# Return to the Known Lands - of Diamonds and Deception
# Sessions #35 and 36 (11/14/21, 1/15/22)

## PCs:

* Frakus (Dw FM 2)
* Osan (E1f FM/MU 4/2)
* Omes (Half FM 4)
* Arro (MU 3)

## NPCs:

* Marnes (CL 4)
* Burdar (Dw FM 1)
* Toetag and Turmyr (FM 1)

## Hirelings:

* Arvay (wagon driver)
* Samtik (porter)

## Session notes:

The party rested in Larm for two weeks while Arro studied the books
and amulet of the spider cult [0]. They then geared up and headed
back to the dungeon on the hill, finding nothing but a burned tent
atop Arro's Hill. There was no sign of Ogres, Gnolls, or any bodies.

They decided to explore the 2nd level, starting from where they had
fought the Kamenni before [0]. There they found the start of a mine
and some living quarters, but all appeared abandoned. While they
were searching the living quarters, Spot the basilisk returned,
blocking their only exit.

Osan hatched a scheme to cover the basilisk with a blanket while the
others attacked it, but it did not go as planned. The basilisk moved
at the last second and Osan landed on the floor, a prime target for
the basilisk. The others rushed out to attack, but poor Osan was
killed in the battle.  The basilisk was eventually defeated, and
Arro harvested its eyes and blood.  The party carried Osan's body to
the statue room, placing him in the pool and submerging him. He was
brought back to life - with a cost of his health and agility (LL
note: permanent loss of -1 CON and -1 DEX).

Once fully recovered, Osan and the party went back down to the crypt
level, behind the Minotaur statue. There they used the teleport pad
and ended up in a cave they did not recognize (LL note: teleported
to an unknown part of level 2).

The cave was long and narrow, and appeared to have an exit at the
west end. A large lizard was dozing near them, but seemed
uninterested (LL note: good reaction roll). Omes spotted an iron
spike in the cave wall to their north, and wiggled it free, causing
gas to leak out with a loud hiss and a rotten egg smell. They
quickly left the cavern, heading west and north through a set of
double doors. Before closing the doors, Arro threw a lit torch in
the cavern, and the party moved on.

The next room was finished and circular, and had a boarded-up well
in the center.  The party left it alone and continued on, heading
east into a room with plush couches and a chandelier lit by diamonds
which shone brightly. There was a red button on the wall to the
east.

Arro cast a levitation spell and was able to grab 10 of the
diamonds, which stayed lit even when removed from the chandelier.
Meanwhile, the dungeon was rocked by a loud explosion - presumably
the cave gas had reached the torch! The party decided to hole up on
the couches for the night, resting and continuing in the morning.

The next morning, while examining the far end of the room, Omes fell
in a 10 foot pit. Pressing the nearby red button afterwards exposed
a secret door to the east. The party went through the door into a
tunnel, which led to a chamber. It was occupied by a man who
introduced himself as Xane, a lawful priest. The party was
immediately suspicious, and their doubts were confirmed when the
Xane tried to cast a spell, albeit unsuccessfully, as he was
attacked by Osan and then killed in the ensuing melee.

A search of the chamber revealed an alcove, inside of which was a
demonic idol that shocked Omes when he picked it up. There was also
a tapestry of a green-hatted mage on the wall. In a nearby chest was
a pair of leather gauntlets, which Arro used to pick up and then
smash the idol, revealing a cache of gemstones. Frakus took the gems
and the tapestry, thinking the latter might be worth something to a
collector.

The party headed north and battled some giant carnivorous flies,
then into a large room with six cages. Two cages were empty, but the
other four contained a white ape, a wyvern, a black panther, and a
giant black widow spider. The occupied cages were locked with
colored locks and chains - red, green, blue, orange and violet.

They left the cages for now and continued north, encountering a
gnome with a diamond-tipped whip and colored key chain on his belt,
who fled north when they saw him. Giving chase and rounding a
corner, the party saw a bare wall. Arro was able to disbelieve the
illusion after water he poured on the floor leaked through the
"wall". Behind the fake wall was a door and quarters for the
gnome. Once confronted, he was friendly, introduced himself as Tomas
the Menagerie Keeper, and told the party how to get back to level
one, so they could return to town.

## LL Notes:

Reaction rolls always play a big part in my games, it keeps them
from being too combat-heavy, and worked out for the party in the
case of the giant cave lizard. For NPCs like the menagerie keeper, I
rely less on rolls and more on role play, although I sometimes use
reaction rolls in those situations to suggest a course of action if
something is uncertain or could have more than one outcome.

[0]: gopher://gopher.smolderingwizard.com:70/0/rpg/play_reports/known-lands/return-known-lands-33-34.txt