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From the ongoing saga of Fizzle’s and his hired companions.
written by Fiznarthian Ooglenook (played David Pettit)
Featured image (screen capture from Elder Scrolls)

Chapter 4

Game Day 2/23/2019

After our short rest, Tholin looks for any hidden ways to move forward. Finding none we decide to distract the fish and make a break for the far shore. Throwing some armor into the lake on the side we came from, we see the fish congregating around that area. We hastily head for the far shore as fast as we can. (Athletic Rolls: Fizzle – 15, Kromnak – 14, and Tholin – 2.) Kromnak and Fizzle make it, but Tholin gets only about half way when the fish catch up to him and attack! He gets chewed on, which spurs him on to an outstanding effort, and he makes it to the North shore to join us. He does have to use a potion to heal when he arrives.

Kromnak lights a torch while Tholin and Fizzle take a look around. Tholin finds something shiny and metallic in the sand. It looks a little like a cog from some machine. We find nothing else so we continue down the passage, keeping left; Tholin looking for traps, Fizzle, then Kromnak following. We soon come to another wall of darkness. We handle this one the same as the last patch of darkness with Fizzle exploring ahead on a rope. 

Moving forward by touch, Fizzle feels the floor transition from soft sand to flagstone. Someone has improved the floor in this section of cave. He briefly hears a click and whirring coming from the left ahead, but nothing further comes of it. Soon he comes out into another cavern that’s about 60’x40’. There is some light now from glowing moss on the walls. He ties the rope to a handy 40lb bolder and gives the rope the prearranged 2 (3 for help) tug signal for the others to join him. The rope and rock immediately disappear back into the darkness!?! Kromnak finding a rock on the rope instead of Fizzle and thinks he has disappeared. Tholin convinces him the tugs were the signal to follow. Fizzle can’t figure out what’s taking them so long. Tholin and Kromnak start after Fizzle, Tholin following the left wall as Fizzle did. Kromnak doesn’t know his left from his right and follows along the right hand wall. Tholin joins Fizzle, but Kromnak goes off in a long circle following the right hand wall and ends up back where he started. “It’s magic! They are gone.” He continues on around the loop again. Finally after another time around he hears Fizzle and Tholin yelling to follow the wall with his “wiper” (left) hand and he joins them.

Searching this cavern we find some large scratches in the wall about 10’ up. We continue on.

Tholin in the lead spots a trap in the floor of the passage we are following. It’s a trap door the full width of the passage and about 20’ across. On the far side about 3’ up the wall is a dry patch of brown moss or algae. Maybe its a switch. Before they can discuss it, Kromnak says “lets throw “Flippy” across!” and does. Fizzle yells “Nooo…” and flies gracefully end over end across the 20 feet and slams into the wall face first. Sliding down in a heap he takes 5 points of damage. Tholin and Kromnak jump across after. (With no damage.) It turns out the moss covers a button that disables the trap door. Fizzle recovers, muttering something about barbarians under his breath. The party continues on.

Next we come into a cavern with small alcoves to the left and right. We each check one, finding nothing but algae on the walls, which reaches out and grabs Kromnak and Fizzle. “Not my wiping hand!” cries Kromnak. Tholin attempts to hack the stuff off Kromnak. but it is resistant to hacking. Kromnak tries his flame sword, which is very effective at burning the stuff up. Seeing this I use Sacred Flame and manage to make a dent in mine. Tholin and Kromnak both shoot it with bow and crossbow and it expires. All free again, we move on.

Tholin finds another trap in the passageway. This one is only 12 feet across. Tholin jumps it and Kromnak tosses me. Kromnak carefully trips the trap to see what happens. The trap door opens onto a 30 foot pit with spikes at the bottom. He jumped it easily and Tholin pushes the button to safe the trap and we continue on down a wider corridor into another chamber. Finding more algae creatures we kill them and settle in for a long rest.

During my watch I hear a noise which turns out to be a mechanical bronze scout on the ceiling. It drops down and attacks us. Tholin swings at it with his rapier and gives it a good hit. I cast spiritual weapon and manifest a large yellow bear in a red jumper (a Pooh Bear), but Pooh misses his swing. Pooh looks very cross. I cast enhance on Kromnak to give him more strength. He takes a mighty swing with his great axe. Whack! Tholin misses with a fire bolt and I manage to miss with both my crossbow and Pooh Bear. Then Kromnak hits it with his flaming sword and Tholin finishes it off with fire bolt. I cast cure wounds on Tholin and we finish our rest.

After resting we move on further. Tholin finds yet another trap! Tying a rope to himself as previously, Tholin jumps across only to land on a second trap door which springs open! He falls but we catch him with the rope, saving him from certain doom. Pulling him up with the rope Tholin manages to get up on the narrow section between the two traps. Fizzle spots the disarm switch on the far wall, but it’s too far to jump across both gaps and Tholin can’t get a running to jump from the narrow 1 foot section of floor he is on. We are discussing trying to shoot the button when Fizzle, having seen Tholin use magic before wonders if he can do “Mage hand”. He can, and uses it to push the disarm button and both traps lock shut. We all move across and are free to continue on.