Chapter 2 - Getting to the bottom of it?

[Chris1234]

"Back the way we came then?" asks Darren.

[Squirrellord]

Replying to Darren "That or check out some of the more interesting things we came across on our way here. Like I said, I wouldn't say no to a bed." Giving the celestial a side glance he continues "Earlier you mentioned you were tasked with watching us, are you planning to keep up the more active participation we've been enjoying?"

[Chris1234]

"Honestly, no. It would be embarrassing for me if others were to know just how easily you discovered me," he replies. "Not something I'd lie about, of course. but not something that necessarily has to be mentioned." His face looks slightly pleading.

"If you know of another way out that isn't watched then fine but otherwise we might do better, even if only not to get lost in this myriad of sewer passages, to retrace our footsteps. There might be something useful in the spider lair. I'd be happy to help investigate it if you wish. And anything found you can keep. But I'd like to re-establish some distance between us before we leave these sewers back into the city."

[Nocturno]

"Aye, back the way we came. Check out that meeting room a bit better. Then we can pick up some ingredients and Woody's Mom can make us a good dinner!"

Sue will laugh.

"You can come back with me to the "house. Since the your "Brothers" seemed to clean your room out the moment you left."

[Squirrellord]

"My thanks Sue. At least I travel light. One benefit of not owning much it seems."

[Chris1234]

The brave adventurers make it back to the hidden sewer lair.

***
Will you look behind the closed doors?
Or scamper straight through towards the safety of the surface?

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Encounter? [1d12] = 8
No, not yet.

***
The map is in the "General Campaign Information, maps etc"

[Squirrellord]

As Sue had requested to check out the meeting room a bit better on the way back, Jim will check with the party (notify them of his intention) and then open one the doors.

[Chris1234]

Jim leads the way into the dwarven-built lair. The large meeting room* appears unchanged.

The experienced group ready actions for when Jim opens the door to the next room on the left. After ignition of the webs within the three emerging spider swarms are quickly despatched with only Jim taking damage. [5 pierce]

The rooom, 10' x 7', contains a row of empty pegs on the south wall and a shelf on the west wall that supports three backpacks. Under the shelf are a row of thigh high boots. Resting in one corner are a pair of sewer 'vaulting poles'. The pegs are where a cloak or other garments may be hung. The pegs are at a height appropriate for dwarvenkind and the boots are similarly appropriately sized.

Hidden Webs 8.png (19.14 KiB) Viewed 11020 times

Investigation shows the boots to contain some dried webs and what are possibly hundreds of tiny spider eggs. The leather of the backpacks is hardened and cracked but they are still usable. Each backpack contains a bedroll, mess kit, tinderbox, torch (10), rations (inedible), waterskin. [Edit: three off, 60' silk rope, taken by PCs]

What next?

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The meeting room is about 30'x25'.

***
You folks have ground your way through lots of these webbed spider infestations and that stops being novel/fun after a while. I've done a compacted version (?pastiche?) as a skip forwards for clearing the cloakroom. Anyone unhappy with that, please tell me..

[Nocturno]

Sue will wind the rope of one of the packs around his torso in a bandoleer fashion.

"Damn Spiders" Sue will comment as they finish them off.

[Squirrellord]

Jim will gather up the silk rope. "This should not go to waste."

[counterkid]

"We have two options. One, spend the night down here in this place and investigate the rest in the morning. Two, get out of here an get a rest in our beds. Which one do you want to do.?"

[Chris1234]

The next door on the left from the storeroom (see updated map "General Campaign Information, maps etc") is heavy, more for sound proofing than security. It leads into a large L-shaped room lined with some weapons and shield racks. It seems to be free from webs and spiders. The room contains some practise dummies, a sparring floor and a very modest target area, more for darts and daggers than heavier missile weaponry. The racks contain three longswords, five handaxes, a greataxe and three shields.

The final door from the entry room leads into the dog-legging corridor that has already been traversed.

Proceeding along the corridor, the next door on the left is heavy and leads into the other end of the 'weapons room'. The next door on the left is locked but the door opposite leads into another mass of webbing. Jim takes another horde of tiny bites [5 pierce] before the emergent spider swarms and webbing are cleared. The room contains two double bunks and four small chests beneath the bunks. There is an unmoving figure, dwarven by stature, laying on the southernmost bottom bunk. The figure is clad in a chainmail shirt and one hand dangles to the floor. A scimitar lays on the floor next to the dangling arm.

Proceeding further along the corridor, the next two doors on the left lead to a large shower area. The room is humid and occasional gouts of hot water shoot from parallel cracks in the ceiling. The floor is contoured to lead water away to a small grid in the floor to the northwest. The area appears free from webbing and spiders. The two doors on the right of the corridor (and opposite the shower room) are locked.

The corridor doglegs around the meeting room and four doors, all ajar or opened easily, lead into five foot square cells. The first three are full of webbing and a spider sawrm, each easily cleared without any adverse effects on Jim. The fouth cell is full of an unpleasant grey mould that absorbs heat. Jim is frozen [10 cold damage] before the door is smammed shut. Each cell has a wooden bench at the far end with a round hole it it. Toilets! There is a collapsed mess of twigs and mould on the floor of each facility. An unmoving figure, dwarven by stature, sits on the 'throne' of the second WC.

The next door on the left of the corridor leads to a larger area inhabted by webs and spider swarms. Jim and Darren are both bitten [5 pierce each] before the area is cleared. It's a kitchen with many shelves, kitchen and cooking items and a pair of weird dwarven stoves that can be figured out with some practise. [Research] There are also a pair of low set sinks with water faucets. A 5'x5' closet leads off to the northwest corner of the kitchen. It contains several brushes, brooms, scraper aprons and bags.

The final area is a 10'x7' storeroom to the east of the original entrance area. it is piled two or three high with many barrels and boxes of different sizes.

What next?

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*The kitchen contains the equivalent of three Cooking kits.

If Jim starts to feel too wobbly Darren will offer him some healing [7HP] and then take over opening doors. The overall results will be similar (but with Jim no longer on point).

***
Apols if this misses anything out - I'm bashing it out before going away for a few days. Connectivity may be fine but not sure. Anyway, any queries arising just shout out. Same thing with anything the PCS want to do or investigate.

Edit:
For clarification, none of the rooms, closets etc cited above have been searched or investigated.

[Nocturno]

Since they are on the way out, Sue will start a bundle of all the weapons and armor, so they can be easily dropped for combat, and picked back up.

"Well those doors are probably not locked to protect air. How you feeling Jim?"

[Squirrellord]

Jim is at 8 HP. He'd take the 7hp worth of healing from Darren to put him at 15hp.

He'll continue to take point but is clearly hurting and not trying to hide it.

"I have been better to be honest... Let's finish up in here okay?"
While the others search, Jim will wait patiently.

[Chris1234]

"I guess it wouldn't hurt if we take a short rest here," suggest Darren ernestly. "But maybe keep away from the corpses, just in case." He sets about ritual casting Detect Magic.

Of the items gathered by Vic from the training room Darren declares a longsword, a greataxe and a shield are magical.

There's the faintest of kerfuffles during Darren's search for magical stuff but nothing to be found if anyone investigates. Just seems that he may have been swinging his warhammer around a bit.

If anyone wants to spend HD go ahead.

***
[Non strenuous activities, such as gently searching a room, can be undertaken without disrupting a Short rest. Does anyone want to tackle any non-strenous activities?
(Let's say max four rolls per PC during the Short Rest, e.g. searching a particular room or picking a lock.)]

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Oops! Life Domain = Jim gained additional +5HP

Stuff [1d12] = 12
Stuff attacks [1d20+4] = 7+4 = 11, [3d6] = 16