A few minutes of looting and plundering is always a good way to calm the mind after a traumatic event. There was some debate about how to transport the 500 pound statue of the dwarf Diggin, but it was ultimately decided to leave him in Medusa’s Lair and throw some clothes on top of him. With the looting complete, there was talk of retreating, but it was ultimately decided that a bit more exploring might not hurt.
At the end of the passage is a large cavern, in which lie the remains of a partially collapsed building. The door to the first floor is still intact, and appears to have been pried open. This gives the horned goat demon inside an excuse to start slicing away at the group. Holy shit! It’s one of the crazed, blinking demons that nearly wiped out the party with a single horn at the top of the old mansion! A ferocious blow is delivered, and the group flees, but they’re too late, it pursues them and attacks them from behind, about to add Kegdrain to the list of extinct dwarves. It was looking bleak until Fingers stabbed it with a steel knife and poisoned the beast. Oh my goodness. That was close. Now it’s time to go.
The group returns and, as they are climbing the stairs leading out of the basement, they come across the spider mage who was emitting lightning in the tower to let them know he is still in the house. The lightning leads several members to get much closer to the god than anyone would be comfortable with. They flee, unashamedly tucking their tails in and running as fast as they can on legs of various lengths. They make their way through the sewers at a relatively fast speed and climb out of the entrance to an abandoned apartment building where an assassin is waiting for them, doing his best to kill all of the party members. Luckily Fingers is faster and, thanks to Sniffles’ trebuchet and Fingers’ sharpened dagger, the threat is eliminated.
Fingers creates an illusion to hide the group, and they wait until morning to sneak out of Oldtown. They are about to leave Oldtown and return to their house near the south gate, but Zaar thinks he spots a guard watching there. They Odyssey to a cheap lodging house in Delver Square and sneak into the back. They return to the house. They share their loot and wander, trying to decide whether to abandon Diggin, sell him as a garden ornament, or find a way to restore him to a more corporeal state. A knock on the door interrupts their musings, and they are somewhat stunned to see the face of the Red Mage Celeran. He had given the group a red garnet some time ago, and has apparently returned to lend a hand. Altruism is questionable, as it is in all nine dimensions of Hell, but the group is in no position to really object too vigorously. The Visitor informs them that the Hunters are out in force and that they will need to leave the city for a few days.
It seems the surgeon has put a bounty on their heads and there are many eager to claim it. A few minutes later, the group is on their way to the eastern port, crossing the narrow sea to an elven camp on a rented donkey. What was their name again? Ah, yes. The Phinotae. After three days of riding, they disembark and are greeted by Celeran. The group camps outside the town and is relieved but uneasy when they are approached with an offer of stone-to-flesh servitude. Totally free, no strings attached. Just from the goodwill of their patron!
The group accepts the gifts, horses, teeth, etc., and returns to the city. They spend time on the ship preparing for trouble, but on the way back, nothing happens. It seems they have either fooled the onlookers, or something else has happened that distracts them. Either way, they are happy.
They return to the area near the apartment building. Again, they will use the Invisibility spell to hide themselves and try to enter the place unnoticed. Time will tell how successful they are, but for now they are on the move. The party passes a metal door. It is open. No one greets them, and no traps are set. They make their way towards the stairs, hoping that the mage firing spider arrows is gone too.
