Entering the Maiden

"This tunnel quickly goes down into the mesa, at quite a steep slope.  There are stairs though," Jorgen informed the group.

"No where else to go?" Amadeo asked.

"I do not see any other openings or hallways," Jorgen reported.

The long and twisting flight of stone stairs were carved into a cramped passage of cold black basalt. At around 300 feet below the doorway the walls began to be covered with carvings.

Both sides of the passage depicted wide fields filled with wildflowers and springing deer. Piles of smooth, pale pebbles that glowed with a faint violet light lay scattered along the walls of the passage. The pebbles emanated a warm violet glow, reminiscent of the light at dawn, and illuminated the corridors with dim light. Fanara determined that some magic was imbued in the stones as she picked one up and then plopped in her pack. After a final turn, the stairs end 500 feet below in a large, rectangular chamber.

Hewn from the surrounding basalt, the walls of the large chamber had been chiseled into an incredibly intricate display of thousands of wildflowers. In the middle of each of the carvings, a wreath of pine cones encircled a life-sized carving of a young nude woman. On the north wall, the figure washed her hair. On the east wall, the figure sat staring upward at a crescent moon. On the south wall, the figure picked a bouquet of flowers, while to the west, the figure pointed to a triangular, knot-shaped symbol. An open archway beckoned in the southeast corner.

On the far south of the room stood a  bestial, two-headed giant, with maggots squirming in the folds of its skin.  Flies buzzed around the creature while a pig stood slightly closer to the party.  The giant held sickles in each hand.

"Did the Warden let you into the Maiden?" the creature asked in Giant.

"The witch tree let us in," Fanara retorted and Santrel translated.

"Then you will die here and now!"

As the party maneuvered around the chamber, the giant used an Evil Eye hex on Casia and then surprisingly attempted another hex on Amadeo which he managed to avoid.

Fanara cast enlarge person on Amadeo and Milos cast a Bless.  The party began to engage but found that the Cleave ability of the monster could inflict a large amount of damage.  Meanwhile the pig moved up to bite Amadeo.

Santrel cast a magic trick fireball on the two enemies while the rest of the party continued to pile up attacks. Even though the giant, now identified as an Ettin, was doing significant damage it fell to the parties attacks and then the pig was easy pickings.

A quick search of the Ettin found a potion and a wand along with the large sickles and a large javelin.  The bed in the room was a filthy mess and there were boxes of spoiled foodstuffs among several empty crates. With nothing else of interest in this chamber the party headed toward the southeast corner.  Crude stone stairs twisted through downward winding passage. The temperature dropped sharply and a rime of hoarfrost settled upon the walls.  Again the walls were carved with images of verdant growing things and blooming flowers. At a level area of the passageway, a stone door was seen on the west wall. The door was carved with the image of a pretty young woman standing in a tangled field of blossoming wildflowers.

Jorgen found no traps but the door was locked.  He had to make several attempts to unlock it before succeeding.  Slightly opening the door he saw another sloped passageway leading down. Deciding not to leave an unexplored passage behind the party, Jorgen headed to the west followed by the rest of the party.  This led to a natural cavern which seemed warm and humid, and stank of stagnant water. Wisps of water vapor hovered just above the floor, somewhat concealing a swampy morass of fungus. In some areas of the cave, large lumpy piles of fungus rose from the slop like fetid islands, and long, rubbery fungal strands hung from the ceiling and walls.

In the room Jorgen saw a handsome, grinning man that had furry legs of a goat and a set of curling ram horns extending from his temples.  He had a set of pan pipes and a shortbow hooked over his shoulder.  As he saw Jorgen he floated into the air and asked.

"Did Jadrenka send you?"

"Who?" Santrel responded. "Who is this Jadrenka?"

"You should come on in and visit.  It is much warmer in here and in that hallway."

"No thanks," Santrel answered.

Jorgen used a sword to probe the floor of the chamber.  It sank into the morass but hit a solid floor but had swampy detritus on the blade as he removed it.

"I think we should go back to the other passageway and leave this room alone for now," Jorgen suggested.

"Agreed," Casia said.

The party returned to the southeast leading hallway and continued until seeing a frost giant, on its knees, apparently squeezing his way through the passageway.  At the sight of Jorgen and Amadeo, the giant began to bellow and moved back slightly.

The party advanced but could only attack with two or three against the giant, who also used Cleave against them. After a couple of rounds of attacks the giant once again bellowed. As the battle continued, Casia noted a door beyond the giant opened and the head of a Andazku appeared and then retreated and shut the door.

"There is a least one of the creatures that attacked us in Kaag's camp is beyond the door." Casia announced.

The party redoubled their efforts, although Jorgen needed healing, and killed the giant.  They then moved to surround the door waiting for the Andrazku to exit.  Jorgen looked behind the door, which also was carved with the form of a young woman in a field of blooming flowers.  Behind the door was another hallway leading west.

Casia noted that an archway was evident to the southeast in the main passage, though she could not see through the arch.

Finally tired of waiting Jorgen moved past the door into the hallway.  Stone stairs led into a narrow, rectangular chamber filled with the overwhelming stink of urine. The walls and floor were haphazardly covered with countless lines of jagged runes. Two short flights of stairs climbed to small platforms at either end of the chamber.  Inside were four Andrazku, now large size one of which immediately moved toward Jorgen and breathed on him.  The breath was cold but Jorgen managed to jump out of the way.  From here the battle began as the Andrazku tried casting spells and held back to lure the party into the room.

Casia entered by the west raised platform and an an enemy climbed to the top to attack from above.  The heroes were bottled up in the entryway but managed to successfully attack the monsters even if they were hit by the breath weapons.  The physical attacks did damage but spells from Santrel helped to reduce the number of enemies until they finally all fell. 

After a round of healing the party began to search the room. A wooden chest secured with a heavy chain and a good lock sat atop the western platform.  A table sat atop the raised platform to the east, a crude map was drawn on the wooden tabletop. The runes were in Abyssal, which Santrel determined inscribed crude demonic symbols upon the walls in blood and other unknown fluids. Santrel identified the writings as prayers to the demon lord Kostchtchie.

Jorgen noted that the chest was trapped and motioned everyone away as he attempted to remove the hindrance and unlock the the chain.  Once he finished he found inside two potions, five ropes, a wand, a hammer and a score of iron spikes, two blocks and tackle.  Fanara determined that the potions, one rope and the wand were magic.

Since the map showed the passage to the southeast continuing forward the group now headed out to the hall once again and approached the arch.  Fanara said that the inner dark area of the arch was magic of some kind and she threw one of the glowing pebbles through it.  It disappeared and the party did not hear it land.  Throwing caution to the wind, Jorgen moved confidently forward through the arch and the whole party found themselves in a continuing hallway? A short way ahead Jorgen could see an opening into a larger chamber.  Fanara looked for her violet glowing pebble and did not see it.  Wondering she pulled the others from a pouch and found that none of them were glowing now.

"The wall design has changed," Casia called out.  In fact the walls were decorated with a summer motif that incorporated elements of abundance, fertility, and motherhood. "I am not sure what occurred to make this change."

Jorgen moved forward into area where ten mausoleum facades protruded from the walls around the perimeter of the cavern. Above each door was a keystone engraved with a name. Throughout the room stood ten life-sized statues of proud, matronly women. The women were all barefoot and similarly dressed, but they each had their own unique appearance. Some wore feathered cloaks or bone necklaces, others clutched gnarled staves or carried brooms, and a few had a raven or an owl perched upon their shoulders. The base of each statue was engraved with a name that coincided with one of the names engraved on the keystones above each of the mausoleum doors.

Fanara found no magic apparent anywhere in the cavern as Jorgen moved to a random door with the name Thalindra.  He saw a trap but in his attempt to disable it the trap was activated and Jorgen felt some of his strength drain from his body.  He then attempted to open the door but it was sealed with what looked like wax.  With effort and some cutting of the wax he was finally successful.  Inside the small chamber lay skeletal remains wrapped in a fragile cotton shroud. As Jorgen moved to the next mausoleum door, inscribed with the name Celestria, two ghostly barbarians appeared in the cavern. 

 "Who dares defile this crypt?" one of the incorporeal figures shouted.

DM's Notes: The party earned 3,466 XP for this part of the adventure.  They seem to be in a pickle once again as the session ended.