Edge Ov The Twilight Queen's Domain: Mvrkmaal's Tunnel Delve 3! x333
So I still have 5 more days of work this week, and I already want to overdose on Sugar-Free Monster
My Digital Readers! This session of D&D was one of the most fun i've ran in my entire Gaming Career! :3
Approximately 1 week after Savin's (Dyl Pickle ;3) first foray into the Dungeon, he was joined on his 2nd delve by Corin the Elf! (Hrmmmm... The Twilight Queen is The Last Living Elf... So Corin must be a different kind of Elf :3)
After a drink and meal at the inn, listening in on the local gossip about Mvrkmaal's Tunnel they were able to gather intel on 2 hirelings who had returned with a stack of loot along with some more rumors about the Tunnel Dungeon...
Upon arriving at the entrance, Corin searched the vicinity to ensure no one would follow them down... She found an unmarked grave. (Gaerma's grave, dug by those 2 hirelings after running away with all the loot found before her untimely death..)
Once descended, the party (Now 8 with the PC's, Savin's 5 Soldiers and Corin's 1 Soldier) discovered the remnants of both Skeleton battles over the last 2 delves into the Dungeon and decided to go through that Northern Archway Savin had ignored previously.
The Party split, leaving 5 hirelings in the hallway to keep watch and taking 1 with them. One 20' Hallway later, a floral smelling chamber with flowing fresh air containing a bubbling steamy pool of water.
The PC's avoided the pool, and headed towards the Western Exit of the room. A 10' hallway separated the 2 identical chambers, with a staircase leading downwards veering off from said hallway. In that 2nd Room, the PC's found another pool of water (This one distinctly Non-Magical) and two 10' x 10' Cubbies to the North and South containing very tall fireplaces.
Within the fireplaces was lots of ash, intermixed with shards of some blue substance... The PC's spent some time collecting the blue shards and found them to be very similar to Pop Rocks. (They had sent their hireling back to the rest of the hirelings waiting in the hallway to check out the situation).
Suddenly, the Southern Fireplace erupted with multi-colored flames before extinguishing to reveal 2 Humanoid creatures similar to the ones encountered on Savin's first Delve. They appeared to have teleported somehow, but upside down and now enflamed!
The PC's Quick Thinking led them to dragging these creatures out of the fireplace and into the pool of water... As Corin asked whether their new "friends" were ok, their torch blew out!
A new torch was lit, and the Social Game resumed... Corin circled between the few languages she knew, these creatures responded to Orcish! They revealed that they had escaped from the Orcish Home Base Deep in the Mountain Highway Tunnels, and that not only were there more like them looking to find their freedom... but that the Orc outnumber them severely!
Rogg-Helve! The Ancient Dwemer Prison where their people have been kept for generations!
The creatures leave peacefully, and go down the stair the PC's passed by on the way to this room. (Conflicting information! The stairs do not go to Floor 2, so where are they going?? They also confirmed that the real way down to the 2nd floor is through the chutes in the Northern and Southern Hallways...)
The PC's return to their hirelings quickly after realizing that their man never returned to update them on what was happening. They are met with one dead hireling, and a fight against a Giant Dung Beetle!
One quick fight later, with a near death for Savin as the Beetle fled after a Critical Blow and the party is now regrouped! They had also heard a gate lift and close once the beetle ran all the way West down the hallway...
The party then investigated the Southern Doorway, which suspiciously was both no longer locked and slightly ajar. They found 2 looted rooms past the doorway, and quickly decided to follow suit and break down the Easter Locked Door in the Entry Chamber (Lol).
The party then proceeded to fucking yoink the entire door off the god damn wall (Grappling Hook tug of war, XP was awarded for this ingenius plan ;33) and proceeded. After 20' of Hallway, they came across a 4 way intersection. The PC's decided to take the southern path, as a portcullis was visible from within their torchlight. Approaching it as a group actually activated the lifting mechanism, so it seems that a large amount of weight is required to activate the automatic portcullises (As hinted at by the beetle's escape...)
Together, they entered a new chamber. Empty, with a low mechanical hum. At the center was this large machine similar to an OG Moog Synthesizer but with a Totem Lathe instead of keyboard section. Corin observed the machine and found some form of Screen displaying foreign characters, but was able to discern some form of Floppy Disk symbol with a big X on it and a space for an Alphanumerical Code to be punched in.
They continued on, towards the Eastern exit of the room and once again activated the auto lift on the portcullis. In this new room, which was supernaturally silent and echo-less, they found a new large machine... What appeared to be a fully lowerd hydraulic press with a tube on top. It slowly dispensed a tube of Iridescent Crystal from the top, which was carefully dropped down with a 10' pole. After some careful exploration of the room for secret doors, the party exited and returned to town.
Thus ending Delve 2 of Mvrkmaal's Tunnel...
Takeaways before I fill up with some Cheeseburger Pasta and get some Splatoon in before sleep :33
So! One new player, and almost 2 hours of gametime. What a wonderful, wonderful session this was. x33 The PC's managed to get through a decent amount of content in the time played, and though one hireling died I feel as though they are playing it pretty smartly with their hired help. Their formations are always tight, splitting up is always handled with caution.
That lifting portcullis idea was straight from Corin's Player! Before today, that was not a part of the dungeon. The blue powder they found is actually the key to working those teleporters the Humanoid Creatures appeared from as well. :3
That crystal tube they acquired? Homestuck reference lol, along with the 2 machines found. (For those of you who have read Homestuck, they still have 1 machine to find...)
I believe though, that this new haul of treasure/info being brought from the dungeon will push Gaerma's Ex-Hirelings to kick it into high gear!
Other people are finding new, more intriguing loot! They must either find a new party to join, and beat these newcomers to the punch! Or...
Sell of their current loot and info about the Dungeon (Whereabouts etc) to the highest bidder... The Gortsy spies looking to bring back news of potential industry/resources to Queen Sacha, or the Nichibotsu Explorers also looking to bring back promises of the same things to The Twilight Queen...
Much to look forward to my Interwebz Readers... ;3