CATWALK OVERLOOK above the CRYPT OF THE OLD GUARD. Remembering his pursuers, he returns to the ROOM OF EIGHT. He asks Balin to show him the way out of what is apparently a magical maze.
Taking the remainder of Weddumlir’s torches in trade, Balin places the torches inside his robe, whereupon they disappear. Weddumlir notices that the rope from earlier is gone and wonders if it is somewhere within the apparently magical robe as well. He proceeds through the door Balin shows him; however, there are several intersections and after taking two of them, Weddumlir ended up back in the ROOM OF EIGHT.
Needing to clear his head, Weddumlir decided to take a full rest.
Adventure Inc. 