As the wagon heads toward the Rivergate area, Ruby’s armored wizard gives directions with a wiper. There is an attack and the carriage is overturned. In the chaos and confusion of the battle, the prisoners will escape and make their way to the mansion where one of the escaped entities has appeared. There they will decide how the stolen keys will be used. The Vladam family must be wondering what they were doing in the basement, but they might be busy explaining why there’s a secret prison underground. In any case, there will definitely be a short period when this group will not be noticed by anyone. Jedika suggests making the most of it.
An attack occurs and the “fanatics” fight with the guards. Flashy magic is used, and the sounds of battle echo throughout the city. The group leaves quickly and returns to the underground passage. There were signs of a struggle, including fresh blood splattered on the walls and door frames, suggesting that there was an interested party in the area. Additionally, bands of burnt shrubbery indicate that numerous enemies were fought in the not-too-distant past. Considering their long hours of activity in the Vladam mansion, they must burn in the Umberhulk’s tunnels for a day to heal and rest.
They emerge and return to the locked door. Along the way, it becomes clear that the church has come to carry out the fallen paladin. Possibly the same goes for the bodies of lamias and minotaurs. Or maybe they were recovered by fanatics… Either way, the secret is out.
On the way to the door, a stolen hand comes to life and unlocks the combination lock, allowing access to the space beyond. They enter a maze of passageways and stairs. Each staircase leads to a landing that is trapped, but there are also passages beyond, so you need a way to avoid the traps. One flight of stairs leads to a landing, at the end of which a green old hag stands observing the air in front of her. Apparently they are pressed against an invisible wall that separates the room. The group fights the monster and manages to defeat it, despite being hit by multiple lightning bolts fired from the staff they carry.
Invisible curtains are cool, but they only reveal the secret door behind them, so they’re probably more accessible from other locations. They investigate a strange room with rotating metal plates that give access to a trapped level in the ceiling, see a workshop full of mechanical scorpions, and cause an encounter with a giant scorpion automaton. As they fight it, a smaller mechanical scorpion comes to join the fight – but the group wins. A large scorpion is guarding a strange metal door sealed with metal. This reminds me of the door they used to bypass. Unfortunately, I can’t find the dial lock and move on.
They further investigate the hallway and find a way around the trapped floor with jump boots. They find and rescue the trapped mechanical humans, but he shows them great gratitude and forgets that they are maintenance personnel for the area. Further investigation revealed a short passageway to the other side of the translucent curtain, but a huge stone plug blocked their access. A brief backtracking while they were away for a few hours led to the unfortunate situation where Digin was forced into a deep hole and hundreds of pounds of stones were dropped on him. His excavation yields additional loot, but now they have a fighter shot down…a fighter, in fact.
The next day, Veiga repairs the mechanical man’s broken leg and, as a reward, teaches him the secret to pulling the lever correctly. This will lift a huge stone plug, revealing a hallway with an additional door – locked and soldered shut. This is getting tiresome. Who knows what great wealth lies behind the door?
Continue forward and you’ll reach a room guarded by a Will-o-Wisp. In the first encounter, they were forced to retreat and rest for another day or three. Their lead slips away, and after defeating the creature, they see another section of the hall waiting for their perusal.
