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Message: <blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 1381517" data-attributes="member: 1210">The Party Meets Some Wandering AdventurersAfter a few days, Trinia has grown restless.  She and Brother He wander from the group’s camp to forage and stumble across two passing armored adventurers named Ezra and Sam.  They seem an odd pair; Sam (a dwarf) it later turns out is neither male nor female but a little bit of both.*  Trinia has seen such hermaphrodites in animals from time to time, but never in a humanoid before, and she can’t help but feel a small amount of professional fascination.While most of the rest of our heroes rest a little longer, Trinia, He, Sam and Ezra decide to explore a little more of the crypt.  The four of them first uncover and then descend into the hole that the ogrish zombie had emerged from.  Trinia’s wolf follows behind, snuffling around warily.  The squeaking of rats is still evident as they reach the first chamber, though most of the many rat bodies have been gnawed or devoured.  “Let’s hope it was just rats that did that,” murmurs Trinia.  Brother He nods.  The group explores a little.  The south end of the passage has an exit that splits like an inverted Y; one passage leads to some kind of crude altar while the other leads to an open chamber.  The two rooms connect, and from the connecting point another passage leads.  The group moves forward, unaware that they’ve been heard.The passage leads into a room with some sort of pool of water in it.  Little wisps of steam rise from the pool.  And suddenly, a little winged figure pops out of it, giggles, and opens its mouth.  A cloud of scalding water rolls over the four adventurers!  They yelp in pain as their flesh burns.Brother He reacts first, leaping forward and lashing out with a flurry of kicks and blows!  He lands two blows on the little watery creature, but to his dismay he can’t seem to harm it!  Trinia and her wolf both attack it as well, but it darts out of the way of both blows.  It laughs gleefully and cries, “Fools!  None may pass me without paying my toll!”  The party draws back for an instant.  “What’s your toll?” Ezra asks.“You will each pay me 20 pieces of gold!” the mephit squeals gleefully.“No way!” Sam barks.  “You guys aren’t really thinking of paying this little creep?”“I can’t hurt it,” Brother He says calmly.“That’s right!” the little creature screeches.  “So pay up or go away!”Grumbling, our heroes pay the toll.  Sam and Azekia, being broke 1st-level adventurers, haven’t enough money; so Trinia and Brother He loan them the money, hoping that they’ll be paid back later from any treasure they might find.Beyond the mephit they approach a four-way intersection.  “The walls are a little better-worked here,” remarks Sam idly as they walk, his (her?) dwarven eye easily picking out such details.“Which way do you think we should go?” wonders Ezra.  Then, suddenly, something that looks for all the world like a vein of minerals on the wall snaps out to strangle him!  The human gasps and clutches at the vine, trying to pry it from around his throat.Sam pulls out an axe and swings.  Trinia’s scimitar, too, slashes out.  The vine is cut free almost instantly, and Ezra is freed from its rough grip.  “Thanks,” he gasps.“Assassin vine,” Trinia says in wonder.  “I’ve never seen one of the underground variety before.”“Keep your eyes open,” Sam scowls.To either side, it turns out, are burial chambers, with a heavy stone sarcophagus in each.  These are clearly ‘special’ burial chambers, rather than the simple shelves of bones the first room held.“Should we open one of ‘em up?” wonders Sam.“Yeah, let’s,” Ezra answers, and tries to do so; but the lid is heavy, so the others throw their strength in as well and soon push the lid aside.“Well, well, would you look at that!” says Sam.Beneath the lid is no body; only a ladder leading down from an empty coffin.*These two were drop-in one time players.  Sam’s player got quite ‘creative’ with her character, without any help from anyone else.Next Time: Down the ladder, to where the architecture is noticeably different!</blockquote>

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