Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

[Marullus]

Dolph watches the door behind, standing protectively before the two wizards - Idriss being on the ceiling and Pendleton on the floor. Neegan and Ablesforth watch the piles of trash warily, overseeing the room. The rusty smear in the middle of the room marks where something died... and then was eaten and dragged away in tiny bits.

Dare padfoots along the right-hand wall first, listening at the door and hearing nothing in particular. He notes that the bottom of the door is heavily chewed and small rat-sized holes now allow passage under it. He continues around to the far wall, listening there as well. He hears what sounds like the faint splashing of a fountain on the other side. Otherwise, the party waits with baited breath, listening to the unnerving silence.

Date: 14 July 2021, 1:00pm
Light: Ablesforth's Lantern (until 2:00pm)
Effects: Levitation on Idriss (1:05)
Injuries: Ablesforth (minor wound), Dolph (minor wound)

[Rusty Tincanne]

Is there a way through to the fountain then? A secret door? Able walks over toward Dare to shed light on the wall for the acrobat to see better. He asks the dwarfs to check it out as well and asks Idriss if he knew of a fountain. Is this the room where you nursed the marked woman?

[Dram]

Neegan searches the fountain and surrounding areas. Is this where you last saw this demon?

[Zhym]

Pendleton tries to stay out of the way of anything that might pop up and go "boo!"

"Let me know if you need any ancient writings translated," he offers from behind Dolph.

[Marullus]

Is there a way through to the fountain then? A secret door?

The far wall from you has another door on it in the far-left corner. The wall to your right also has a door in its furthest corner from you. Both of the other doors are made of simple wood and are without locks.

[Rusty Tincanne]

oh. Uhh... Yeah. of course. I knew that. I was role playing my character. His WIS is onky 17...

Okay then, i suppose we are heading through the door toward the fountain.

I read through Idriss and Foxy's adventure. Where is the bunk room they stayed in from here?

Before heading through the door, Able puts on a beatiful amulet and focuses on the rooms behind both doors, attempting to glimpse sentience so the party will not be taken unaware.

[Marullus]

It is up to Idriss to share what he knows.

Able dons his amulet and stares at the wall for a while, but senses nothing.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Nothing. But that don't say much, I guess. Standing along the wall, he slowly pushes the door open with his hammer (to keep a bit more distance). If nothing presents itself, Able will encourage a dwarf to look in (because of the infravision).

[Marullus]

Pausing for Idriss, then we'll open the door.

[Spearmint]

sorry I was looking for the dungeon map we had made so I could post it in the Maps forum for us to see...

Idriss Half-headhunter

The arcane Templar points to the door on the left hand side and discusses what lies beyond.

"The fountain room was covered in many purple fungi and along one wall giant mushrooms which emitted a piercing squeal were growing. The fountain if I remember correct comes from a large plaque of a demon face built into the far wall. Some decayed humanoid figures were rigid, prostrate in kneeling pose before it. I could not get a clear passage through to a door at the far end due to my fear of these strange growths emitting dangerous spores. The demoniacs came from a door immediately to the left of this one."pointing to the right hand rat chewed door. "Wilbur my weasel died here from the rats, I had a fiery barricade to keep them away. I fled up a long hallway to a room at the end. It had bunks in and I took that as my refuge with Ms O'Hare. A goblin party also used the nearby rooms and attacked me, robbing me of some coins but with some wisdom I had not taken a necklace from a corpse. Their chief took it and when he wore it, the cursed trove choked him to death. The demoniacs then stormed the building but holy water and fire drove them away and I took the chance to flee while I was still able."

This room is also 50' by 50' square and mirrors the one you entered from as you are in the left-most corner of the new room as well. You see door on the left wall and another on the right wall, both adjacent to the wall you are entering through.

A dim red glow radiates from the far wall, faintly illuminating beyond your lantern-light. A horned demonic face hangs in the centre of the far wall, fashioned of silver and with horns of untarnished gold. From its mouth pours a rivulet of blood, which runs into a channel in the floor. The channel makes a geometric shape, the blood filling each line to its lip but not overflowing:

In the far-right corner, a purplish fungus sprawls across the walls and floor with large purple mushroom caps standing about 2' tall from the floor. As your lantern comes into view the mushrooms start emitting an ear-splitting shriek - it is near-deafening in the room and can assuredly be heard throughout the surrounding rooms.

[sirravd]

Grimble suggests straightway burning the nests.

[Spearmint]

Idriss

"No don't burn the rat nest here. The demoniacs sense though smell. They sniff and taste the air like snakes. Though blinded with eyes their awareness of space and objects is highly refined." the Templar warns against the action.

[Marullus]

Action?

[Rusty Tincanne]

The fountain should prob'ly be checked out, but I don't wanna get surprised by them sniffers. "specially if the mushrooms get so loud. I'm gonna peek through the door and see if they're 'round still. Able listens at the rat-chewed door, then peeks his head through.

If anyone else has an idea, please speak up! I'm just sort of filling the void here.

[Marullus]

Ablesforth listens at the rat-chewed door on the right-hand side, then opens it to peek through, bringing the lantern to shine it's light. Idriss's levitation ends; the Templar settles back to the earth and joins Pendleton behind the bulk of Dolph.

You are at the end of a long hallway - the hallway ends immediately at your right hand but extends to the left. There is another wooden door on your same side of the hallway about 20' down. Otherwise the hallway extends further than the lamplight, the faint outline of a doorless arch in the dimness about 70' away.

Date: 14 July 2021, 1:10pm
Light: Ablesforth's Lantern (until 2:00pm)
Effects: None.
Injuries: Ablesforth (minor wound), Dolph (minor wound)

[Spearmint]

Idriss

The archway leads to a small room with bunks. I burned them to barricade a door on the left to stop the demoniacs reaching Ms O'Hare and I. The goblins laired nearby. This door on the left opens also to the fountain room but was wedged tightly shut.

Idriss describes the hallway ahead.

"shall we explore that room first?" He suggests pointing to the fountain room door. Maybe a sneaky scout to silently slip by the shrieker mushrooms?

[Rusty Tincanne]

Sure, but we gotta avoid breathing them spores. You ever hear 'bout Brother Mulder and Sister Scully, and how they were almost digested by mushrooms in a cave? He suggests the group tie cloths around their faces when near the mushrooms.

[Marullus]

Who's entering the fountain room? Via the door in the first room or from the door in the hallway?

[Rusty Tincanne]

Able will check the "stuck" door to see if someone can get into the fountain room that way, per Idriss's suggestion.

[Marullus]

Ablesforth pushes open the door cautiously, covering his face with a cloth and holding his lantern ahead of himself as he peers into the room. This room is 50' by 50' square and mirrors the one next door. You are in the left-most corner of the new room with a wall extending forward on your lefthand while the room opens up to your right. You see a pair of doors at the far corner ahead of you, one on the left wall and one on the forward wall, both adjacent to the corner.

A dim red glow radiates from the right-hand wall, faintly illuminating beyond your lantern-light. A horned demonic face hangs in the center of the far wall, fashioned of silver and with horns of untarnished gold. From its mouth pours a rivulet of blood, which runs into a channel in the floor. The channel makes a geometric shape, the blood filling each line to its lip but not overflowing:

In the near-right corner, a purplish fungus sprawls across the walls and floor with large purple mushroom caps standing about 2' tall from the floor. As soon as your lantern-light spills through the doorway, it falls upon the fungus, which start emitting an ear-splitting shriek - it is near-deafening in the room and can assuredly be heard throughout the surrounding rooms.

Date: 14 July 2021, 1:20pm
Light: Ablesforth's Lantern (until 2:00pm)
Effects: None.
Injuries: Ablesforth (minor wound), Dolph (minor wound)