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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 the film “Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom”)

Chapter 5

Game Day 3/23/2019

Pits of despair continue

We come across yet another trap door in the floor. As we are discussing what to do, Kromnak ties a rope to me, says, “let’s test it!” and pushes me onto the trapdoor. The trap springs and I dropped into the trap. I’m beginning to wonder whose side Kromnak is on. Tholin catches me on the rope and pulls me out. Checking the ceiling for anything useful and finding nothing, it’s decided that Fizzle should jump across. Jumping, I just barely make it, but twist an ankle on landing and fall back in (Rolled a 1). Once again Kromnak and Tholin grab the rope but not before I get stuck on a poison spike in the pit. Now instead of rescuing me they concentrate on how to cross the trap safely! I’m going to hire better help next time. (Will Fizzle survive? Tune in next paragraph on this same Bat channel.)

Kromnak tries sticking a javelin with a rope tied to it into the ceiling. It sticks but only a little, and when they test it, it dislodges, and they pull it back. Next they try throwing it all the way across. It sticks into the floor. They test pull it and it stays put.

Meanwhile back in the pit trap Fizzle is slowing sliding down onto the poison spike. “Help?”

Back up top Tholin makes it across on the rope to the other side of the trap. As Tholin starts looking for a way to disarm the trap, Kromnak remembers to pull me up with the rope tied to me. I’m saved!

Tholin finds a trick stone in the floor that disarms the trap. The trap closes with a click and we can cross (after Kromnak test with me again)!

Finding a crate, we break them open and find some vials with red potion in them. Looks like healing potions. Kromnak gives me one that he has tasted, but it does nothing of course since he tasted it. Barbarians ugh. I take one of the other vials and heal up some. We find 3 more vials in a second crate. Green underwater breathing potions (1hr). We continue.

Boulder bowling

Coming to a convex passage with a smooth groove in the center bearing left we see to the right a small ledge up a ways with a large boulder held back by a net. We can hear wind coming around the bolder and I see something blink up there behind it. We decide to investigate before going down the passage. Tholin attempts to climb up to the ledge; he gets to it but can’t find purchase to get up on it. He tries standing on Kromnak’s shoulders, as Tholin puts his head above the edge of the ledge something releases the net! The bolder plunges down and Tholin and Kromnak barely get out of the way in time. The boulder rolls off down the passageway in the groove and disappears. Another boulder rolls off the ledge 12 seconds later. I think we started something! 

In the gap between boulders Tholin boosts Kromnak up. He sees, over the edge of the ledge using his lit sword, a short passage with gears and a bolder lifting up at the end. Also a small alcove in the passage to the left with some sort of mechanical attendant. He jabs the attendant with his sword and jumps down out of the oncoming boulders way. After the boulder has passed Kromnak goes up and into the passage grabbing the mechanical attendant and throwing him in the way of the next bolder, which flattens it, while Kromnak is safe in the alcove. 

Back below Tholin hears something skittering behind him. He throws a firebolt at whatever it is, scoring a hit. 

Up top Kromnak smashes the control panel he has found in the alcove with his axe and the gears stop moving. Now a small squarish boxy thing crawls up out of the boulder delivery hole on spidery mechanical legs. It looks as if it is for repairing things. It doesn’t quite know what to do about Kromnak so it tries to poke him. It fails. Kromnak swings and slides the repair drone in half with his sword. Hearing the commotion below he jumps down.

Meanwhile Tholin and Fizzle have been fighting 3 more mechanical scouts. As Kromnak jumps down they are just finishing dispatching the last one. The floor starts to rumble, messing with the boulder machinery seems to have started a major breakdown. As we look for a way out, Fizzle spys a small gap. Running over to it is turns out to be a small passage. We take it the commotion.

The spider swarm

The passage zig-zags all over the place. Towards the end there is a lot of dust and cobwebs. I sign the wall with my chalk, ‘Fizzle was here’. We come out into a cavern with lots of cobwebs, many concentrated towards the back behind something large with glowing eyes. We think its a huge spider and attack! Tholin Firebolts the concentration of cobwebs we think is a nest, while I shoot it between the eyes and Kromnak slices it with his flaming sword. CLANG. Its metal, but Kromnak and I continue attaching. Tholin realizes it’s only a statue of a spider. He thinks it may be a distraction. We all consider this as I take the green eye jewels from the statue – after all – it doesn’t need them.

Spiders start dropping from the ceiling. Lots of spiders! Everyone is wounded, but I am overwhelmed and knocked out. Tholin gives me a healing potion and I regain my wits and cast sacred flames on myself in order to target the swarm of spiders crawling all over me. I succeed in killing some. They don’t like flames. Kromnak squishes many with the side of his axe blade. The swarm is down to half strength. I cast sacred flame on the spiders mobbing Tholin, but hurt him as well. Tholin is out. Kromnak continues squishing spiders on himself and knocks himself out. He’s down too! But, all the spiders are dead. I casts healing word on Tholin and cure wounds on Kromnak. Good thing I’m a cleric. With all of us conscious again, we take a rest.