We continue the story of the companion's quest to destroy the book of vile darness as they are about to enter the ancient dwarven kingdom through the monastery's undercroft.

Myshra rejoices in the glorious gain of mana. She has never held so much power. Her fingers itch to grasp her holy symbol and release mana through a new spell. She now has the ability to hold a person, through Heironeous" Will in thrall for a short while. Enough time to escape from or bind an enemy. She wonders what limitations there are.

She grabs up her gear and readies for the next chapter in their adventure.

---

+7xp
This message was last edited by the player at 14:03, Sat 18 Nov 2023.

Val felt even more vigorous than usual as well, he felt it was time to get that training in with Cami to learn to use his crossbow too. That would take a bit of time though.

---

+1xp
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:28, Sat 18 Nov 2023.

Eagerly awaiting a chance to use his sword in combat, Larn is hopeful and ready for action. "Are we going to provide light up front when we go downstairs, or do I need to fight at a slight disadvantage?"

---

+3xp
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:41, Sat 18 Nov 2023.

Duivelssmak doesn't share the ecstasy that some of his companions seem to be feeling.  For now, he's just grateful to be alive, and still able to contribute to the cause of reducing the total sum of evil in this world.  It does feel satisfying to have gained some power, but he never loses sight of what it's for.  It has nothing to do with personal aggrandizement.

---

+4xp
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:46, Sat 18 Nov 2023.

Without any change in expression or demeanour Aramil readies himself and then follows along with the others. He was as calm and focussed as ever.

---

+1xp
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:51, Sat 18 Nov 2023.

Cami gathers up her gear and stows it away for travel deeper into the monastary.  Checking the status of her crossbow and making sure that her new, magical short sword is easily accessible in its sheath on her waist.  "I would need light also," she says to Larn's comment.

"I would be happy to scout, help scout or bring up the rear.  Whichever is needed."

---

+3xp
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:54, Sat 18 Nov 2023.

Realizing they are heading underground into the darkness.  Elmona looks through the monastary for a lantern and some spare flasks of oil or some torches.

"Speaking of light. Does anyone have a light source or has anyone seen and laying around the monestary?  There should have some kind of light here.  Everyone needs to see at night.

Elmona does not find any sources for light in the rooms they have entered, be it lantern or torch.

---

+3xp
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:59, Sat 18 Nov 2023.

"Dwarves can see in the dark I'm told, they don't need light. I have no torches or lantern. We need some, can we make them?" he asks the others.

---

+1xp
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:27, Sat 18 Nov 2023.

Duivelssmak tells them that, with the aid of The Saint, he can create Light to aid them.  However, this would reduce the amount of divine favor he has left to expend on, for example, healing.

---

+2xp
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:47, Sat 18 Nov 2023.

"If we are going underground and will be in close combat situations, does anyone care if I take the Leather armor the Hobgoblin was wearing?  It would help keep me alive in close quarters, as long as no one claims it as theirs.

---

+2xp
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:00, Sat 18 Nov 2023.

Durwe shakes his head.  "Not kobolds.  They see as well as us elves in the dark out to sixty feet, maybe more.  They do not need torches or light down there." 

---

+2xp
This message was last edited by the player at 14:06, Sat 18 Nov 2023.

Annoyed by the discussion about the need for light Alaion motions for the others to follow along and headed forward.

---

+1xp
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:12, Sat 18 Nov 2023.

"Duiv? Larn? Can one of you light a torch?" Val asks them.

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+1xp
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:29, Sat 18 Nov 2023.

Finn turns away from Lamai, face red and burning.  He made his way back to his supplies, keeping his head down.  She's not humanoid. She's not an adult.  She will need to leave when its safe to do so.

Shaking his head, he grabs string from his backpack and cuts off a piece long enough to tie around his finger.  He casts a spell, causing it to glow with a bright light, illuminating a radius of 60 feet.  He ties it to the index finger of his non-dominant hand over his glove.

He makes a fist, dousing the effect, then opens it again.  "It worked!" he says, chuckling softly.  "Just in time."

He pulls out the magic missile wand and grabs his stuff, ready to follow.

---

+20xp
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:15, Sat 18 Nov 2023.

Unsure of how to approach Lamai about taking the torch she has, he is relieved when Finn becomes a bright source of light. "That's even better!" the fighter says, grinning. "Just stay where that light works best for us poor humans."

---

+3xp
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:41, Sat 18 Nov 2023.

2E.4625, 4th of Gort, Wednesdaeg  0600hrs, clear skies, 45 degrees

After a breakfast of mostly left over hare and pheasant, or standard rations, Durwe leads the party up the north hall.  He dispels the alarm spell he had set the night before and continues along the corridor until coming to the first north door.  He pushes it open to find a small study that looks like it has been lived in recently. Gnawed bones litter the floor and tufts of gray fur can be seen here and there. An old stone desk sits in the center of the chamber, heavily scratched and cracked in many places. The stench of wet fur hangs heavy in the air.  There is evidence that worgs were kept here.  A few harnesses are on peg boards on the wall.  Straw and reeds litter the floor behind the desk all the way to the corner of the square room.  To the left is an entrance into another room.

Durwe proceeds left, taking the party into a larger room of the monastery.  At one time, there was a central column, four feet in diameter, but it is now broken and lying on its side on the floor.  Only about three feet of the column remains upright.  More tufts of grey and black worg hair cover most of the flooring, along with scat and bones.  A stairwell in the north west corner of the room leads downward into darkness.

Durwe proceeds down and enters what appears to be an old cellar.  An old, broken chest lies on its side in the northwest corner of the cellar.  Garish paintings smear the walls in bright yellows, orange, and reds.  An attempt at some sort of art gone wrong.  There is nothing else in the cellar.  An apparent dead end...

"Let's look for a secret door of some sort." Val says to everyone.

---

+1xp
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:33, Sat 18 Nov 2023.

Durwe looks around in the small room in confusion.  He is sure Roxie and Jhaelin had said this was the way down  Have I forgotten something, he wonders.

"I don't understand."  he says to the others, regarding the artwork.  "We may have to search the whole place upstairs for a way down.  What do you make of that?"

The scene on the east wall, if you can call it a scene, resembles some nightmarish creature of the nine hells feasting on-- something.   Off to the side of that is what looks like an anvil-- sort of.

"Could this be a scene of the foundry?" he asks aloud.

---

+13xp
This message was last edited by the player at 14:07, Sat 18 Nov 2023.

Val looks around the anvil and the painting on the wall. He tries to see if the anvil might be the key and moves it to see if it is a lever or something. If nothing, he searches the wall.

---

+1xp


Valeros moves closer to the wall with the strange, garish painting.  He finds that beneath the paint is a carving of a dwarven hammer and an anvil.  The anvil is actually painted and part of the horrid scene, but the hammer is painted over with black and red paint streaks and swirls that make up some kind of smoke monster from hell.  The concealed hammer and anvil depiction covers about a two foot square area on a block of the eastern wall.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:30, Sat 18 Nov 2023.

Cam will also try to make herself useful and search the room for anything useful to the party.

Camilla does not find much in the way of items of value.  She finds empty, dried containers of paint.  Some bottles that once contained paint and is now dry.  Some twig effigies of animals and figures, such as that the shamanic kobold might have held.  Old cloth that is dirty and smelly.  The chest is empty and the lid is broken.  Nothing else of any import is found in her search.

---

+1xp
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:55, Sat 18 Nov 2023.

"There is something here Durwe, can I get your eyes and wisdom in this to figure it out. A hammer painted over, and the anvil, Aramil, you and Alaion might be helpful, perhaps Thard, being a Dwarf, could give input too!" he calls attention to the spot on the wall to the elves and Dwarf.

---

+3xp
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:34, Sat 18 Nov 2023.

With a nod Aramil makes his way down and in and across to the painting. After a moment he passes his gloved hands over the surface, searching for trigger points.

Aramil picks at the paint, revealing the carved depressions in the stonework. It is rather masterful. A hammer and an anvil. He is certain the large stone block is a secret door, finding hair lined edges. But, like Valeros, finds nothing in the way of a trigger.

---

Aramil rolled 9 using 1d100 - detect secret doors.
+1xp

This message was last edited by the GM at 13:51, Sat 18 Nov 2023.