I reload back at the last camp inside the cave. On a whim I try resting again, but as I expected the module will not let me do so as I had already exhausted the site. I go south again, scare away the goblins again with my magic-user and press until the turn to the east. This time, when I encounter the rock men once more, I am adamant not to break my shield wall and to nibble away at them with my slingers and shield men until they are packed enough for an effective
sleep spell. I want to save my second
sleep spell for the spiders. I could bribe my way, but I refuse to do so. This will be a tough couple of battles. The rock men would let me pass for 500gp, but I'd rather have their bits of XP and shiny hearts.
My shield wall is put into place and combined attacks by Scott DeWar and Fenris bring the first of five charging rock man down, after he fails to hit GlassEye. Two more bunch up near the party and miss our shield men with their strikes, but I'm still hoping to take down at least three with one spell.
Queenie and Col Pladoh combine their sling attacks to inflict five points of total damage against the second rock man. GlassEye, Scott DeWar and (un)reason all miss with their own attacks, but Fenris and his magic sword brings him down. Fenris is becoming a killing machine with that blade, but unfortunately he goes down during the rock men's next round. GlassEye misses a counterattack, but the beautiful thing is that the rock men have now lined themselves up perfectly for Col Pladoh's spell, while (un)reason can heal Fenris on his next go.
Col Pladoh's spell, unfortunately only takes out the lead two rock men, leaving the last in the rear still in fighting condition. Scott DeWar coup de grace's the first one, while Queenie takes a pot shot at the rear one, but misses. I pull (un)reason take a couple steps back and cast
cure light wounds on Fenris., fully healing him. The second rock monster ruins his next turn, trying to flank us into the trees but not getting too far. Queenie pelts him with a rock, and I have (un)reason coup de grace the second sleeping rock man before he can wake up and cause havoc. I move GlassEye and Scott DeWar up to (un)reason's flanks and set them to guard, which gives them an attack of opportunity when the rock man moves up. He does so, and they both miss him, but he misses one of them also. The next round is uneventful, as everyone misses each other, but in the next round one of my slingers whittles the rock man down to half its hit points.
Ranged weapons still seem to have such a large advantage here. I wish I had some more arrows for GlassEye. The rock man hits GlassEye for 3 hit points of damage, but GlassEye has five left. Scott DeWar brings the rock man down to 1 hit point after striking him for six, and after a series of misses, Col Pladoh brings him down. I take the couple hundred experience points and five heart-shaped gemstones and have Fenris lay his healing hands on GlassEye. Then we push eastwards again before more rock men attack. The party is fully healed, except GlassEye who is down to 7 hit points. We still have two healing spells and a sleep spell in our arsenal. I move on, past stone arch and past the bridge. Eventually we are ambushed by the poisonous spiders, like what happened before.
This time they have to face all six of us. Queenie tags the first sand spider with a sharp sling stone, but it attacks and bites Fenris for 3 hit points of damage, nearly bringing the paladin down. The hardy warrior ignores the wound and avoids paralysis. (Un)reason moves up and kills the wounded spider with a strong hit from his mace. Scott DeWar injures a second spider badly, but Col Pladoh fails to bring it down. Scott DeWar strikes it again, ending its life.
Only one spider remains standing, but not for long as Fenris moves up with his magical sword and kills it with a 10 hit point swing. What was a one-sided slaughter before becomes so again, but in the other direction. We didn't even use Queenie's
sleep spell, but I do have (un)reason cast a healing spell on Fenris, who becomes fully healed. Pushing east once more we find a chest buried in the sand. "As you draw nearer, you see that it is a corner of a metal chest; it must have been uncovered by the sandstorm you weathered!" I'm not sure what happened here, as I didn't see a treasure change in my inventory. Searching the spot doesn't get me anywhere. Shrugging, then pushing on I get this message.
"It takes a moment to be sure you are hearing it, but gradually you cannot deny it--singing! At first the sound is hard to identify, distant and faint. Soon you can pick out snatches of melody. It is the sound of many voices singing what seems to be a work song. As the singing grows stronger, a shimmering image begins to form south of the trail. Through the rising heat you can barely make out... something. Whatever it is, it's big, and it looks like it's being pulled across the sand by a team of several dozen humanoids." Curious, I wait along the trail for it to get closer.
"As the object draws closer, it begins to take shape. At first it seems your eyes must be playing tricks on you. But no, the shape is definite. It's a large, flat-bottomed wooden hull with a single mast, hitched to a double-rope harness and being pulled by several dozen humanoids. A dozen or more so humanoids are picking up logs from the rear of the ship. They carry these logs to the front, where they can drop them in the ship's path to serve as rollers. Even so, the weight of the ship pushes the logs into the soft sand, and the pushers are straining with all their might. Standing atop of the foredeck is a small humanoid with a beard almost as long as he is tall. He is shouting through a megaphone, exhorting his workers to pull harder and sing louder." Some humanoids are too stupid to rebel. This is why unions happen. I approach them cautiously.
"As the craft draws closer, you see that the bearded humanoid is indeed a gnome of blocky stature. When he notices you, he calls down through his megaphone, 'Out of the way, ye lubbers!' The crew stops tugging at the ship, half of them collapsing into the sand in exhaustion. Frowning, the gnome shouts down at them, 'Right then, that'll be dinner!' Bellowing through the microphone, the leader roars at you, 'Ahoy there! This be the Motherlode Rover! Ye wouldn't by any chance know where I could find an ocean 'round these parts, would ye? I've come a long way, and I've yet to come across one.'" I can respond politely, rudely, mockingly or by walking away. I go with being polite. "'Bosun! Pipe them aboard!' You squint up at the leader atop of the ship. His shouts rouse another gnome, who scampers about for a moment before blowing a few shrill notes on a whistle and tossing a rope ladder over the side of the ship. You watch your companions climb one by one to the deck above you. Then it is your turn. As you reach the top, the bosun hauls the ladder up after you. 'I am Robern. We search for the ocean,' says the leader. 'Not long ago, a wondering merchant stopped by the clan stronghold. He sold me a book about shipbuilding and ocean navigation. Being quite an adventurer, I decided that this 'ocean' was something worth seeing. A group of 'em bet me I couldn't even find me an ocean to navigate, much less sail it. But the folks ye see all around ye knew me better. We built this here boat and we set out to find the ocean.'" Well, I guess that explains everything.
"'I don't suppose ye have any news, do ye? Concerning the ocean, I mean?' Robern watches you closely. 'Or maybe nautical charts ye'd be willing to sell?' You know that the path the gnomes now carry will take them towards the great mountains of the northlands, but only after the great cities of Specularum, Urnst and Rhoona. To the west they will find the great desert, but to the east are the vast swamp and the eastern ocean." I tell Robern to go east. "Robern's eyes light up as he hears your words. 'Thank'ee! Thank'ee! Thou art surely fine fellows and brave adventurers! Take these sacks of food with ye for thy travels and troubles. Bosun! Let these gentlepersons leave our ship. Lower the ladder.' The bosun lowers the ladder and watches as you descend to the barrens below. For a long while you can hear the gnomes' work song as they ply their way in the direction you sent them." Thus ends my favorite part of the module, though if this was in the orginal game I can see why gnomes were never taken seriously. The TSR writers did them no favors.
Despite the food the game says was offered, I can't rest here. Pushing east I find a line of trees, and eventually a path through them.
"You pause. From up ahead you hear harsh, labored breathing, and a steady tapping noise. You inhale faint, foul odor. Then the reason comes staggering into view. A withered old man, leaning heavily on a staff comes from around a bend in the forest and lurches towards you. His head is bent; he sees only the ground before him. Slowly, he seems to realize that he is not alone. His head snaps up, and you look into his wild, crazed eyes. He flings both arms wide, almost falls, and screams, 'Stop!'" I do as ask and wait. "The old man raves, 'I have waited! Pondered! Searched! Suffered! Seen! From the furnace of desolation I have come, bearing the truth that is mine alone! Leviathan is come, and the boundaries of earth and air, fire and water, shall be swept away! Twoscore minions has he, and they shall smite down the doers of evil, as a woodsman fells oak and pine! With the strength of a giant and the voice of an army, he is come... beware!' The old man eyes you warily, his last booming word echoing through the forest around you." I'm entertained and talk to him further. "The old man smiles as you address him, deciding to impart his wisdom upon you. 'Listen, for I am a seer of visions, and my sojourn into the desert... seven days without food or water, and then I saw a vision... I saw Leviathan, his great white preponderance moving effortlessly across the land! He has come to smite the doers of evil, to deliver just to those deluded minions of the outer darkness! Theirs shall be a squalid death, but I am the prophet of Great Leviathan! I have foreseen his coming! Tell what you have learned here, dear ones. You are the first children to be imparted with this wisdom and foreknowledge. Yours is the glory of aiding us in the spreading of wisdom.' The old man wanders off into the forest, still talking about his vision. He barely seems to notice that he has left you." Heh... he is going to get manhandled by forest goblins.
We're at the home stretch. Next, I will conclude the adventure.